The Wisdom of the Manas Truly Represents a Person's Wisdom

Question: When we say attaining the fruits of realization, does it mean that after the mind consciousness attains the fruit, the manas still needs to confirm and accept it? Just like a year-end summary at a workplace, which is only recognized after the organization stamps its official seal on it? Also, wisdom belongs to the mind consciousness; after the wisdom is acknowledged by both the mind consciousness and the manas (as habitual tendencies and seeds), it can also be stored as seeds in the tathāgatagarbha. Is the wisdom of the manas itself the seed of habitual tendencies?

Answer: When the mind consciousness alone understands clearly, it does not count as realization; only when the manas also understands clearly at the same time is it realization. Because the so-called "self" is precisely the manas; the mind consciousness is subordinate to the manas, being its subordinate, while the manas is the leader who plays the dominant role. The eradication of the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi-prahāṇa) must be the eradication of the manas's view of self; it is not enough to only eradicate the view of self of the mind consciousness, the subordinate. The mind consciousness is merely a function that obeys the self of the manas.

There is the wisdom of the mind consciousness, and there is also the wisdom of the manas; only the wisdom of the manas truly represents a person's wisdom. Because the wisdom of the mind consciousness is temporary, unstable, and cannot be the master. Only when the manas gives rise to wisdom can there be wisdom at all times, and only then is a person truly wise. Only the wisdom of the manas can truly be stored as seeds and continue to function in future lives. The manas corresponds completely with the seeds, whereas the mind consciousness contains that portion which represents the conditioning of the later-acquired environment. The manas has habitual tendencies—both wholesome and unwholesome habitual tendencies—and the wisdom of the manas belongs to wholesome habitual tendencies.