Eradicating the Self-View and Self-Grasping of Manas Does Not Require Directly Observing the Functioning of Manas.

To observe with direct perception the mental activities, operations, and mental factors (caittas) of the manas, one must cultivate to the level where both the mind consciousness and the manas have transformed consciousness into wisdom—that is, at minimum the level of a bodhisattva at the first bhūmi. For the mind consciousness and the manas to transform consciousness into wisdom: first, one must eradicate the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi), eliminate the manifest activity of afflictions, possess meditative concentration (dhyāna) at the level of the first dhyāna or above, and become a noble one of the third fruit (anāgāmin) or higher; second, one must see the mind and realize the true mind and self-nature, possess profound prajñā wisdom, and possess the differentiated-mark wisdom of a Mahāyāna bodhisattva; third, one must pass through the third barrier of the Chan school and realize nirvāṇa with remainder (sopadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa); fourth, one must possess the seed-wisdom (zhongzhi) of Consciousness-Only. In general, one must possess meditative concentration at the level of the first dhyāna or above, and the profound liberating wisdom of both the Greater and Lesser Vehicles.

All these contemplative practices (vipaśyanā-caryā) use the mind consciousness to observe the manas, whereas the eradication of the view of self requires both the manas and the mind consciousness to eradicate the view of self. As long as one can, through contemplative practice, realize that the manas is also a dharma that perishes and cannot long endure, one can eradicate the view of self; there is no need to directly realize such especially deep and subtle dharmas as the mental activities and operations of the manas. By the same token, to eradicate the innate grasping at self (sahaja-ātma-grāha) of the manas, one only needs to make the manas realize that the five aggregates (pañca-skandha) and eighteen realms (aṣṭādaśa-dhātu) are all neither self nor belonging to self, and sequentially eradicate the afflictions within the concentration of the first dhyāna; then the manas's self-conceit, grasping at self, and so forth will all be eradicated, thereby becoming a great arhat of the fourth fruit, without needing to directly realize the operations and mental activities of the manas.