The discernment of the six sense objects is governed by the manas

The discernment of the six sense objects is all governed by the manas; it is the manas that has the final say. Some say that the manas can only discern whether there has been any major change in the mental sense objects, but in fact this is not so. Mental sense objects are of five types: material mental sense objects, sound mental sense objects, scent mental sense objects, taste mental sense objects, and tactile mental sense objects. The manas can discern all five types of mental sense objects; otherwise, how could the manas deliberate and decide which of the first five consciousnesses should arise? For mental sense objects of the same type, the manas can also make a rough differentiation. For example, if several people suddenly appear before one's eyes and the manas is interested in only one of them, it will then decide to discern that person, and the mind consciousness will not discern the others.

The manas can also discern the five sense objects. For example, colors are forms seen by the eye consciousness; if flowers of various colors appear before one and the manas is interested only in purple flowers, then the eye consciousness will only discern and pick out the purple flowers, paying no attention to flowers of other colors.