Arrogance Is a Cause and Condition That Obstructs the Path

Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, Volume Thirty-Four

Original text:以彼犹有能障现观粗品我慢。随入作意。间无间转。作是思惟。我于生死曾久流转。我于生死当复流转。我于涅槃当能趣入。我为涅槃修诸善法。我能观苦真实是苦。我能观集真实是集。我能观灭真实是灭。我能观道真实是道。我能观空真实是空。我观无愿真是无愿。我观无相真是无相。如是诸法是我所有。由是因缘。虽于涅槃深心愿乐。然心于彼不能趣入。彼既了知。如是我慢是障碍已。便能速疾以慧通达。

Explanation: Why is it that one deeply and earnestly dreads birth-and-death and yearns for nirvāṇa, yet cannot enter nirvāṇa, and cannot even gain determination (adhimokṣa) toward and abide in the dharma of nirvāṇa? It is because the practitioner still has coarse self-conceit (asmimāna) that can obstruct direct contemplative realization (vipaśyanā); as the contemplative practice deepens, there arise intermittent or unintermittent attention (manaskāra), and the mind deliberates thus: "I have long transmigrated through birth-and-death; I will continue to transmigrate in birth-and-death; I shall be able to enter nirvāṇa; I cultivate various wholesome dharmas for the sake of nirvāṇa; I can contemplate the truth of suffering and it is truly suffering; I can contemplate the truth of origination and it is truly origination; I can contemplate the truth of cessation and it is truly cessation; I can contemplate the truth of the path and it is truly the path; I can contemplate emptiness and it is truly emptiness; I contemplate the wishless and it is truly the wishless; I contemplate the signless and it is truly the signless; all such dharmas are possessed by me."

Because the practitioner's mind holds these notions, although he can deeply and earnestly delight in nirvāṇa, his mind cannot enter nirvāṇa, because the coarse, heavy self-conceit has an obscuring and obstructing effect. After the practitioner comes to know that the above self-conceit is an obstacle to entering nirvāṇa, he can swiftly penetrate it with wisdom, thereby removing the obscuration of self-conceit and entering nirvāṇa.

Carefully and deeply contemplate what self-conceit is, what its essence is, why self-conceit arises, which phenomena manifest self-conceit, what the manifestations and characteristics of self-conceit are, how self-conceit obstructs the Path, and how to subdue self-conceit?