Why Do Some People Always Treat Manas as a Fool?

The consciousness of the vast majority of people lacks wisdom and the wisdom of sublime observation; thus, it cannot observe the manas and remains unaware of its nature, which leads them to regard manas as foolish. Only after the transformation of consciousness into wisdom, when consciousness possesses the wisdom of sublime observation, can it directly perceive the functioning of manas, thereby uncovering its profound, subtle intrinsic functions and the mental factors associated with it. The transformation of consciousness into wisdom requires attaining the first dhyāna, eradicating afflictions, and becoming a bodhisattva of the first bhūmi or higher, who possesses the wisdom of consciousness-only. Only when consciousness is free from obscurations can it clearly observe the operations of manas. Simultaneously, manas itself is transformed into wisdom, attaining great wisdom, and its mental factors differ from those of bodhisattvas below the first bhūmi.