Is the Reliance on a Dharma Characteristic Determined by Consciousness or Mental Faculty?

The determination to rely on a dharmalaksana (characteristic of phenomena) is made by the manas (the mental faculty). Only after this decision is made can one begin to rely upon it while engaging with the five aggregates and six consciousnesses. Why does the manas make this decision? Because it has perceived this dharmalaksana, recognized it, and knows that this dharmalaksana is firm, reliable, worthy of reliance, and that relying upon it will bring benefit. Only then does it decide to rely upon it.

Therefore, if the manas does not continuously eliminate the view of self and does not realize the mind to authenticate the truth, how could it know that the Tathagatagarbha (Buddha-nature) is the truly reliable refuge? How could it take the initiative to decide, even minimally, to rely upon the Tathagatagarbha and thus create the physical, verbal, and mental actions of the five-aggregate body? Consequently, if only the consciousness attains the fruit (of realization) or realizes the mind, it cannot subdue the body, mind, and world. Afflictions will instead grow increasingly strong, because there arises a sense of having attained something, adding another 'self'. Where there is a self, there are inevitably afflictions. Only when the manas simultaneously attains the fruit and realizes the mind can the body and mind abide in samadhi, subduing the afflictions and causing them to become progressively fainter, until they are finally eradicated.