Attainment of the Fruit Through Manas Ensures Non-regression

The liberation of consciousness cannot sever any afflictive fetters, for the fetters are the bonds of manas (the mental faculty). They stem from the ignorance inherent in manas, and consciousness cannot substitute for manas in eliminating this ignorance or cutting off the three fetters. The liberation of consciousness fundamentally cannot eradicate the doubts entrenched in manas; regression in the future is certain. However, when manas severs the fetters and eradicates the view of self, it will never regress or deny this realization. Even when encountering extreme adverse conditions, one might lie and claim not to be someone who has eradicated the view of self, not a bodhisattva, but the manas within will never lose the confidence and the insight of wisdom. No matter what happens, manas remains steadfast and unwavering, eternally preserving the path to bodhi without regression.

Regression pertains to the realm of consciousness; manas itself is incapable of regression. Its crystallized wisdom and realization cannot be altered by external forces. Sentient beings, because of that very "self," cycle through birth and death across lifetimes, suffering in hell for countless kalpas, yet still have not eradicated the view of self. How could someone whose manas has attained fruition and enlightenment of the mind regress so easily? Is thought really so readily transformed? Once manas realizes the Dharma and thought undergoes transformation, it will not revert. Otherwise, even a Buddha could degenerate back into an ordinary being. If realization attained by manas could regress, it would be an utterly bizarre occurrence. If thought were indeed so easily transformed, eradicating the view of self and attaining enlightenment would be exceedingly simple, and becoming a Buddha would be equally effortless. Why then would it require the arduous cultivation spanning three great asaṃkhyeya kalpas to ultimately attain Buddhahood?