Only when the manas eliminates doubt and generates faith will the tathāgatagarbha follow in accord

All dharmas do not exist apart from the tathāgatagarbha and the manas, nor can they be spoken of apart from them; the mind consciousness only plays an auxiliary role. The mind consciousness is like a supporting actor playing the role of a staff advisor, while the manas is the protagonist, like a general—all decision-making power rests with the manas. As the staff advisor, the mind consciousness must constantly gather intelligence about the six sense objects for the manas, analyze the detailed information of the six sense objects, and offer the manas appropriate, timely, and reasonable suggestions.

After the manas receives the intelligence and suggestions analyzed by the mind consciousness, it must carry out its own distinctive processing of thought and deliberation, and then decide whether to handle the six sense objects according to what the mind consciousness has said, or, based on its own experience, its own habits, its own ideas and views, decide on the next course of action. This entire process is the function and operation of the manas's mental factor of deliberation (manana). If the manas still cannot decide how to take the next step, it will still have the mind consciousness go gather more intelligence for its reference, just as a general, when unable to decide, sends his staff advisor to gather more and more useful intelligence for him and report it in detail, so that the general can make his decision.

From this we can see that the most important thing in eliminating doubt is eliminating the manas's doubt. If one eliminates the mind consciousness's doubt but not the manas's doubt, the manas will still harbor doubt. (However, the manas will sometimes also help resolve the mind consciousness's doubt.) For example, when the head of a household has a problem, the whole family must cooperate with him to solve it; if his problem is not resolved, the entire family cannot function normally and in an orderly way.

Eliminating doubt gives rise to faith: eliminating doubt means having the manas eliminate it, and generating faith means having the manas generate faith. At first it is the mind consciousness's faith; the mind consciousness's faith is blind faith, faith based on reverence, doting faith—an unstable faith, not correct faith. Correct faith and deep faith are the faith of the manas; this kind of faith is deeply rooted and unwavering. If the manas has no faith, it will not spontaneously want to cultivate and study the true Dharma. No matter how much faith the mind consciousness has, if the manas becomes doubtful, the mind consciousness can do nothing about it and can only follow the manas's thinking. The mind consciousness can only serve as the manas's staff advisor and cannot make decisions on behalf of the general, the manas. And the relationship between the tathāgatagarbha and the manas is like that of father and son: whatever this son, the manas, wants to do, the father, the tathāgatagarbha, as long as He has the financial resources, material resources, and manpower, will comply with and satisfy Him.