The Connotation of the Two Types of Anātman Dharma

The term "non-self" carries more than two distinct meanings in different contexts, and clarifying these meanings is essential to understanding what "non-self" truly refers to and how to proceed with practice. Regarding the non-self of the seventh consciousness, one meaning refers to the absence of inherent arising and ceasing; another indicates the absence of the emptiness nature characteristic of the eighth consciousness; and yet another denotes the absence of a controlling nature. As for the non-self of the eighth consciousness, one aspect signifies the absence of the self-centered, selfish nature inherent to the seventh consciousness, while another points to the absence of the controlling and dominating nature found in the seventh consciousness.

Only by clarifying these concepts can one comprehend the true meaning of self and non-self, thereby guiding one's own practice. It is no easy task to disentangle oneself from the complexities within these concepts.

A single nominal concept may have multiple meanings. Without clarifying these meanings, remaining confused makes it impossible to begin practice. For instance, the term "real" or "true" represents different meanings in different contexts: one meaning refers to the true reality of the eighth consciousness—the unborn and unceasing, originally existent nature; while another refers to phenomena in the conventional realm that accord with facts—belonging to conditioned phenomena subject to arising and ceasing, not the originally existent nature.