The Profound Meaning of the Diamond Sutra's Vijñapti-mātratā (145)

Why is this so? The Tathagata teaches that the views of self, being, living being, and life span are not truly views of self, being, living being, or life span. They are merely designated as views of self, being, living being, and life span.

Explanation: Why is this said? Because the views of self, being, living being, and life span spoken of by the World-Honored One do not truly exist as real views of self, being, living being, and life span. The so-called views of self, being, living being, and life span are not truly existent dharmas; they lack real dharma characteristics. They are merely provisionally named "views of self, being, living being, and life span"—nothing more than labels.

These words spoken by Subhuti negate the true existence of the views of self, being, living being, and life span, perfectly aligning with the meaning of prajñā (wisdom) stated earlier in the sutra. Since these views do not perceive true reality, it is only through cultivation that one can eliminate them and eradicate the four marks (of self, being, living being, and life span). This follows the formula: "What is called... is not... it is merely designated as..." The principle of this formula is to negate the true existence of all phenomena in the world. There are no truly existent worldly phenomena in the ultimate sense; all are illusory. Because all phenomena arise from and are manifestations of the tathāgatagarbha (Buddha-nature), they are all functions of the tathāgatagarbha's seeds. In essence, they are the tathāgatagarbha. Therefore, all phenomena in the world are merely provisional names, without true substance.

The four erroneous views—views of self, being, living being, and life span—are also dharmas among the myriad phenomena of the world. They are dharmas that arise later and can be extinguished; they are non-existent before, then come into being, and later cease to be. In truth, even while seemingly existing, they are arising and ceasing moment by moment. Because the speed of this arising and ceasing is too fast for sentient beings to perceive, they mistakenly regard these views as truly existent, thus forming various wrong views and erroneous views. These erroneous views are all illusory and false appearances, not real. If they were real, sentient beings could not eliminate them through cultivation and thereby attain correct knowledge and insight. These erroneous views lack inherent nature and autonomy; they depend on external conditions to arise, generated by seeds projected by the tathāgatagarbha. Their essence is the nature of the tathāgatagarbha.

So what is the view of self, and how does it arise? The view of self is the knowledge and perception regarding the mark of self. Correct knowledge perceives the mark of self as empty; erroneous knowledge perceives the mark of self as existent. First, regarding "self": what sentient beings regard as "I" refers either to the physical body, the six consciousnesses, the seventh consciousness (manas, the thinking mind), or the combination of these three—the self of the five aggregates (skandhas) or the self of the eighteen elements (dhātus). All these "selves" are false, not real. They are all born of causes and conditions, without a real entity; they are illusory appearances that disperse when conditions cease, offering nothing to rely upon.

The aggregate of form (rūpa) is generated by the tathāgatagarbha's seeds of the four great elements (earth, water, fire, wind), undergoing birth, abiding, change, and extinction—constantly changing and impermanent. In appearance, it seems to exist, but in essence, it is non-existent; its true nature is the tathāgatagarbha. The aggregate of sensation (vedanā) is the feelings of the six consciousnesses, generated by the tathāgatagarbha projecting seeds for the six consciousnesses. It undergoes birth, abiding, change, and extinction—illusory and unreal, dispersing when conditions cease, offering nothing to rely upon. The aggregate of perception (saṃjñā) is the grasping and cognizing of the objects of the six senses by the six consciousnesses, generated by the tathāgatagarbha projecting seeds for the six consciousnesses. It is an illusory appearance, dispersing when conditions cease, offering nothing to rely upon. The aggregate of mental formations (saṃskāra) is the continuous flow and change of bodily, verbal, and mental actions by the six consciousnesses, as well as alterations and movements of the physical body. It is generated by the tathāgatagarbha projecting seeds of the seven great elements (the four physical elements plus the three mental elements of sensation, perception, and mental formations), undergoing birth, abiding, change, and extinction—illusory and unreal, dispersing when conditions cease, offering nothing to rely upon. The aggregate of consciousness (vijñāna) is the discerning nature of the six consciousnesses, generated by the tathāgatagarbha projecting seeds for the six consciousnesses. It is illusory and unreal, dispersing when conditions cease, offering nothing to rely upon. The four mental aggregates also lack inherent nature and autonomy. In appearance, they seem to exist, but in essence, they are non-existent; their true nature is the tathāgatagarbha.

This is the "self of the five aggregates" that sentient beings cling to—arising and ceasing moment by moment, changing instantaneously. Sentient beings, unaware of this, mistake it for real existence and cling to it persistently. The "self" that sentient beings conceive also includes the eighteen elements: the six sense bases, six sense objects, and six consciousnesses. These dharmas are also generated by the tathāgatagarbha projecting seeds of the seven great elements. They arise, cease, and change; in appearance, they seem to exist, but in essence, they are non-existent; their true nature is the tathāgatagarbha. Who perceives the five aggregates and eighteen elements as "self," thus giving rise to the view of self? It is the sixth consciousness and the seventh consciousness. The sixth consciousness is called the "intermittent view of self," while the seventh consciousness is called the "innate view of self." The sixth consciousness exists intermittently because it functions in segments; it cannot continue into future lifetimes. It ceases at the end of a life and arises again when life reappears. The seventh consciousness has existed since beginningless time, continues into future lifetimes, and is only extinguished when one attains the fourth fruition of Arhatship and severs all attachments. Therefore, it is called the "innate view of self" and "innate clinging to self."

These two consciousnesses are primarily responsible for the view of self. Both consciousnesses depend on the tathāgatagarbha projecting seeds of consciousness to arise, exist, and function. Therefore, the sixth and seventh consciousnesses lack autonomy, inherent nature, and independence. They arise, cease, change, are illusory and impermanent, and undergo moment-by-moment birth and cessation. Thus, the view of self held by the sixth and seventh consciousnesses is "not the view of self"—it is not a truly existent view of self, not a view of self with real substance. It is an illusory view of self, whose essence is the tathāgatagarbha. Therefore, the view of self held by the sixth and seventh consciousnesses is merely designated as the "view of self." The view of self is just a provisional name.

The views of being, living being, and life span, corresponding to the view of self, follow the same principle. They are all erroneous views arising from the illusory sixth and seventh consciousnesses generated by the tathāgatagarbha. These wrong views and erroneous knowledge are not truly existent; they are like a mirage—empty and unreal. Superficially, they appear to exist, but in essence, they are non-existent; their true nature is the tathāgatagarbha. There are no real such erroneous understandings. Just as afflictions (kleśa) are themselves enlightenment (bodhi), the essence of afflictions is the enlightened mind, the tathāgatagarbha. Similarly, erroneous views and wrong knowledge are also functions of the enlightened mind, the tathāgatagarbha; therefore, their essence is also the tathāgatagarbha—there is nothing else apart from this.