The Five Aggregates: Not-Self, Not Different from Self, Not Mutually Inherent

Many people say that the five aggregates are neither identical to the self, nor different from the self, nor mutually existing within the self, and that this "self" refers to the eighth consciousness. However, this is a contemplative practice within Mahayana Buddhism, undertaken after the view of self has already been severed. At the stage of severing the view of self in the Hinayana path, one cannot yet engage in this contemplation.

The entire Hinayana contemplative practice is aimed at enabling the mental faculty (manas) to sever the view of self, not to make the eighth consciousness sever the view of self. The eighth consciousness does not regard the five aggregates as itself, nor is it attached to them. Therefore, if at the culmination of contemplation one says the five aggregates are not the eighth consciousness, such a statement is irrelevant and meaningless, indicating that this person has not genuinely engaged in the work of contemplation and has not truly severed the view of self.

The World-Honored One taught the Āgama Sūtras for over ten years, guiding śrāvaka disciples to realize the fruits of the path and attain liberation. Within this teaching, the specific contemplative content related to the Prajñāpāramitā and Vijñānavāda (Consciousness-Only) sections was not involved, because the causes and conditions for the Hinayana practitioners were not yet complete. Knowing that there exists a true, imperishable self was sufficient for them. The Prajñāpāramitā section was taught more than ten years after the Āgama Sūtras. Only then could one engage in Chan meditation to realize the eighth consciousness, subsequently contemplate the eighth consciousness, and finally reach the Vijñānavāda section. However, when the Buddha taught the Four Noble Truths of suffering, its origin, cessation, and the path, he implicitly informed the śrāvaka disciples that there is a thing that is neither born nor perishes, which is the true self. The disciples, having faith in the Buddha's words, knew that when they attained Nirvana in the future, there would still be something imperishable. Thus, they were able to practice the path with peace of mind, heading towards Nirvana.

When śrāvaka disciples practiced the Four Noble Truths, they only contemplated and examined the five aggregates and the eighteen elements as suffering, empty, impermanent, and devoid of self. They could not contemplate or examine the eighth consciousness. So, could the result of their contemplation lead to the realization of the eighth consciousness? Could they know the nature of the eighth consciousness and contemplate the relationship between the five aggregates and the eighth consciousness? Without the methods for study and contemplation, they certainly could not attain direct realization. Since they could not attain direct realization, how could there be a realized result stating that the five aggregates are not the eighth consciousness, that the five aggregates are not different from the eighth consciousness, and that the five aggregates and the eighth consciousness do not mutually exist within each other?

As long as one has not realized the eighth consciousness through contemplative practice, it is impossible to understand the true nature of the relationship between the five aggregates and the eighth consciousness. In fact, śrāvakas during the Buddha's time initially understood very little about the principles of the eighth consciousness. The exception was the secretive bodhisattvas, but they absolutely did not speak of it. They fully cooperated with the World-Honored One; they would not reveal teachings that the Buddha had not yet expounded, nor would they show off their own abilities, as their minds were well-tamed.

People nowadays, although they have studied some teachings on Tathāgatagarbha, if they have not actually engaged in contemplative investigation, have not directly realized Tathāgatagarbha, and are merely continuously contemplating the five aggregates and eighteen elements as suffering, empty, impermanent, and devoid of self, similarly cannot truly know the actual relationship between the five aggregates and Tathāgatagarbha. Even if they know something, it remains intellectual knowledge, lacking the experiential realization gained through direct observation. Therefore, they cannot accurately draw conclusions about the relationship between the five aggregates and the eighth consciousness, Tathāgatagarbha. This conclusion can only be directly observed as it truly is by genuine bodhisattvas who have realized Tathāgatagarbha. Superficial awakening or intellectual understanding still cannot observe it; one can only approximate an understanding. The conclusions drawn are not based on direct experiential observation and contain a great deal of learned knowledge.