Why Can't a Srotāpanna Have the Thought "I Have Attained the Fruit of Srotāpanna"?

Original text of the Diamond Sutra: 须菩提。于意云何。须陀洹能作是念。我得须陀洹果不。须菩提言。不也。世尊。何以故。须陀洹名为入流。而无所入。不入色声香味触法。是名须陀洹。

The Buddha asked Subhūti: What do you think about this question? Can a stream-enterer (Srotaāpanna) of the first fruit have such a thought, "I have attained the fruit of stream-entry"? Subhūti said: He cannot have such a thought, World-Honored One. Why? Stream-enterer is so named because one has entered the stream of the noble path; one who has entered the stream of the noble path no longer enters into worldly dharmas, not entering the worldly realm of form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas—only this is truly worthy of the name stream-enterer.

A stream-enterer of the first fruit has just eliminated self-view (ātma-dṛṣṭi), no longer regarding the dharmas among the five aggregates (pañcaskandha) and eighteen realms as self or as real. With no self-view or mark of self, he also does not think there is a self who has eliminated self-view and become a person of the first fruit. There is no person who has eliminated self-view, no person who is a stream-enterer, no such fruit as the fruit of stream-entry. The fruit of stream-entry is a provisional designation, not a truly existing dharma, and cannot be grasped as real. If it were grasped as truly existent, there would be self-view and view of dharmas, and such a person would not be a stream-enterer. If a person has the thought "I am a person of the first fruit," then the mark of self is plainly evident in that person, and he is not a person of the first fruit.

Therefore, as for those who all day long proclaim "I have attained the fruit, I have seen my true mind," broadcasting and showing off everywhere—it can clearly be seen that these people have very heavy self-view and the mark of self fully present; they are without doubt ordinary beings (pṛthagjana). If a person constantly clings to the notion "I am a sage, I am a person of such-and-such fruit, I am a bodhisattva of the three stages of the ten faiths, abodes, and practices, I am a bodhisattva of such-and-such bhūmi, I have cultivated this and that, in my past lives I did such-and-such, I have done such-and-such for sentient beings," spreading it everywhere, very much afraid that people do not know, very much hoping people will revere him, very much hoping people will prostrate themselves in worship of him, very much hoping his fame will be widespread—these behaviors clearly show that this person has very heavy self-view, the mark of self fully present, and the mark of an ordinary being also fully present; he is a thoroughgoing ordinary being.

Since self-view has already been eliminated, there is no mark of self, no mark of "I have eliminated self-view"; the self has been emptied from the mind, and the fruit has also been emptied. In the ground of actual principle, there is no such thing as eliminating self-view, no such person as a stream-enterer. Only when the mind of non-action appears is one a stream-enterer who has realized the unconditioned dharma. If there is a self and a mark of self, then it is not non-action, nor is there the fruit of non-action. Therefore, to judge whether a person has eliminated self-view, one can also judge from his words and deeds: see whether this person's speech and actual conduct, his way of doing things, show an empty mind, whether he is low-key, whether he dislikes self-promotion. If this person likes to keep "I" on his lips and shows himself off everywhere, then the mark of self is fully present, he has not eliminated self-view, and he is not a stream-enterer.