SharePoint Press at 08:11, 5 May 2026

2026-05-05T08:11:04Z

New page

{{Buddhist term
| fontsize=100%
| title=manasikara
| pi= manasikāra
| sa= मनसिकार, manasikāra
| my= မနသိကာရ
| en= attention,<br/> mental advertence, 'taking on an object, making something one's rest or issue'
| bo= ཡིད་བྱེད
| bo-Latn=[[Wylie transliteration|Wylie]]: yid byed; <br />[[THL Simplified Phonetic Transcription|THL]]: yi jé
| zh= 作意 (T) / 作意 (S)
| ja = 作意
| ja-Latn = sai
| ko= 작의
| ko-Latn= jakeui
| th= มนสิการ
| th-Latn= manasikan
| vi= tác ý
|id=perhatian, atensi}}{{Cetasika|universal}}
'''Manasikara''' (Sanskrit and Pali, also ''manasikāra''; Tibetan Wylie: ''yid la byed pa'' or ''yid byed'') is a [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] term that is translated as "attention" or "mental advertence". It is defined as the process of the mind fixating upon an object.<ref name=g1>Guenther (1975), Kindle Locations 406-410.</ref><ref name=eric1>Kunsang (2004), p. 23.</ref> ''Manasikara'' is identified within the Buddhist [[Abhidharma]] teachings as follows:
* One of the [[Mental_factors_(Buddhism)#Seven_universal_mental_factors|''seven universal mental factors'']] in the Theravada Abhidharma.
* One of the [[Mental_factors_(Buddhism)#Five_universal_mental_factors|''five universal mental factors'']] in the Mahayana Abhidharma

==Definitions==
===Theravada===
Bhikkhu Bodhi states:{{sfn|Bhikkhu Bodhi|2012|loc=Kindle Locations 2225-2232}}
: The Pali word literally means “making in the mind.” Attention is the mental factor responsible for the mind’s advertence to the object, by virtue of which the object is made present to consciousness. Its characteristic is the conducting (sāraṇa) of the associated mental states towards the object. Its function is to yoke the associated states to the object. It is manifested as confrontation with an object, and its proximate cause is the object. Attention is like the rudder of a ship, which directs it to its destination, or like a charioteer who sends the well-trained horses (i.e. the associated states) towards their destination (the object). Manasikāra should be distinguished from [[vitakka]]: while the former turns its concomitants towards the object, the latter applies them onto the object. Manasikāra is an indispensable cognitive factor present in all states of consciousness; vitakka is a specialized factor which is not indispensable to cognition.

The [[Atthasālinī]] (I, Part IV, Chapter 1, 133) and the [[Visuddhimagga]] (XIV, 152) define manasikāra as follows:

:...It has the characteristic of driving associated states towards the object, the function of joining (yoking) associated states to the object, the manifestation of facing the object. It is included in the saṅkhārakkhandha, and should be regarded as the charioteer of associated states because it regulates the object.<ref>Gorkom (2010), [https://archive.today/20130505135429/http://www.zolag.co.uk/Cetasikas/html_node/Vitality-and-Attention.html Definition of jīvitindriya]</ref>

===Mahayana===
The [[Asanga|Abhidharma-samuccaya]] states:

:What is manasikara? It is a continuity having the function of holding the mind to what has become its reference.<ref name="g1"/>

[[Herbert Guenther]] states:
: It is a cognition that keeps the complex of mind in its specific objective reference.<ref name="g1"/>

The difference between ''[[cetanā]]'' and ''manasikara'' is that ''cetanā'' brings the mind towards the object in a general move, while ''manasikara'' makes the mind fixate upon this particular objective reference.<ref name="g1"/>

==See also==
* [[Mental factors (Buddhism)]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
* {{citation|last=Bhikkhu Bodhi|year=2012|title=A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma: The Abhidhammattha Sangaha (Vipassana Meditation and the Buddha's Teachings)|publisher= Independent Publishers Group Kindle Edition}}
* [[Herbert V. Guenther|Guenther, Herbert V.]] & Leslie S. Kawamura (1975), ''Mind in Buddhist Psychology: A Translation of Ye-shes rgyal-mtshan's "The Necklace of Clear Understanding"'' Dharma Publishing. Kindle Edition.
* [[Erik Pema Kunsang|Kunsang, Erik Pema]] (translator) (2004). ''Gateway to Knowledge, Vol. 1''. North Atlantic Books.
* Nina van Gorkom (2010), [https://archive.today/20121205090810/http://www.zolag.co.uk/Cetasikas/ ''Cetasikas''], Zolag

==External links==
* [http://rywiki.tsadra.org/index.php/yid_la_byed_pa Ranjung Yeshe wiki entry for ''yid_la_byed_pa'']
* [http://www.berzinarchives.com/web/en/about/glossary/glossary_tibetan.html#xyid_20la_20byed_20pa Berzin Archives glossary entry for "yid-la byed-pa"]
* [https://archive.today/20130505135429/http://www.zolag.co.uk/Cetasikas/html_node/Vitality-and-Attention.html Definitions of vitality (jīvitindriya) and attention (manasikara), Nina van Gorkom]

[[Category:Mental factors in Buddhism]]

Manasikāra - Revision history

SharePoint Press at 08:11, 5 May 2026