The Self-Validating Cognition of the Manas

Question: When the manas insists on its own views and stubbornly clings to them, which of the four aspects of cognition is functioning? When the manas repents, which of the four aspects of cognition is functioning? What does it mean to insist on one's own views? Why should one repent?

Answer: If the manas insists on its own views and stubbornly clings to them, it means the manas knows and understands its own views, considers them correct, and therefore insists on not changing them — this is the functioning of the manas's self-validating cognition (svasaṃvedana). If it is the manas's repentance, it means the manas has recognized its own fault and thus wants to repent — this is also the functioning of the manas's self-validating cognition (svasaṃvedana).

"One's own" (己) means oneself; "one's own views" (己见) means one's own views — this is self-cognition (svasaṃvitti). If one insists on one's own views, first one must know one's own views — this is self-validating cognition (svasaṃvedana). Knowing one's errors yet not correcting them is also self-validating cognition (svasaṃvedana). Whenever one knows anything about oneself, it is self-validating cognition (svasaṃvedana).