The Methods and Goals of Contemplative Practice for Eradicating the View of Self

Eradicating the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi-prahāṇa) is the contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) on the unreality, emptiness (śūnyatā), and selflessness of the five aggregates (pañca-skandha); it is not about turning the body into some particular state. Changing the body relies on the power of meditative concentration (samādhi); even without eradicating the view of self, one can transform the physical body merely by cultivating meditative concentration, making the body incomplete and disabled, and only then could one confirm that the physical body is without self. But aren't those people who are paralyzed or disabled still deeply entrenched in the view of self? If through contemplative practice one could turn the physical body into gold, perhaps the view of self would become even heavier. The key lies in one's mental understanding—directly perceiving that the physical body is false, empty, and unreal. Change your thinking, not your body. Do not contemplate yourself into becoming a cripple—if your meditative concentration grows stronger and something really goes wrong with your body, wouldn't that be terrible? It is enough to contemplate that the body is an assemblage of components.