The Essential Nature of Manas

Experience of Jinghe: One day, I was sitting in a chair wearing headphones and listening to the Great Compassion Mantra. As I listened, I fell asleep without dreaming. At that moment, something seemed to stir in the darkness before me (though it wasn't truly "before me" as there was no sense of direction, yet I didn't realize the absence of direction at the time; it felt like being within a vast universe). A sense of curiosity arose, wanting to understand the cause, and then this stirring transformed into a point of bright light.

I (there was no concept of "I" at that moment) continued to move towards the bright light. Just as I made contact with the light, consciousness arose. I understood that the stirring was actually the sound of the Great Compassion Mantra coming from the headphones. (At this moment, I suddenly realized: something had entered the brain from the body, and the functions of the five sense faculties arose.) Then, recalling the state before consciousness arose, it was like being an unknowing child or a small animal. Something stirred, lured me, and I followed without any capacity for reflection.

Commentary: The "before me" during sleep is not the visual field, but rather an object relative to the manas (the seventh consciousness). At this time, even if the eye consciousness and mental consciousness are not extinguished, they are extremely faint. Without a sense of direction (front/back), the manas cannot clearly perceive its object (dharma), hence the feeling of a boundless expanse. It is precisely the manas that gives rise to the curiosity and moves towards the bright light. This is the manas seeking to grasp an object (dharma), but it doesn't know it is seeking to grasp an object; its self-perception is weak. When it grasps the sound of the Great Compassion Mantra, it cannot clearly discern it and can only perceive it as bright light, because the Great Compassion Mantra has blessing power, appearing like bright light.

Just as the manas grasps the sound of the Great Compassion Mantra and begins to perceive the bright light, faint consciousness arises. This consciousness discriminates and recognizes it as the sound of the Great Compassion Mantra. When consciousness discriminates the sound, the manas has already perceived the bright light (the sound) entering the brain. Consciousness instantly comprehends this, and at that moment, the five sense consciousnesses manifest, leading to much greater clarity/alertness. After becoming alert, consciousness recalls the previous process, perceiving the manas as childlike – lacking stability (concentration), curiously following any stirring that appears, very simple, naive, and also clever, going wherever something happens. Of course, this recollection by consciousness is also the manas wanting to understand what just happened, instructing consciousness to recall. Recalling events before consciousness arose relies on the manas providing the scene/material, then consciousness (i.e., "us") can understand what exactly happened.

This passage accurately describes the mentality of the manas: simple, naive, primitive, lacking self-control, requiring consciousness to care for and restrain it, needing consciousness to urge and guide it. Carefully contemplate this truthful description of the manas, savor the characteristics of the manas, and deepen your understanding of the nature (体性, svabhāva) of the manas.