The Process of Manas Transforming from Avidyā to Vidyā

The awareness of the manas is realization; when the manas realizes, it knows how to act. It is precisely the ignorance of the manas that is called avidyā (ignorance). Eliminating the ignorance of the manas is called vidyā (wisdom). Once the manas attains wisdom, it engages in enlightened actions and ceases to act foolishly.

However, no matter what the consciousness knows, it is useless because the manas remains ignorant. The manas cannot act according to the knowledge of the consciousness, which is described as "knowing but failing to act." The consciousness knows that smoking harms health, but the manas does not know and thus decides to keep smoking. The consciousness knows that creating unwholesome karma leads to unwholesome consequences, but the manas does not know and thus decides to continue creating unwholesome karma. The consciousness knows that there exists a tathāgatagarbha (Buddha-nature), but the manas does not know and thus resolves to seek it, working day and night, forgetting to eat and sleep.