The Relationship Between Non-Conceptual Awareness and Manas

Luminous awareness is characterized by sensitivity and dynamism, while being free from thoughts means temporarily detaching from mental conceptions and thoughts. Such awareness can be conscious or rooted in manas (the seventh consciousness). It is relatively easier for the sixth consciousness (mano-vijñāna) to be free from thoughts, whereas it is more challenging for manas, though not impossible. Why can the sixth consciousness achieve freedom from thoughts? Firstly, manas lacks strong desires and thoughts, does not cling to sensory objects, and has no coarse mental conceptions. Secondly, the sixth consciousness itself lacks the desire to discriminate objects and has no lingering concerns, thus preventing it from being mobilized to think, to reflect, to imagine, or to fabricate. As for the extremely subtle thoughts of manas, they do not require the participation of the sixth consciousness to manifest in bodily, verbal, or mental actions, nor can the sixth consciousness detect or engage with them.

At this point, manas enters a state of slight tranquility, which is a meditative concentration state, a state free from desires and pursuits. Therefore, when the sixth consciousness is in a state free from thoughts, it necessarily occurs when manas is tranquil and in meditative concentration, regardless of the depth or duration of that concentration. In truth, subtle thoughts still exist at this stage—how can there be awareness without thoughts? It is simply that when one is very familiar with the state, one can know without exerting effort to discriminate. At this point, mental activity is extremely subtle, which is called "luminous awareness free from thoughts." The term "luminous awareness free from thoughts" does not originate from the Buddhist sutras; the sutras do not provide a specific description of this. It is a concept proposed by later practitioners based on their own understanding and is not entirely precise. Observing and discerning this requires profound cultivation in Yogacara (Consciousness-Only) and keen observational abilities.