Only When Self-Grasping Is Completely Eliminated Can One Attain Buddhahood

After attaining the first fruit and eliminating self-view (ātma-dṛṣṭi), one continues to cultivate and deepen contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) on the falsity of the five aggregates (pañcaskandha) and the eighteen dhātus, gradually beginning to eliminate self-grasping. But self-grasping is even harder to eliminate—so much so that a stream-enterer (Srotaāpanna) must cultivate back and forth, seven times in the heavens and seven times in the human realm, before finally becoming an arhat (the fourth fruit). Do the math: seven times in the heavens and seven times in the human realm—how long does that add up to? Once we calculate it, we will understand how difficult it is to eliminate self-grasping—infinitely more difficult than eliminating self-view.

What is self-grasping? It is the manas' clinging attachment to the five aggregates as "self," refusing to let go. Why does it still cling? Because the self-view regarding the five aggregates has not been thoroughly eliminated; to some extent, in certain aspects, it still takes certain functions and operations of the five aggregates as itself, and clings to them without letting go. The habit energy of grasping at self has been too deeply entrenched over beginningless kalpas, ignorance is too heavy, and craving for the three realms is too hard to uproot—that is why such a long time is needed to eliminate the afflictions of self-grasping. If the manas eliminated the self-view of the five aggregates thoroughly in one stroke, its self-grasping would be exhausted at the same time, and it would then be a great arhat of the fourth fruit. And one who has truly exhausted the manas' grasping at self becomes a Buddha directly—not merely a great arhat of the fourth fruit who is liberated in both ways. Thus the self-grasping of arhats and pratyekabuddhas has not been thoroughly and completely exhausted, and that is why they cannot yet become Buddhas.

Why does the eighth consciousness not need to eliminate self-view? He has no self-view, so there is no need for Him to eliminate self-view; only one who has self-view needs to eliminate self-view.