Eliminating the ignorance of the manas is true accomplishment

Can there be, within a trichiliocosm, a single manas carrying ignorance, carrying wrong knowledge, wrong understanding, and wrong grasping, that becomes a Buddha? Can there be a single manas carrying the self-view of not seeing the true reality of the eighth consciousness that becomes a bodhisattva, let alone attaining the transformation of consciousness into wisdom?

A Buddha possesses the four wisdoms in perfect clarity. Which four wisdoms are perfectly clear? First, the mind consciousness is perfectly clear and has ultimately transformed consciousness into wisdom; second, the manas is perfectly clear and has ultimately transformed consciousness into wisdom; then the five sense consciousnesses are perfectly clear and have transformed consciousness into wisdom; and finally, the eighth consciousness is perfectly clear and has transformed consciousness into wisdom.

When one cultivates to the stage of a first-bhūmi bodhisattva, the mind consciousness transforms consciousness into wisdom for the first time, becoming the wisdom of wonderful observation, and the manas transforms consciousness into wisdom for the first time, becoming the wisdom of equality. By what means can the manas transform consciousness into wisdom? It is precisely because the self-view has been eliminated, the grasping at self has been eliminated, the true mind of suchness—the true reality of the dharmadhātu—has been realized, one portion of grasping at dharmas has been broken through, and great wisdom has been attained, that consciousness is transformed into wisdom. Otherwise, by what means could the manas transform consciousness into wisdom?

If one cultivates only the mind consciousness without reaching the manas, what can be accomplished? It is like feeding only the servant until full while giving the master no food—if the master starves to death, how could there still be a servant? In a time of war and battle, if the staff officer studies the map but does not show it to the general, how is this war to be conducted, and who commands the fighting?

Can one attain buddhahood through study of the Buddha with the mind consciousness going it alone, while the manas carries all its ignorance, not even having eliminated the self-view? Would that be becoming an ignorant Buddha? When has the cycle of birth and death ever been governed by the mind consciousness, when has liberation ever been governed by the mind consciousness, while the manas has no say in the matter? At the time of death, if the manas is still steeped in ignorance, into what kind of womb could it be reborn? Could it enter a holy womb? At the time of nirvāṇa, if the manas carries all its ignorance, is fully possessed of self-view, and greedily clings to the three realms, can nirvāṇa be attained? Could it be that while the manas still remains in the three realms, nirvāṇa is attained merely by the cessation of the six consciousnesses?

Some people always want the mind consciousness to be the master, to be the general, with all dharmas decided by the mind consciousness. Is this possible? If it were possible, we would all wish for it: with the mind consciousness in charge, studying and cultivating the Buddha's path would be easy and pleasant, and attaining buddhahood would take no more than a few kalpas—faster than riding a rocket. The mind consciousness would just mull things over and understand them, and once it fully understood at the stage of buddhahood, one would become a Buddha. However, this is absolutely impossible. Therefore, one must still diligently cultivate the manas, enabling the manas to understand the principles, break through ignorance, and break through attachment.