What Does It Mean That Manas Clings to the Perceiving Aspect of the Eighth Consciousness as the Self?

The eighth consciousness can perceive all dharmas, and the mental faculty (manas) following the eighth consciousness can also perceive all dharmas. However, the appearances of all dharmas perceived by the mental faculty and the eighth consciousness differ, and their perceived content is distinct. The eighth consciousness perceives non-mundane appearances, whereas the mental faculty perceives mundane dharma appearances. Relying on the seeing aspect of the eighth consciousness, the mental faculty, after perceiving all dharmas, considers all these dharmas to be the self and to belong to the self. This constitutes the view of self, including the view of a personal self and the view of a dharma self.

Due to this view of self, the mental faculty clings to all these dharmas, refusing to relinquish them, and engages in pervasive conceptualization and attachment. Thus, the mental faculty is also known as the consciousness of pervasive conceptual grasping. Sentient beings first develop the view of self and subsequently develop clinging to self. Due to ignorance, the mental faculty fails to understand that all dharmas are produced by the eighth consciousness, all belong to the eighth consciousness, and all possess the attributes of the eighth consciousness. After relying on the eighth consciousness to perceive all dharmas, it mistakenly regards all dharmas as its own and as belonging to itself. This misconception has persisted from beginningless kalpas until the present. If this misconception is not eliminated through contemplative practice, the view of self cannot be eradicated, the suffering of birth and death cannot be extinguished, and the cycle of rebirth will not cease.