Letting Whom Eliminate the View of Self?

All sentient beings take the five aggregates as "self"—then who is it that takes the five aggregates as self? Who do "sentient beings" refer to? Sentient beings refer primarily to the manas. The Vimalakīrti Sūtra says: "knowing the mental activities of sentient beings." Who is it that knows the mental activities of sentient beings? It is the tathāgatagarbha that knows the mental activities of sentient beings. Then who does "sentient beings" refer to here? It refers to the manas. Because the tathāgatagarbha primarily knows the mental activities of the manas, the manas represents the sentient being. The manas takes the five aggregates as self—taking the aggregate of feeling as self, the aggregate of form as self, then the aggregate of perception as self, the aggregate of formations as self, and then the six consciousnesses of the aggregate of consciousness as self; it also takes the various functional natures of the tathāgatagarbha as belonging to itself (the manas), thinking that all these dharmas were produced by "me" and all belong to "me." So this "self" refers primarily to the manas.

Then whose self-view is being eliminated in the elimination of self-view? Now it becomes very clear: the elimination of self-view is primarily the elimination of the manas's self-view. The manas takes all these dharmas as self; eliminating self-view means making the manas no longer regard the five aggregates as self (the self of the manas). Eliminating this view held by the manas is the elimination of self-view.

Therefore, the elimination of self-view must reach the manas; it must be that the manas acknowledges that the five aggregates are not self—only then is it called the elimination of self-view. Because this "self" refers to the manas, not to the six consciousnesses or the mind consciousness; it refers primarily to the manas. The manas takes the aggregate of consciousness, i.e., the six consciousnesses, as well as the aggregates of feeling, perception, formations, and form, all as self. So the elimination of self-view means making the manas no longer take these dharmas as self. If the manas has not eliminated self-view, but the mind consciousness eliminates self-view—the mind consciousness believes the five aggregates are not self—is this the elimination of self-view? Now it appears that the mind consciousness believing "not self" is useless; this is not the elimination of self-view! Only when the manas acknowledges that the five aggregates are not self is it the elimination of self-view.

We have studied so many principles of non-self, and we all feel that the five aggregates are not self, that they are all empty, that all dharmas are illusory transformations. But feeling is just feeling; after all, it is not realization. Therefore, deep inside, there is not the slightest emptiness. This shows that the feeling is the mind consciousness's feeling, and what the mind consciousness feels is not practical—the mind consciousness does not make the decisions; the manas, which makes the decisions, does not feel it and has not realized it. The "self" in the mind remains the same self as before; whatever it should grasp after, it still grasps after as before, and not a single one of the bonds of birth and death can be severed. Because these dharmas learned by the mind consciousness have not yet perfumed the manas, the manas does not yet understand these dharmas, does not yet acknowledge them, and does not know that these dharmas are all illusory; thus the three fetters are not severed.

So, feeling that the five aggregates and six sense objects are illusory, feeling that all dharmas are illusory transformations—these are views acquired by the mind consciousness through study. Having only views without realization is like armchair strategizing on paper; it cannot sever the bonds. Deep in the mind, everything contacted is still felt to be real, and for the sake of these things one still grasps and clutches without cease. The manas has not realized that the five aggregates are without self, has not realized the illusory nature of all dharmas; the mind consciousness's mere theoretical understanding has no effect—this cannot be called realization. 

Whether it is the Mahāyāna dharma, the Small Vehicle dharma, or the various principles of the worldly world, the realization of these dharmas must be acknowledged and realized by the manas, confirmed by the manas. If it is not confirmed by the manas, then what has been learned is only what the mind consciousness has perceived—only the mind consciousness's feelings, the knowledge the mind consciousness has acquired—and then there is no true benefit, because the six consciousnesses do not make the decisions; it is the manas that makes the decisions. The manas is the "self," and the mind consciousness is the function of the "self" grasped by the manas. Therefore, the elimination of self-view means eliminating the manas's self-view, and realizing enlightenment also requires the manas to realize the true self—the eighth consciousness, the tathāgatagarbha.