All Dharmas Are Non-Self (1)

Dharma refers to things and concepts that exist in both the mundane and supramundane worlds—objects that can be cognized, perceived, experienced, and discriminated by the seven consciousnesses, including principles, doctrines, and meanings. There are real dharmas and unreal dharmas; true dharmas and false dharmas; conditionally arisen dharmas and non-conditionally arisen dharmas; conditioned dharmas and unconditioned dharmas; material form (rūpa) composed of the four great elements; and mental dharmas, which are concepts and ideas not composed of the four great elements. There are dharmas as vast as the immeasurable and boundless buddha-worlds of the ten directions in the universe and empty space, and dharmas as minute as the subtle ones invisible to the naked eye. There are dharmas that even the ignorant sentient beings of the three evil destinies can perceive, and there are dharmas that only the Buddha's boundless wisdom and incomparable wisdom can know.

Among all these dharmas, apart from the Buddhas' undefiled consciousness (amala-vijñāna), true suchness, and great mirror-like wisdom (ādarśa-jñāna), which are dharmas possessing a genuine and eternal nature of self, everything else is without the nature of self. Therefore, for sentient beings, all dharmas are without self. "Self" means real, not conditionally arisen, neither arising nor ceasing, unchanging, free from suffering, pure and undefiled, never annihilated—that is, permanent, blissful, self, and pure. Any dharma lacking these characteristics is a dharma without self.

Although sentient beings' eighth consciousness is the true self and true mind, neither arising nor ceasing, it still contains the tainted seeds of the seven consciousnesses that arise, cease, and change, so it is not entirely a self either. It still lacks the nature of self, because it has no capacity to cognize itself, does not know of its own existence, and has no view of self. This is unlike the manas and the mind consciousness, which always perceive the existence of a self, constantly thinking "I, I, I," clinging to the self without letting go. When considering matters, they think of themselves first—"What do I want? How am I?"—and subconsciously they promote themselves, making others aware of them, value them, and admire them.

The eighth consciousness, however, has no selfishness or self-regard; it does not know of its own existence. Therefore it never considers or plans for itself, much less promotes or shows itself off so that sentient beings will understand and value it. It has never competed with sentient beings for any benefit, dispute, or advantage. Such a mind is a mind without the nature of self. It never takes charge in any matter, completely accords with conditions, and does not cling to a single dharma in its mind. The seven consciousnesses are just the opposite: they are fully endowed with the afflictions of greed, hatred, delusion, arrogance, doubt, and wrong view (mithyā-dṛṣṭi); they universally discriminate and cling to all dharmas, take charge at all times, in all places, and in all matters, and have a strong sense of self.