With manas as its base
and phenomena as its objects,
mind consciousness manifests itself.
Its sphere of cognition is the broadest.
Mind consciousness arises with the manas as its base. Due to manas' discriminating nature, subject and object are seen separate from each other and various negative mental formations like anger manifest in the mind consciousness.
It is an evolving consciousness but unlike manas it does not function continuously. For example, it does not function when we are asleep (and not dreaming) and when have fainted. The mind consciousness is responsible for conceptualizing. It is responsible for all our actions. This is our conscious mind, the one we access to think, calculate, visualize, strategize, memorize etc. This also means we can train this mind to act mindfully.
The mind consciousness has the tendency to be distracted. Sometimes it works in cooperation with the sense consciousnesses like when we are performing an action attentively. Sometimes it functions while disconnecting itself from sense consciousnesses. For example, we may be looking at a picture but thinking about work.
All objects of the sense consciousnesses are also objects of the mind consciousness. It is also the conceptualizing mind.
Mind consciousness is also greatly influenced by the state of the body and our consumption habits. Unmindful consumption can lead the mind astray resulting in negative actions. Alcohol and drugs can not only harm our body but may also induce negative actions.
There is a Tibetan folk tale about a monk who is left stranded in the home of an inviting young woman. The young woman is attracted to the monk and tries to seduce him. He spurns her advances as monks abide by the precept of not engaging in sexual activities during the course of their monastic life. This is for two primary reasons, one is to avoid attachments to the sensual pleasure of such activities which may lead them in a different direction and the other is to prevent monks from exploiting and hurting women by soliciting sexual favors just for the sake of pleasure or in exchange for spiritual guidance or assistance. She then suggests that he kill a goat for dinner. He promptly refuses as that would mean causing suffering to a sentient being. She then proposes that they both enjoy a drink. In some Tibetan traditions monks can consume alcohol. So the monk agreed. However, once drunk, he not only killed the goat but also ended up committing adultery with the young woman. In this manner, he violated the precepts and committed unmindful actions under the influence of alcohol.
An unhealthy body too prevents the mind consciousness from functioning effectively. So we should choose an appropriate diet that keeps us energetic and fit. If we skip meals we may not be energetic enough to attend to our daily chores. Eating too much can make us feel heavy. Children attending school without having breakfast are unable to focus.
What we read and the audiovisuals we watch are also food for the mind consciousness. They have the potential to influence the mind consciousness, again resulting in negative actions. All actions of the body, speech and mind originate in the mind so it is important that we consume mindfully to preserve the clarity of the mind consciousness.
(Based on the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh.)
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