Forming the Cognition of No-Self through Continuous Permeation (vāsanā)

After a person is born, the process of gradually forming various common-sense cognitions through daily life is similar to the process of eliminating the self-view (ātma-dṛṣṭi). Since they are similar, when we eliminate self-view, we can refer to the cumulative process by which we formed our common sense, and in the same way engage in contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) on the principle that the five aggregates (pañcaskandha) are without self, until finally the selflessness of the five aggregates becomes a common sense deeply recognized within the mind. In this way, self-view is eliminated, and one does not regress from the path of liberation.

From birth, a person goes from a state where the mind consciousness knows nothing, to knowing all dharmas of the worldly realm and all the rules of the human world—this is a process of forming common-sense cognition. First, the mind consciousness, through contact with the people, affairs, objects, and principles of daily life, comes to know these rules; then, through observation and practice, it confirms them, thereby forming common sense in the manas. Without the mind consciousness needing to think, one habitually abides by these rules, forming unshakable ideas and concepts in the manas. Until some new rule breaks the old one, the concepts are updated, the common sense changes, and the habits of the manas change.

The initial state of knowing nothing is of course that of the mind consciousness. Gradually, the mind consciousness is permeated by daily life, coming into contact with and learning some everyday knowledge. In the process of learning this knowledge, certain common-sense notions are continually tested and verified; the manas comes to understand and personally realize them, and the knowledge becomes common sense. Then a habitual cognition is formed, so that without the mind consciousness deliberating, one naturally conforms to common sense.

For example, a small child does not know the concept and function of fire. Through adults' repeated telling—mostly forced memorization—and then observing adults using fire, and then learning to use fire oneself, the child comes to know the function and danger of fire. Only in the process of using it can one personally realize and verify the characteristics of fire. Without actual observation, it is only the mind consciousness's knowing; the manas does not know the danger of fire's characteristics, and sometimes the child will play with fire. When playing with fire leads to an accident, at that point the manas personally realizes and knows the characteristics of fire; frightened and alarmed, the child no longer dares to play with fire casually, and bodily and mental actions change.

Cooking is the same. At first one does not know what a knife is for or what its characteristics are, nor how to wash rice and put it in the pot. Through repeated observation and learning, and then personal experimentation and verification, one later knows how to cook and gains the common-sense experience of cooking. Without the mind consciousness deliberating on how to do it, the manas can operate skillfully. The earlier stage is the mind consciousness learning and being permeated; the later stage is the manas being permeated and personally realizing. After personal realization, habit and common sense are formed, and without deliberate deliberation one can cook with ease, as if on a familiar road.

From walking and speaking to cognizing all dharmas, a child goes through this learning process, then forms common sense, forms habits, changes former ignorance, and changes bodily, verbal, and mental actions. All these learning processes and the process of forming common sense must be experienced by both the mind consciousness and the manas, and both must change from a state of ignorance. If the common sense has been known by the manas all along since previous lives, then the mind consciousness need not learn it again—it comes naturally. For example, a baby knows how to suckle at birth, knows how to cry, knows pain, knows fullness and warmth, and so on.

From these processes of permeation by worldly dharmas, we can draw lessons to permeate ourselves with the principle that the five aggregates are without self, forming the cognition of selflessness and making selflessness a matter of common sense. Then the habitual tendencies of grasping at self will gradually be exhausted, and liberation can be attained.