Rote Memorization Is Not as Good as Improving Thinking Ability

Look for the manas's self-confidence within your own self-confidence, and compare them—what is the difference between the mind consciousness's self-confidence and the manas's self-confidence? Then, within the manas's self-confidence and lack of self-confidence, observe the manas's self-validating cognition (svasaṃvedana). Constantly improve your own capacity for thinking and observing, and in the future your ability for self-study and self-cultivation will be strong. You will not always need to memorize texts, memorizing back and forth without even knowing whether what you memorized is correct. Without the ability to rely on the Dharma, one has no choice but to rely on persons, which makes it very difficult for one's cultivation of the Path to make progress.