Reflecting on the Steps of the Idiom "Fear of Loss and Craving for Gain": A Guide to Manas Training

First step: Take a deep breath, calm the mind, then calm it further, until distracting thoughts gradually diminish and eventually cease.

Second step: Fix the eye consciousness on this idiom, with the mind consciousness roughly aware of its meaning, without engaging in analytical thought. Keep the thoughts still, entering a state of daze, stupor, or blankness. This process is equivalent to transmitting the information of the idiom into the manas (the root consciousness). It’s like when a bag is full but more items need to be added; you press down the contents inside the bag, pause, create space, and then add the remaining items. Pressing and pausing represent moving the contents from the bag’s opening to its bottom. The more you move down, the more space is freed up. The bag’s opening corresponds to the mind consciousness, while the bottom corresponds to the manas.

Third step: After the information is transmitted to the manas, the manas begins processing it. At this point, maintain and prolong the state of blankness, daze, and stupor. Keep the mind consciousness from stirring thoughts; it’s even advisable to close the eyes to nurture the spirit.

Closing the eyes means the eye consciousness ceases to see forms; what is being nurtured is, of course, the manas—this spiritual consciousness. If the manas feels it should rest and decides to close the eyes to avoid seeing forms, the two consciousnesses (eye and mind) obey the decision and close the eyes. If the manas wishes to see forms, the two consciousnesses cannot close the eyes no matter what. If the mind consciousness says, "This form is wonderful, let’s look a while longer," and the manas agrees to look a while longer, then the two consciousnesses see forms without closing the eyes. In all matters, the manas is the master and decision-maker. Although some decisions are suggested by the mind consciousness, it still requires the manas to agree to the suggestion before making the decision. When the two consciousnesses close the eyes and cease activity, the manas no longer needs to expend energy focusing on seeing forms, thus saving mental energy to contemplate other important matters.

After the mind consciousness settles down and the information is transmitted to the manas, the manas begins its contemplation—silent, without movement or stillness, so still that the mind consciousness finds it difficult to detect or sense its existence and operation. Therefore, ordinary people often say the manas is foolish and useless, lacking any substantial function. In reality, however, the most essential functions of the five aggregates are performed by the manas; the manas plays the pivotal role.

Fourth step: The manas first contemplates the character "患" (huàn, meaning worry, calamity, etc.). The mind consciousness should not analyze it; it must avoid interference and disruption, not distracting the manas nor letting it stray from contemplating the idiom. Keeping the manas focused on the object of contemplation is the task of the mind consciousness. If performed poorly, it may affect the outcome of the manas’s contemplation. If the manas is already skilled at contemplation, the mind consciousness need not supervise. The mind consciousness must not rush for results and participate in the process; it absolutely must not engage in thinking, otherwise the manas will produce no wisdom. The results generated by the mind consciousness’s thinking do not represent true wisdom and are unusable.

Initially, the mind consciousness may not know how to supervise or prompt, and the manas may not know how to contemplate. Both need to study diligently. Once past this stage, one can proceed smoothly with contemplation practice. After contemplating for some time, the manas understands that "患" can mean fault, worry, fear, or calculation. To determine the exact meaning, it must look at the subsequent characters. It then contemplates the character "得" (dé, meaning gain, obtain). Since "得" has many meanings, it links "得" and "失" (shī, loss) together for contemplation, thus clarifying the meanings of gain and loss. Then, contemplating what is gained and what is lost, it realizes this refers to the calculation and attachment towards the impermanent, illusory phenomena of the five aggregates in the worldly realm: wealth, sensual pleasures, fame, food, sleep, family and relatives, power, status, and other human affairs. Finally, contemplating all four characters together, it understands that "患得" (huàn dé) means worrying about not gaining, and "患失" (huàn shī) means worrying about losing what has been gained—a state of intense calculation and attachment, seeing nothing clearly and letting go of nothing. It is entirely the mischief of self-view and self-attachment—the psychological state of a deluded mortal bound to birth and death, truly pitiful.

What to contemplate next? That depends on the wisdom and perspective of each individual’s manas. The manas should review the gains and losses of an entire lifetime, wisely contemplating that both gain and loss are ultimately unobtainable—one gains nothing and loses nothing; it’s merely foolish, pointless struggle. Of course, the manas of most people cannot reach this level of contemplation yet; it’s enough to practice contemplation slowly.

Due to insufficient wisdom, lack of skill in the method, and inadequate meditative concentration (dhyāna), initial contemplation practice may be very slow and not necessarily correct. But that’s alright; proficiency will come one day. Once the manas learns to contemplate and observe according to principle, that wisdom will gush forth unstoppably.

Looking back now, doesn’t it seem like a loss for those who previously focused solely on the mind consciousness’s learning and thinking, extensively studying voluminous Yogācāra treatises, spending all their time on them? After decades of the mind consciousness gnawing on Yogācāra texts, what results were achieved? Shouldn’t they now turn back to make up the basics and start step-by-step practical cultivation? However, some people, accustomed to the mind consciousness’s learning and thinking, find that during actual practice, the mind consciousness refuses to settle quietly. This poses a huge obstacle to practice, making meditative concentration extremely difficult to attain, let alone contemplation and observation. The gap in cultivation attainment between those strong in theory and those who emphasize practical cultivation, combining theory with practice, is vast. The latter achieve samādhi within a few years, reaching the first or second fruit (of stream-entry or once-returning), able to realize the emptiness nature of the tathāgatagarbha anytime, anywhere. Meanwhile, the former not only lack theoretical mastery but haven’t even glimpsed meditative concentration.

This comparison should make it clear: if theory is not combined with practice, empty talk often harms the nation; if theory doesn’t land in actuality, realization becomes immensely difficult. What is the place of actuality? Actuality is the place of the manas, the place seen by the eye, the place where one can contact the truth of reality. Consciousness is the place of illusion, the place heard by the ear, the place that cannot contact the truth of reality.