All Dharmas Are Without Self (I)

Dharma refers to things and concepts that exist in the world and beyond the world—objects that can be cognized, perceived, felt, and discriminated by the seven consciousnesses, including principles, truths, and meanings. There are real dharmas and illusory dharmas; true dharmas and false dharmas; conditioned dharmas and unconditioned dharmas; material dharmas composed of the four great elements; and mental dharmas—concepts and ideas—not composed of the four great elements. There are dharmas as vast as the immeasurable and boundless buddha-lands of the ten directions throughout the universe and space, and dharmas as minute as those invisible to the naked eye. There are dharmas that even the ignorant beings of the three evil destinies can perceive, and dharmas that only the Buddha's boundless wisdom and unequaled wisdom can know.

Among all these dharmas, apart from the undefiled consciousness (amala-vijñāna), true suchness, and the great perfect mirror wisdom (ādarśajñāna) of all Buddhas—which possess a true and eternal nature of self—everything else is without the nature of self. Therefore, for sentient beings, all dharmas are without self. The self is real, unconditioned, unborn and unceasing, unchanging, free of suffering, pure and undefiled, never extinguished—that is, it 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, unborn and unceasing, the defiled seeds of the seven consciousnesses within it are still arising, ceasing, and transforming; therefore, it is not completely a self. It still lacks the nature of self, because it has no capacity for self-cognition, does not know of its own existence, and has no self-view (ātma-dṛṣṭi). 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 anything, they think of themselves first—"What do I want? How am I?"—and subconsciously they push themselves forward, making others aware of them, value them, and praise them.

The eighth consciousness, however, has no selfishness or mind of self; 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, disputed any conflicts, or contended over superiority. Such a mind is a mind without the nature of self. In every matter it makes no decisions, completely following conditions, without grasping at any dharma in its mind. The mind of the seven consciousnesses is just the opposite: greed, aversion, delusion, arrogance, doubt, wrong view, and afflictions are all complete; it universally measures and grasps at all dharmas, making decisions at all times, in all places, in all matters, with a strong sense of self.