The Difference Between Innate Self-View and Innate Self-Conceit

Some people cannot understand the difference between the conceit of "I" (asmimāna) and the innate identity view (sahaja-satkāya-dṛṣṭi), and so they take the conceit of "I" to be the innate identity view, claiming that the innate identity view is only eliminated at the fourth fruit. This misunderstanding is extremely serious, and it makes it impossible to truly eliminate the self-view (ātma-dṛṣṭi). The innate identity view is the self-view of the manas; it is one of the two kinds of self-view, and it must be eliminated at the stage of the stream-enterer (Srotaāpanna). If it is not eliminated, one is not a stream-enterer, not one who has eliminated the self-view. The conceit of "I" is the deepest and heaviest affliction of the manas; it belongs to the manas's innate grasping at self (sahaja-ātma-grāha), not to the innate identity view. Innate grasping at self can only be eliminated at the fourth fruit, and that is why only an arhat of the fourth fruit no longer has the manifest afflictions of the conceit of "I."

The conceit of "I" and innate grasping at self exist in dependence upon the self-view. Only after the self-view has been eliminated can the conceit of "I" and innate grasping at self gradually become thin and weak, and finally be eliminated completely. When the self-view is eliminated completely, the conceit of "I" no longer exists. Therefore, the innate identity view and the conceit of "I" cannot be spoken of in the same breath; the concepts must not be confused.

In the subconscious there is already a "self," without needing to think, analyze, or compare—this is the conceit of "I," the cognition of the manas. It is like something in the marrow of the bones. The manas's conceit of "I" is not easy to detect, and even harder to pull out; this includes inferior conceit, superior conceit, and excessive conceit. As long as there is a "self" in the mind, there is certainly the conceit of "I." Everyone knows there is a "self"; whether one is arrogant or has feelings of inferiority, all of this exists on the basis of the self-view, and it is extremely difficult to eliminate—it is deep-rooted. For example, when an infant sees someone wanting to hold it, when it is unhappy it turns its head away and refuses to pay attention—this is the innate conceit of "I," which exists along with the manas, present without any comparison by the mind consciousness. Whether or not there is a mind consciousness, the manas has the innate self-view and conceit of "I." Those who like to show off and to make themselves stand out have a heavy conceit of "I"; those who become displeased when their faults are pointed out all belong to the conceit of "I"; those who always think themselves quite good all have the conceit of "I"; those who like to compare themselves with others are manifesting the conceit of "I." Whatever involves self-cognition is the conceit of "I."

The manas's innate identity view is a deep-rooted kind of self-view that takes the five aggregates (pañcaskandha) to be the self. This mentality is not easy to perceive and is very hidden. Therefore, many people are unable to subdue and eliminate the innate identity view, and so they say that eliminating only the mind consciousness's imputed identity view (parikalpita-satkāya-dṛṣṭi) counts as eliminating the self-view and attaining the first fruit. But if the manas's innate identity view is not eliminated, then even if the mind consciousness's imputed identity view has truly been eliminated, self-view will keep arising again and again in dependence upon the manas, and it will arise anytime and anywhere without one being aware of it—extremely troublesome. Because the innate identity view is not the self-view of the mind consciousness, it is not a kind of feeling. Feeling is relatively superficial; it is the mind consciousness's awareness, the mind consciousness's imputed identity view, which exists only through discrimination and does not exist when there is no discrimination. It is easier to discover than the manas's self-view, and easier to subdue, but after being subdued it will still appear and cannot be eliminated completely, because the mind consciousness's dominant condition (adhipati-pratyaya), the manas, has not eliminated the self-view. How could the mind consciousness, which follows the manas, truly eliminate the self-view? This makes it inevitable that the self-view will appear anytime and anywhere, and one has no choice but to constantly suppress it; often it simply cannot be suppressed. Then at the time of death, one will of course continue to transmigrate in the ocean of saṃsāra and karma following the manas's innate identity view and afflictions, and cannot avoid the three evil destinies.

A stream-enterer who has severed the three fetters still has the conceit of "I," including the once-returner (Sakṛdāgāmin) whose greed, hatred, and delusion have already been weakened; the afflictive mental factors of the conceit of "I" still exist. Only at the non-returner (Anāgāmin) stage is the conceit of "I" subdued, or a small part of it eliminated, but it cannot yet be eliminated completely; when it is eliminated completely, one becomes a fourth-fruit arhat. The manas's innate grasping at self is even harder to eliminate than the innate identity view. In terms of the sequence: first eliminate the innate identity view and the imputed identity view and attain the first fruit; then further deepen the contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) on the two kinds of self-view, weakening greed, hatred, and delusion, and attain the second fruit; then further deepen the contemplative practice on the two kinds of self-view, cultivate the first dhyāna, eliminate the afflictions, and attain the third fruit. When the manas's innate identity view is eliminated completely, the innate grasping at self is also eliminated completely, the conceit of "I" disappears, and one attains the fourth fruit of arhatship.