The Difference Between Manas and Consciousness Activities

If the manas (the seventh consciousness) is stirred, there will be various physical reactions, such as flushing, palpitations, shyness, or bulging veins, trembling, etc. When only the sixth consciousness (mental consciousness) is moved, the body remains relatively calm with little reaction. Those who only speak but do not act are merely moved by the sixth consciousness alone, while the manas remains unmoved. Those who say one thing but do another are speaking with their sixth consciousness, while the manas has no intention to act, thus they do not act. Those with a habit of deception use their sixth consciousness to perform, while the manas remains entirely unmoved. Therefore, to observe a person's character, one should look at how they act, not just what they say. Actions are more substantial than words.

The activity of the manas consumes a certain amount of energy, while the activity of the sixth consciousness does not necessarily consume energy, or consumes relatively little. If the activity of the sixth consciousness consumes energy, it still involves the entire body, because energy flows throughout the whole body; the body uses the same stream of energy, which is undivided. However, those who enjoy mental contemplation tend to consume the energy in the brain first. Only when the brain's energy is insufficient do they consume energy from the entire body. The brain affects the whole body; when the brain is tired, the whole body also feels fatigued and requires rest.

In the activity of the sixth consciousness, the manas is not entirely uninvolved; it is always involved to some extent, thus requiring energy consumption. The more it is involved, the more energy is consumed. If I do not engage deeply in contemplation and only engage in superficial mental activities quietly throughout the day, I do not feel tired even after a full day and night, nor do I feel particularly hungry. If I contemplate deeply, I feel tired quickly and easily become hungry. Therefore, I prefer not to interact with people or affairs, avoid engaging deeply in thought, and refrain from pondering unimportant matters, unless they are meaningful and significant.

When engaging deeply in Chan (Zen) contemplation, it also consumes a lot of energy. When cultivating concentration without contemplation, energy consumption is minimal, and the body instead feels comfortable and relaxed. Cultivating concentration without contemplation is less strenuous, while contemplative practice can be mentally taxing. When using the sixth consciousness to contemplate, because the engagement is shallow and minimal, it is relatively quick and effortless, allowing for superficial, fluent, and eloquent expression. However, the content remains shallow, reflecting the level of knowledge and memory recall, rarely revealing the depth of wisdom. When contemplating with the manas, because the engagement is deep, the mental operation is slower and more taxing, but the content is profound and meaningful, reflecting a person's deep-seated wisdom.

To illustrate the difference between using the sixth consciousness and the manas with a metaphor: imagine a person walking through muddy ground. If the mud is shallow, only covering the soles of the shoes, walking is relatively fast and effortless. If the mud reaches the ankles, calves, or knees, pulling the feet out becomes difficult, each step is laborious, and walking becomes very slow. Contemplating with the sixth consciousness is like walking on shallow mud, while contemplating with the manas is like walking through deep mud. Therefore, those who contemplate with the manas, if they constantly operate at this deep level and are highly focused, find their thoughts slow to shift or transition between issues. This requires more energy consumption, feels somewhat exhausting, and thus they prefer quiet and dislike being disturbed by external people or affairs.