Manifestations of Self-View and Self-Attachment

If a person is determined to be themselves, insisting on being different, acting independently, refusing to be swayed or arranged by any person or matter, and unwilling to submit to anything or anyone, is this person one who has severed the view of self and attained selflessness, or one with exceptionally heavy self-attachment? A person who harbors the notion of "self" within will focus intensely on their own feelings and sensations, care deeply about their privileges and attributes, value their uniqueness, and be unwilling to integrate themselves into the masses, unwilling to conceal and extinguish the self. Their mind clings firmly to the self, refusing to relinquish it. A person unwilling to accommodate anyone's requests, unwilling to be managed or arranged, disobedient to leadership, and lacking self-discipline, is one with a very heavy view of self. Even if they can exercise self-discipline, they still possess a heavy view of self.

Mahāmaudgalyāyana, a great Arhat who had completely severed self-attachment, after attaining the fruit of enlightenment, had absolutely no sense of self-existence within his mind. He completely accommodated the minds of all beings; whatever beings wished him to do, he did; whatever they did not wish, he refrained from. Even if the beings made utterly unreasonable demands, he obeyed without any complaint, never opposing them. After severing the view of self, one becomes a selfless person; within, there is no self, nor any notion of a person, being, or lifespan. Isn't someone who is determined to "be themselves" completely contrary to this? It is absolutely contrary. With no "self," what is there to "be"? This is actually increasing the view of self and self-attachment. Therefore, the view of self and self-attachment lead to endless cycles of birth and death. A willful person is bound to suffer.

A person who strongly emphasizes their sense of self-existence, unwilling to submit to even the slightest wish of others, is an extreme egoist. A person who never yields or compromises has an extremely strong self-nature. A person who views everyone as inferior to themselves and speaks sharply to others is one with very severe self-attachment. A person with heavy self-attachment finds it difficult to sever the view of self. If a person always insists "I am right, you are wrong," is rigidly fixated on right and wrong, does not know how to yield or accommodate, and behaves without kindness or magnanimity, this is a person with a very severe view of self and self-attachment, lacking the Bodhisattva's heart that accommodates all beings.

If a person lives only caring about their own feelings, focuses on their own sensations, pursues inner comfort, acts wildly and unrestrainedly, regardless of the people or matters around them, regardless of the state of the world, and accepts no constraints whatsoever, this person has an extremely heavy view of self and self-attachment — indeed, it is profoundly heavy. For such a person, severing the view of self in this lifetime is exceedingly difficult.

Everyone must constantly turn inward to reflect on themselves; the mind must always engage in self-examination and self-observation. To achieve self-examination and self-observation, one must pay more attention to their inner world. Every single thought must be reflected upon and examined. When thoughts that are not in accordance with the Dharma are discovered, they must be swiftly corrected and extinguished; they cannot be allowed to run rampant. This is practice. A true Bodhisattva neither blindly follows convention nor deliberately opposes it. How to grasp the balance in this depends entirely on the Bodhisattva's cultivation, wisdom, and skillful means. Ordinary Bodhisattvas lack such skillful and expedient wisdom for navigating the world, so they encounter some obstacles in their interactions.