Evidence that Manas Possesses the Self-Authenticating Portion

First, the existence of self-verifying awareness in the manas can be proven through the acts of regret and remorse. Regret arises when the manas, lacking wisdom to discern, blindly follows the analysis and guidance of the consciousness, rashly making a decision. Later, the manas discovers that things are not as they seemed, realizing the initial decision was wrong, thus giving rise to remorse. The manas recognizing its own mistaken decision demonstrates the function of its self-verifying awareness; after observing itself, it discovers its own erroneous choice.

Second, the presence of self-verifying awareness in the manas can be observed through the transformation of its mental activities. Through Buddhist study and practice, the manas, continuously imbued by the consciousness, gradually comprehends the truth, recognizes its past ignorance, vows to correct itself, and embarks on the path to Buddhahood. The continuous enhancement of self-awareness during the practice is the function of the manas’s self-verifying awareness; the ongoing self-correction is the function of the manas’s self-verifying awareness; the self-directed change of its mental activities and mental factors is the function of the manas’s self-verifying awareness.

If the manas lacked introspective power and self-verifying awareness, it would be unable to correct itself. While it is true that the manas relies on being influenced and guided by the consciousness, ultimately, it is the manas itself that comprehends the truth and changes itself, not the consciousness. If the consciousness could directly change the manas, there would be no need for gradual influence and guidance; it could simply effect the change immediately. "Imbuing" means the manas accepts and agrees with the thoughts and views of the consciousness, adopting the same perspective, and then makes correct choices and actions based on these changed views, leading to changes in bodily, verbal, and mental conduct.

The consciousness can only change itself; it cannot change the manas. If the manas is unwilling to change itself, it is impossible for the consciousness to forcibly change it. If the consciousness could forcibly alter the manas, then Buddhist practice and even attaining Buddhahood would be easy. However, changing oneself is necessarily an active process, not a passive one. Passive change may be temporary but never permanent. Otherwise, anyone could be changed by the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to escape the suffering of the six realms of rebirth and embark on the path to Buddhahood, bringing everyone close to Buddhahood. Yet, reality is not so. This principle becomes clear upon careful contemplation and is not difficult to understand.