Is the Manas Ultimately a Non-valid Cognition?

It depends on what the definition of non-valid cognition is. If wrong views, wrong understanding, and wrong grasping are defined as non-valid cognition, then the manas is non-valid cognition, and at the same time all six consciousnesses are also non-valid cognition, because they all have wrong views and wrong understanding. If imagination, fantasy, supposition, and the like are defined as non-valid cognition, then the manas is not non-valid cognition; it cognizes entirely through direct perception. If the manas could have the kind of non-valid cognition that the mind consciousness has, learning Buddhism and practicing would be much easier, living in worldly dharmas would be much easier, and upon encountering the Buddha-dharma one would easily understand it correctly; there would be no need to laboriously cultivate meditative concentration, investigate through Chan, or engage in contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā), and attaining buddhahood would not require three great asaṃkhyeya kalpas. As for why it takes such a long time to cultivate and become a Buddha, it is precisely because the manas lacks sufficient wisdom and needs long-term permeation, with facts presented and reasons explained.

If holding wrong views and wrong understanding of all dharmas is the definition of non-valid cognition, then the manas is indeed non-valid cognition, because of ignorance—He holds wrong views and wrong understanding of all dharmas, to the point of wrong grasping. Therefore, learning Buddhism and practicing is precisely to eradicate the manas's ignorance and to correct all of the manas's wrong views and wrong understanding. When ignorance is completely severed and everything becomes correct understanding, and all wrong grasping is also completely severed, sentient beings attain buddhahood.

Correcting the manas's wrong understanding depends on the mind consciousness's correct understanding. For the mind consciousness to have correct understanding, it must study the Buddhist sutras, deeply and correctly comprehend them, and then contemplate rightly, permeating the manas, so that the manas follows the mind consciousness's correct understanding and deliberates rightly (manasikāra), thereby enabling the manas to possess correct understanding and correct views, rectifying its former wrong knowledge, wrong understanding, and wrong actions. Thus, the manas's ignorance that must first be eradicated is the manas's view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi); only afterward can the manas's self-grasping be completely severed.

The manas's ignorance that must next be eradicated is to make Him recognize the eighth consciousness as the master of the dharmadhātu, rather than Himself. Only afterward can the manas's grasping of dharmas be completely severed. When the grasping of dharmas is completely severed, sentient beings attain buddhahood.

Therefore, from beginning to end, learning Buddhism is all about cultivating the manas, with the aim of eradicating and completely severing the manas's ignorance, fully returning to self-nature, and no longer being inverted. In this process, the guidance of the mind consciousness is needed, so the mind consciousness must first eradicate ignorance and inverted views before it can guide the manas toward the correct path of liberation, ultimately achieving complete and thorough liberation. Therefore, cultivating the manas is the correct cultivation; cultivating only the mind consciousness, without knowing which is master and which is servant, is an inverted view—the cultivation will not reach its proper level, and liberation cannot be attained.