The Importance of Eradicating Self-View

There is a philosophical doctrine in the West that states: "I think, therefore I am." The "I" here refers, on one hand, to the "I" of the mental faculty capable of cognition (manas), and on the other hand, to the "I" of the conscious mind capable of thinking. "I" am thinking, "I" am discerning, "I" am analyzing, "I" am planning, "I" am judging, "I" am contemplating, "I" am knowing, and so on. This "I" is the "I" of the conscious mind. It is always knowing: what "I" am doing this day, "I" am eating, "I" am walking, "I" am discerning, "I" am reading, "I" am reflecting, "I" am thinking, "I" am observing phenomena, "I" am practicing meditation, "I" am worshipping the Buddha, "I" am working, etc.

This entire "I" arises solely due to various causes and conditions; it is inevitably constrained by numerous conditional factors. This "I" is certainly the impermanent, arising-and-ceasing false self, and is absolutely not the true self. This "I" is an empty shell manifested by the eighth consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna), and all the apparent functions and activities it possesses are bestowed by the eighth consciousness. If the eighth consciousness lacks the seeds of consciousness (bīja), or if the eighth consciousness does not cooperate in their functioning, these functions such as discrimination will vanish and cease to exist. Therefore, consciousness is impermanent, illusory, phantom-like, and empty; it is not the "I".

We should clearly recognize: the "I" that is currently speaking, the "I" that is currently thinking, the "I" that is currently acting—all are born of causes and conditions, all are impermanent and subject to arising and cessation. Therefore, none of them are the true "I". In this way, we sever the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi) that takes consciousness to be the "I". All philosophers and thinkers in the world take the thinking consciousness to be the "I", clearly showing they are ordinary beings whose view of self remains unsevered. Even heavenly beings (devas) within the Three Realms—the desire realm, form realm, and formless realm—including those in the highest heaven, the Heaven of Neither Perception Nor Non-Perception (Naivasaṃjñānāsaṃjñāyatana), also regard the conscious mind as the "I", as a real, eternal, and indestructible "I". Consequently, they are inevitably bound to the endless cycle of birth and death (saṃsāra), suffering immensely. This illustrates how crucial it is to sever the view of self!

In this present life, no matter the cost, we must definitely sever the view of self. After severing the view of self, we will reap boundless benefits life after life. Therefore, we should strive to discard worldly dharmas from our minds as much as possible. These worldly dharmas are only to be dealt with; they should not be taken seriously, not clung to, and certainly not grasped. Discard as much as possible from the mind; discarding them completely is best. Then, turn back and grasp the Buddha Dharma. You can grasp the Buddha Dharma; it doesn't matter how much you grasp it, because the problem of birth and death is already resolved. Moreover, the Buddha Dharma enables us to achieve Buddhahood—why not do it!