The Wisdom and Thought of Manas

Manas itself lacks the characteristics of language, writing, or sound; it does not engage in thought through words or language. When mental activity arises, there is no accompanying sound. Therefore, the mental processes and functioning of manas are subtle, hidden, and difficult to observe, making them hard to capture. When concentration is insufficient and the mind is not meticulous, it becomes exceedingly difficult to perceive them. Consequently, misunderstandings about manas are inevitable.

Consciousness sometimes possesses wisdom and sometimes lacks it; similarly, manas sometimes possesses wisdom and sometimes lacks it. When the wisdom of consciousness functions well, it can assist manas in discerning and making choices. However, if manas itself possesses wisdom, it does not require the assistance of consciousness's wisdom, or it may not need consciousness to assist in thinking and analysis—helping only with discernment is sufficient. As long as manas discerns the coarse and subtle aspects of phenomena, it will immediately know how to handle and respond to them. This is the case when manas itself possesses wisdom. When manas lacks wisdom, it requires consciousness not only to assist in discernment but also to aid in thinking, analysis, reasoning, and judgment. Manas then bases its deliberation on consciousness's judgment to make its own decision, though this decision may not necessarily align with consciousness's judgment; its choice might even defy consciousness's expectations.

When consciousness turns inward to observe the mind itself, it is the self-witnessing division. If what consciousness observes is the mental activity of manas, then it is the self-witnessing portion. However, when consciousness lacks wisdom, it may not necessarily distinguish whether it is observing its own mental activity or that of manas, and thus may regard it all as its own mental activity. Therefore, many people say, "This is clearly the function of consciousness; how can it be attributed to manas?" In reality, it is because their own consciousness lacks the wisdom to clearly distinguish the differences and boundaries between consciousness and manas. Without the wisdom of discerning the path, attempting to separate the functions of consciousness and manas is indeed extremely difficult.