Commentary on the Diamond Sutra: Section IX on the Aspect Without an Aspect

Why can a Srotapanna not have the thought "I have attained the Srotapanna fruit"?

Original text: Subhuti, what do you think? Can a Srotapanna have the thought "I have attained the Srotapanna fruit"? Subhuti said: No, World-Honored One. Why? Srotapanna means "one who has entered the stream," yet there is nothing entered. Not entering form, sound, smell, taste, touch, or dharmas—this is called Srotapanna.

Explanation: Subhuti, what is your view on this matter? Can a first-fruit Srotapanna have the thought "I have realized the Srotapanna fruit"? Subhuti said: Such a thought cannot arise, World-Honored One. Why? Srotapanna means one who has entered the stream of the holy path. One who has entered the stream of the holy path no longer enters worldly dharmas—not entering the form, sound, smell, taste, touch, or dharmas of the mundane realm. Only then is one truly worthy of the name Srotapanna.

A first-fruit Srotapanna has just severed the view of self, no longer regarding the dharmas within the five aggregates and eighteen realms as real or belonging to a self. Having eliminated the view and notion of self, there is consequently no thought of "I" having severed the view of self to become a Srotapanna—there is no one who severed the view of self, no Srotapanna person, and no Srotapanna fruit. Therefore, the Srotapanna fruit is a provisional designation, not a truly existent dharma, and should not be grasped as real. If one grasps it as truly existent, then the view of self and view of dharma arise, and one is not a Srotapanna. If a person harbors the thought "I am a first-fruit practitioner," this person clearly exhibits the notion of self and thus is not a first-fruit practitioner.

Therefore, those who constantly proclaim "I have realized the fruit," "I have enlightened the mind," boasting and showing off everywhere, can be clearly seen to have heavy self-view and full self-attachment—undoubtedly, they are ordinary people. A person who frequently clings to thoughts like "I am a sage," "I am a certain-fruit practitioner," "I am a bodhisattva at the Three Sage Stages," "I am a bodhisattva at such-and-such ground," "I have practiced such-and-such," "In my past lives I was thus-and-such," "I have done such-and-such for sentient beings," spreading and exaggerating these everywhere—fearing others won’t know, hoping for others’ reverence, wishing for others to prostrate in worship, desiring widespread fame—these behaviors clearly reveal that this person has heavy self-view, full self-attachment, and complete marks of an ordinary being, making them thoroughly ordinary.

Since the view of self has already been severed, there is no notion of self, no mark of "I" having severed self-view. The mind is empty of self and empty of fruit. In the ultimate truth, there is no such thing as severing the view of self, no such person as a Srotapanna. Only when the unconditioned mind manifests is one a Srotapanna who has realized the unconditioned dharma. If there is "I" or "self-attachment," then it is not unconditioned, nor is there an unconditioned fruit. Therefore, to determine whether someone has severed the view of self, one can also judge by their speech and actions—observing whether their words, actual conduct, and deeds reflect an empty mind, whether they are low-key and dislike publicity. If a person enjoys putting "I" at the forefront of their speech and flaunts themselves everywhere, they possess full self-attachment, have not severed the view of self, and are not a Srotapanna.