The Clinging to Dharma Characteristics Is Governed by Manas

The seven consciousnesses all possess an adherent nature towards the dharmas they contact and cherish, yet ultimately, it is the manas (the seventh consciousness) that grasps them, thereby consolidating them into karmic seeds to be transmitted to future lives. The grasping of the six consciousnesses is also initially initiated and determined by the manas. When the manas encounters the six dusts (objects of sense), if it is interested in investigating the dharmas within them, it gives rise to the six consciousnesses for discrimination. After the six consciousnesses perform discrimination, they give rise to sensation and craving, after which there may arise mental formations of grasping. After the manas distinguishes the form of the six dusts as discriminated by the six consciousnesses, it gives rise to sensation and craving, subsequently producing mental formations of grasping. Thus, the six consciousnesses become incessantly attached.

The consciousnesses that grasp the characteristics of dharmas primarily consist of two: the mental consciousness (mano-vijñāna, the sixth consciousness) and the manas (the seventh consciousness). The five sense consciousnesses also possess this function, but their role is minimal and can be neglected. When the mental consciousness encounters mental objects (dharmas), it is the mental consciousness that grasps the characteristics of dharmas. Subsequently, based on the discrimination and craving-grasping of the mental consciousness, the manas also generates mental formations of craving and grasping. After the manas grasps, the result manifests. Before the mental consciousness discriminates the characteristics of dharmas, the manas also has contact and grasping, but the manas does not have ultimate knowledge of the characteristics of dharmas. Therefore, the purpose of grasping the characteristics of dharmas is for the six consciousnesses to discriminate, the mental consciousness to deliberate, and finally, for the manas to make the decisive choice. Regarding the characteristics of the five dusts (objects of the five senses), the five sense consciousnesses also have grasping, but they lack the power of decision. Their grasping mind is extremely subtle; when wisdom is insufficient, it is exceedingly difficult to observe the mental formations of the five sense consciousnesses and to clearly distinguish between the five sense consciousnesses and the mental consciousness. The mental factors (caittas) of the five sense consciousnesses are generally bound together with those of the mental consciousness and the manas, making them indistinguishable to observation, hence they are overlooked.