Forming Non-Self Cognition Through Continuous Cultivation

After birth, humans gradually develop various common-sense cognitive processes in life, which is similar to the process of eliminating the view of self. Since they are analogous, when eliminating the view of self, we can refer to the cumulative process through which we form common sense, contemplating the principle of non-self in the five aggregates in the same manner. Ultimately, we enable the non-self nature of the five aggregates to become a deeply ingrained common-sense understanding, thereby eradicating the view of self and remaining steadfast on the path to liberation.

From birth, the transition of consciousness from a state of complete ignorance to knowing all phenomena in the secular world and understanding all societal rules constitutes a process of forming common-sense cognition. Initially, consciousness perceives rules through exposure to people, events, and objects in daily life. Then, through observation and practice, it confirms these rules, forming common sense for the manas (mental faculty). Without conscious thought, one habitually adheres to these rules, establishing an unshakable conceptual framework in the manas. Only when a new rule disrupts the old one does the concept update, common sense change, and the habitual patterns of the manas transform.

Initial ignorance naturally pertains to consciousness. Gradually, conditioned by daily life, consciousness comes into contact with and learns everyday knowledge. During this learning process, it continuously verifies and proves certain common-sense knowledge, enabling the manas to comprehend and directly experience it. Knowledge thus becomes common sense, forming a habitual cognition that naturally aligns with common sense without requiring conscious deliberation.

For example, a child does not know the concept or function of fire. Through repeated instruction from adults—often enforced memorization—and then observing adults use fire, the child eventually learns to use fire themselves, thereby understanding its utility and danger. Only through practical use can the properties of fire be verified and tested. Without actual observation, it is merely intellectual knowledge for consciousness; the manas remains unaware of fire's hazardous nature. The child may then play with fire, and when an accident occurs, the manas directly experiences and understands fire's properties. Feeling frightened, the child no longer dares to play with fire casually, and physical and mental behaviors change accordingly.

Cooking follows the same pattern. Initially unaware of a knife's purpose or characteristics, or how to rinse rice and cook it, one repeatedly observes, learns, and then personally experiments. Eventually, one learns to cook, acquiring common-sense experience. Without conscious thought on how to proceed, the manas operates skillfully. The initial stage involves conscious learning and conditioning, while the latter stage involves the manas being conditioned through direct experience. After direct verification, habits and common sense form, enabling one to cook with ease without deliberate thought.

From walking and speaking to recognizing all phenomena, a child undergoes this learning process, forming common sense and habits, thereby transforming prior ignorance and altering physical, verbal, and mental actions. Throughout this entire learning process and the formation of common sense, both consciousness and the manas must participate and transcend their state of ignorance. If the manas has carried common sense from past lives, conscious relearning becomes unnecessary; innate abilities emerge naturally—such as suckling at birth, crying, sensing pain, or recognizing satiety and warmth.

From this conditioning process of secular phenomena, we can draw parallels to condition the understanding of the non-self nature of the five aggregates, forming a cognition of non-self. By making non-self a common-sense truth, the habitual tendencies of self-attachment will gradually exhaust, leading to liberation.