Why, knowing that objects are illusory, do we still follow them when we encounter them?

The dharmas that the mind consciousness takes as its object include the subjectively imagined realm of mental sense-objects (dharma-objects) and the dharma-objects that manifest simultaneously with the five sense-objects. What the solitary consciousness (mano-vijñāna-eka-citta) takes as its object in memories, deluded thoughts, fantasies, and so on is all the subjectively imagined realm, and it is relatively easy to observe and judge that the subjectively imagined realm is an illusory shadow. However, when the eyes see forms, it is not so easy for the mind consciousness to clearly recognize that the dharma-objects it observes are shadows.

The mind consciousness sees everything as seemingly illusory and unreal, so why does it still follow sense objects when encountering them, being swayed by them? It is because when the mind consciousness first begins contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā), the depth and breadth of its contemplative practice are insufficient, its scope is relatively narrow, and the various dharmas cannot be connected together coherently; thus it cannot effectively perfume and motivate the manas. The mind consciousness's contemplative practice has not yet gained the manas's acceptance and has not penetrated deep into the manas's mind; the manas's views have not changed, so that when making decisions upon encountering sense objects, the manas still takes the sense objects as real, and as the master, it directs the mind consciousness to treat the sense objects as real.