The Understanding of Mind Consciousness Is Not the Realization of Manas

It may feel as if such supernatural powers could be attained through cultivation so easily—does the mind consciousness's feeling and understanding count as realization? If it is realization, the supernatural powers would appear immediately; if the supernatural powers do not appear, then the powers have not been realized, and the mind consciousness's understanding is of no avail, unable to exert any force, unable to obtain even the slightest merit and benefit of liberation. The same applies to the eradication of the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi-prahāṇa) and seeing the mind: the mind consciousness's understanding carries not the slightest merit and benefit, and is not the true eradication of the view of self. No matter how the mind consciousness regards the five aggregates (pañca-skandha) as being without self, it is not realization of selflessness, nor the eradication of the view of self. Therefore, "reading a book a hundred times, its meaning reveals itself naturally" is useless—it is still the mind consciousness's intellectual understanding, not the manas's realization. This principle is extremely, extremely important. I hope all of you will take it to heart and ponder it carefully, and no longer regard emotional thinking and intellectual understanding by the consciousness as supreme, great, and precious, thereby misleading yourselves and then misleading others.