The manas possesses the power of introspection to realize self-validating cognition (sva-saṃvitti-saṃvitti-bhāga)

Some people say that the manas has no self-validating cognition (sva-saṃvitti-saṃvitti-bhāga) and no power of introspection, that He never knows His own past, and that only through the observation of the mind consciousness can one's own past be known. This statement is far off the mark, because only the manas and the tathāgatagarbha continue without ceasing, life after life. The manas is possessed of knowing and can know all the dharmas that the tathāgatagarbha transforms and manifests; He also corresponds with karmic seeds. From countless past lives down to this present life, He has never forgotten any of the dharmas experienced, and the dharmas He knows far exceed what the mind consciousness knows. The information known by the mind consciousness within a single lifetime is far too little, and cannot compare with the manas at all. Moreover, the mind consciousness of this life has not experienced the events of past lives, so how could the mind consciousness serve as the manas's reliance? On the contrary, much information can only be known by the mind consciousness through reliance on the manas. Especially information from past lives—the mind consciousness must rely entirely on the manas to know it. This is so for those without supernatural powers, and equally so for those with supernatural powers; there is no exception.

For example, when a person meets another person in a certain setting, he feels that this person is very cordial and familiar, like a long-parted family member; in an instant his heart surges with emotion and he cannot restrain himself, even becoming so moved that his eyes brim with hot tears. In fact, these two people were family members in a past life with deep karmic affinity, so upon meeting in this life they feel especially close. This is absolutely not something felt after the mind consciousness has discerned it—the mind consciousness knows nothing and can only know through reliance on the manas; it is the one who knows only after the fact. Moreover, the mind consciousness can only know this when it has wisdom; when the mind consciousness lacks wisdom, even if tears brim in its eyes, it does not know why, remaining muddled and confused. The mind consciousness does not know why it is suddenly moved to tears; of course it is that the manas could not control Himself and the tears welled up. If the manas were not moved, then even if the mind consciousness were moved, there would be no hot tears—except for actors performing a role.

Take another example: a person feels uncomfortable in the heart the moment he sees another person, and the mind consciousness does not know the reason. But the manas knows; He simply cannot express it so that the mind consciousness understands clearly: it turns out this person often speaks ill of him behind his back. The mind consciousness has not witnessed these things, so it certainly does not know them; the feeling of discomfort is of course the result of the manas alerting the mind consciousness.

Now, does the manas have the power of introspection and self-validating cognition? Of course He does—this is beyond any doubt. For a person of cultivation, the manas will constantly introspect and examine whether he has done anything wrong, whether he has harmed others, whether his words and conduct are appropriate and proper, and so on. For a person without cultivation, when the manas encounters major, urgent matters or very important people, He will also introspect and examine whether what he has said and done is appropriate, whether there might be any bad consequences, and so on. Only for an extremely foolish person might the manas lack the power of introspection and examination, often remaining oblivious and unaware, not even knowing when a great disaster has been brought about.

The manas's introspection is the manas's introspection; the mind consciousness's introspection is the mind consciousness's introspection. The two cannot substitute for each other, because each has its own mental factors (caittas) and they do not function interchangeably—there is merely mutual influence between them. The manas cannot take the mind consciousness's introspection as His own introspection and confirm it, thereafter ceasing to examine and introspect Himself. Even if such a case occurs, it is only under special circumstances when the manas's wisdom is insufficient. Later, once the manas is able to introspect Himself again, in most cases He will regret the choices He made previously. Take another example: a person does a certain deed and, after finishing it, forgets about it and no longer thinks of it. But not long after, upon encountering a condition, he recalls this matter, and slapping his thigh he says: "I did that thing wrong." Is this regret the mind consciousness's regret or the manas's regret? Was it discovered through the mind consciousness's introspection that the deed was done wrong, or through the manas's introspection?

Here there is no time or opportunity for the mind consciousness to analyze; the manas very swiftly decides to slap the thigh, expressing regret. The more swiftly the thigh is slapped, the more it shows that the manas discovered the error after introspecting, although slapping the thigh is an action jointly performed by the mind consciousness and the body consciousness. The harder the thigh is slapped, the more the manas regrets. It is like when hot water scalds the hand and the hand is flung away immediately—there is no time for the mind consciousness to analyze. If one waited for the mind consciousness to analyze before flinging the hand away, the hand would long since have been scalded beyond recognition, and flinging it or not would make no difference. If everything required the use of the mind consciousness, many matters would be like cucumber dishes gone cold—beyond remedy. When one has done wrong, to deeply reflect and repent, to sincerely repent, to earnestly repent, to repent from the true heart—these are all the manas's repentance, reflection, and introspection. The mind consciousness's repentance is not sincere at all; saying something yet not doing it refers precisely to the mind consciousness's failure to keep its word—this inability to be the master.