The Saṃyukta Āgama, Volume 5 (109)

Original text: 云何见识即是我？謂六识身——眼识，耳、鼻、舌、身、意识身。于此六识身一一见是我，是名识即是我。云何见识异我？见色是我，识是我所，见受、想、行是我，识是我所，是名识异我。

First one must clarify the concept of "self" in order to truthfully and rationally engage in contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) on the non-self of the five aggregates (pañcaskandha) and the eighteen realms. If one does not know what the self is, how can one practice contemplation to eliminate the self-view (ātma-dṛṣṭi)? For example, when an army is to set out in full readiness to destroy the enemy, if it does not know who the enemy is or where the enemy is, how can it set out to destroy the enemy?

Only by clarifying who the self is can one enable this self to eliminate the self-view. If one does not know who the self is, how can one enable that self to eliminate the self-view? For example, to strike a snake, if one does not know where the snake's vital point is, how can one kill the snake?

Let me explain the passage above.

Explanation: How is it that consciousness is regarded as the self? Consciousness refers to the six consciousnesses (vijñāna) — the eye consciousness, and the body of ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind consciousnesses. Who is it that views these six consciousnesses as the self? It is of course the seventh consciousness, the manas; it is the manas that takes the six consciousnesses as the self (itself).

The Buddha said that with regard to this body of six consciousnesses, one views the six consciousnesses as the self (oneself), and regards the six consciousnesses as the self (oneself). The one who holds this view and perspective is the manas; this is called "consciousness is the self" (oneself).

What does it mean that the six consciousnesses are different from the self (oneself)? That is to say, the manas regards the aggregate of form as the self (the manas), while the aggregate of consciousness is what the self (the manas) possesses; or it regards the aggregates of feeling, perception, and formations as the self (the manas), while the aggregate of consciousness is what the self (the manas) possesses. This is called the aggregate of consciousness being different from the self (the manas).

In this small passage, the Buddha is indeed saying that the self is the manas, and the manas is what is called the self. The manas takes form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness as itself, or as its own functions and operations. Therefore, to eliminate the self-view, this so-called manas-self should be made to eliminate the self-view. As long as the manas no longer takes form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness as the self and what belongs to the self, the self-view is eliminated.

It can be seen that when the Buddha taught the Āgama sūtras, it was not that He did not speak of the manas, nor that He did not say the manas is the self. From beginning to end, the Buddha intended for the manas to eliminate the self-view — the self-view that takes form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness as the self.