The Advanced Stages of the Arhat

The manas also has self-validating cognition (sva-saṃvitti-saṃvitti-bhāga). During observation, it is the mind consciousness that observes first; then, based on the mind consciousness's observation, the manas makes its own observation, and then deliberates (manana), whereupon it forms its own views and reaches its own conclusions. Everything is governed by the manas's conclusions. The manas relies on the eighth consciousness to perceive all the dharmas illusorily manifested by the eighth consciousness, and then forms its own views and opinions regarding all these dharmas. Dharmas that the manas cannot understand must be understood through the six consciousnesses; then, based on what the six consciousnesses have understood, it further deliberates and judges, arriving at its own views and knowledge.

The manas's concepts of "self" and "what belongs to the self" are not clear—it may not even have any concrete concepts of them. It values only functions and operations, grasping (upādāna) at the functions and operations of the five aggregates (pañcaskandha) and the eighteen realms, including grasping at its own functions and operations, yet without any concept of "the manas itself." This differs greatly from the mind consciousness. When the manas does not identify with the self of the five aggregates, this also includes not identifying with the manas's own functions and operations. However, at the stage of the stream-enterer (Srotaāpanna), the realization of no-self is not as clear and penetrating as at the stage of the once-returner (Sakṛdāgāmin); the once-returner's is not as clear and penetrating as the non-returner's (Anāgāmin); and the non-returner's is not as clear and penetrating as the arhat's. Therefore, at the first fruit one obtains the pure dharma eye, and one's grasping nature is reduced and lightened, but it is not as slight as at the second and third fruits; at the fourth fruit, the grasping nature is simply gone—one no longer clings to the five aggregates and the eighteen realms, including no longer clinging to the manas's own functions and operations.