The Connotation of the Two Kinds of No-Self

"No-self" (anātman) — these two characters have more than two different meanings; in different contexts, they represent different meanings. Only by clarifying these meanings can one understand what no-self actually refers to, and only then can one know how to begin practicing. The no-self of the seventh consciousness has several meanings: one refers to the absence of the unborn-and-undying nature, one refers to the absence of that emptiness (śūnyatā) possessed by the eighth consciousness, and one refers to the absence of sovereignty (the nature of being the master). The no-self of the eighth consciousness has two meanings: one refers to the absence of the self-ness and selfishness characteristic of the seventh consciousness, and one refers to the absence of the sovereignty and mastership characteristic of the seventh consciousness.

Only by clarifying these concepts can one understand the true meaning of self and no-self, and only then can they guide one's own practice. Being able to untangle oneself from these concepts is also not easy.

A single term or concept can have multiple meanings. If one does not clarify these meanings and remains muddled and confused, one will be unable to begin practicing. For example, the word "real" (true) represents different meanings in different contexts: one meaning refers to the true reality that is unborn and undying — the eighth consciousness, which originally exists; another meaning refers to appearances within worldly phenomena that accord with facts, which are conditioned and subject to arising and ceasing, not originally existing phenomena.