The Vedanā of Manas

The mental faculty (manas) encompasses not only neutral feeling but also feelings of pleasure and pain. Because the mental faculty is afflicted by ignorance and defilements, and possesses wholesome and unwholesome mental factors, it inevitably experiences pleasure and pain. From these feelings of pleasure and pain arise the defilements of greed and hatred. If the mental faculty possessed only neutral feeling, one would remain unmoved even when beaten, scolded, or humiliated. Although the mental consciousness (mano-vijñāna) might feel upset, it would pass quickly without leading to any retaliatory actions. This exemplifies the excellent cultivation and virtue of highly accomplished practitioners, qualities ordinary people simply do not possess. If the mental faculty had only neutral feeling, one would remain unmoved even when lavished with praise or elevated to the heavens; one would still remain unmoved in the face of power, sensual pleasures, fame, and profit, and would not chase after them, remaining indifferent to glory, wealth, and status. Although the mental consciousness might feel some liking for these things, it would be merely a slight inclination without leading to any action or implementation. This is the virtuous cultivation of great practitioners, something ordinary people simply do not exhibit.

Because the mental faculty's reception of objects in the six sense fields often relies on the six consciousnesses, and the six consciousnesses have a distinct function of discerning objects, their feelings are also clear and direct. In contrast, the feelings of the mental faculty appear more indirect and subtle, making them harder for the mental consciousness to detect. This is why it is said that the mental faculty has no feeling. Regarding feelings in the physical body, they are directly received by the mental consciousness and the body consciousness. Physical pain and comfort are directly felt by the body consciousness and mental consciousness. When the six consciousnesses are absent, such as in states of unconsciousness or deep sleep, the mental consciousness and body consciousness have no sensation of painful or pleasant tactile experiences on the body. However, does the mental faculty have sensation at this time? The mental faculty certainly has sensation. This is why, during coma or sleep, the mental faculty rouses the six consciousnesses to discern and address issues with the physical body. Even if the six consciousnesses are not roused to full wakefulness, during unconsciousness or sleep, the facial expressions and bodily postures of the physical body indicate that the mental faculty has sensation.

Sentient beings perceive feelings only through the six consciousnesses and thus fail to recognize the feelings of the mental faculty. When the wisdom of the mental consciousness is insufficient and lacks the wisdom of realizing the way (the wisdom to understand all paths to enlightenment), one cannot observe that the mental faculty has feelings. Therefore, it is unsurprising that many people claim the mental faculty has no feeling, but this is not the correct principle. The five universally interactive mental factors are attention, contact, feeling, perception, and volition. The mental faculty also possesses these five universally interactive mental factors; therefore, the mental faculty must have feeling.