The True Meaning of the Elimination of Self-View (ahaṃkāra-mamakāra-parityāga)

The "I" refers to the manas, the seventh consciousness. It is the manas that takes the aggregate of form (rūpa) among the five aggregates (pañcaskandha) as the self, takes the aggregate of feeling (vedanā) as the self, takes the aggregate of perception (saṃjñā) as the self, takes the aggregate of formations (saṃskāra) as the self, takes the aggregate of consciousness (vijñāna) of the six consciousnesses as the self, and also takes itself as the self; only because of this does self-view (ātma-dṛṣṭi) arise. The six consciousnesses are of dependent-arising nature (paratantra), arising in succession, and are a tool utilized by the manas, the seventh consciousness. It is just like the relationship between the head and the four limbs within the entire five aggregates and the physical body: the five aggregates always take every part of the physical body as the self. Likewise, the manas has, since beginningless kalpas, always taken every part of the five aggregates as the self, and of course also takes the functions and operations of the eighth consciousness as the self.

The self-nature of the mind consciousness is weak, far inferior to the powerful self-nature of the manas, and is relatively easy to eliminate. Generally speaking, the mind consciousness, through some cultivation of the principle that the five aggregates are without self, and with a little deliberation (manana), can understand the principle. The manas, however, has weak powers of deliberation and observation, and moreover its ignorance since beginningless kalpas is deep and heavy, severely obstructing its wisdom, so it is not easy for it to understand the principle; thus the self-view of the manas is extremely difficult to eliminate. From ancient times to the present, those who have truly eliminated self-view are exceedingly few, as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. Even when the Buddha was in the world, the proportion of those who realized the fruits was not large. Therefore, self-view mainly refers to the self-view of the manas. To eliminate self-view, the manas must personally, together with the mind consciousness, investigate the principle of non-self, and be able to directly perceive (现量) that the five aggregates are indeed without self—only this is the true elimination of self-view.

If one merely relies on the mind consciousness, like a repeating machine, reciting and memorizing texts in the form of reading words aloud, without engaging in deep and subtle contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) within meditative concentration (samādhi), the manas will never be cultivated and will never understand the principle. This is merely the mind consciousness's superficial activity on the surface of words; at most one can attain intellectual understanding (解悟) that the five aggregates are without self, but cannot realize it, and therefore cannot eliminate self-view.

The elimination of self-view is personally realized by the manas. Then, is awakening to the true mind (明心) also personally realized by the manas as the true mind, the eighth consciousness? The answer is likewise yes. Because since beginningless kalpas the manas has always taken the functions and operations of the five aggregates and the six consciousnesses as the self, and has also taken the functions and operations of the eighth consciousness as the self, not knowing that He Himself is nothing at all. Only by depending on the eighth consciousness on one end and on the five aggregates and six consciousnesses on the other can He have His own so-called functions and operations of "self," and only thus can He survive in the three realms, accomplishing His illusory functions and operations of "self."

Therefore, in order for the manas to eliminate ignorance and accomplish the Buddha Way, on the one hand the great tree of the five aggregates must be felled so that He has nothing to depend upon; on the other hand, He must be made to realize the true eighth consciousness, knowing that all dharmas are the doing of the eighth consciousness, and not His own functions and operations. In this way the manas clearly recognizes the true reality of the dharmadhātu; ignorance is bit by bit broken away, the grasping of self (我执) and the grasping of dharmas (法执) are gradually eliminated completely, there is thoroughly no self, and finally He becomes the World-Honored Buddha.