The Power of Manas

As cultivation deepens continuously and concentration and wisdom become increasingly sufficient, the mental faculty (manas) will gradually grow stronger. The hallmark of a strong mental faculty is the transformation of consciousness into wisdom, accompanied by changes in the mental concomitants (caitasika). The strength of the mental faculty signifies the strength of the mental concomitants, and vice versa. When both are robust, they become invincible, endowed with the five universal mental factors (sarvatraga), the five particular mental factors (viniyata), and the eleven wholesome mental factors (kuśala). By this stage, the afflictive mental concomitants have long been completely eradicated, though some very subtle habitual tendencies of afflictions and slight adherence to dharmas may still remain. When the mental faculty grows sufficiently strong, it will eventually supersede the six consciousnesses. Without relying on the support of the six consciousnesses, it alone can perceive the objects of the six sense fields (viṣaya), both coarse and subtle, without any difficulty. At this stage, great spiritual powers will manifest.