Fifty Verses on the Nature of Consciousness Part II

Verses sixteen to twenty-two are about the seventh consciousness, manas. The relationship between manas and the store consciousness is very subtle. Manas arises from store consciousness, and takes a part of store consciousness to be the object of its love, the object of itself, and it holds onto it firmly. It regards this part of store consciousness as a separate entity, a “self,” and grasps on to it firmly. Manas attaches to the store consciousness just like a small child who clings to her mother’s skirt, not allowing her to walk naturally. In the same way, manas hinders the functioning of the store consciousness and gets in the way of transforming the seeds.

Just as the moon’s gravitational pull on the Earth causes the tides, the grip of manas on the store consciousness is the energy that brings about the manifestation of seeds as mental formations in our mind consciousness. Our habit energies, delusions, and craving come together and create a tremendous source of energy that conditions our actions, speech, and thinking. This energy is called manas. The function of manas is grasping.

Like store consciousness, the nature of manas is continuous. It functions day and night without stopping. We have learned about the three modes of perception. The first is direct, the second is by inference or deduction, which may be either correct or incorrect, and the third is erroneous. The mode of perception of manas is always this third mode, false perception. Because the wrong perception of manas, especially its view of a “self,” is the cause of so much suffering, it is important to understand the role of manas in creating and maintaining erroneous perceptions.

Sixteen

Seeds of delusion give rise 
to the internal formations of craving and afflictions. 
These forces animate our consciousness 
as mind and body manifest themselves.

Seventeen
With store consciousness as its support, 
manas arises. 
Its function is mentation, 
grasping the seeds it considers to be a “self.”

Eighteen
The object of manas is the mark of a self 
found in the field of representations 
at the point where manas 
and store consciousness touch.

Nineteen
As the ground of wholesome and unwholesome 
of the other six manifesting consciousnesses, 
manas continues discriminating. 
Its nature is both indeterminate and obscured.

Twenty

Manas goes with the five universals, 
with mati of the five particulars, 
and with the four major and eight secondary afflictions. 
All are indeterminate and obscured.

Twenty-One
As shadow follows form, 
manas always follows store. 
It is a misguided attempt to survive, 
craving for continuation and blind satisfaction.

Twenty-Two
When the first stage of the bodhisattva path is attained, 
the obstacles of knowledge and afflictions are transformed. 
At the tenth stage, the yogi transforms the belief in a separate self, 
and store consciousness is released from manas.