The Five Aggregates Are Not the Self, Not Different from the Self, and Not Mutually Present with the Self

Originally, the seventh and sixth consciousnesses took the five aggregates as the self; after contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) eradicates the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi), they no longer take the five aggregates as the self. The manas originally took the aggregate of form as the self and took the aggregate of feeling as belonging to the self, believing that the aggregate of form was within the aggregate of feeling, and the aggregate of feeling was within the aggregate of form. Let us observe: is there an aggregate of feeling within the aggregate of form? Is there an aggregate of form within the aggregate of feeling? Neither exists; the two do not mix with each other. Likewise, the manas takes the aggregate of feeling as the self and takes the aggregates of form, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness as belonging to the self, believing that within the aggregate of feeling there are the aggregates of form, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness, and that within the aggregates of form, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness there is the aggregate of feeling. In reality, the several aggregates do not exist within one another; when one specifically observes the five aggregates, one can realize this.

If one says that feeling can be found within the body, and form can be found within feeling, then dead people would also have feeling, and wood would also have feeling; if there were form within feeling, then feeling would be form, and feeling would possess form. If feeling possessed form, it would no longer be the formless function and operation of the conscious mind; the other several aggregates should be observed in the same way.

When the principles of the Mahāyāna and the principles of the Hīnayāna are taught and contemplated at the same time, one becomes unable to carry out the contemplative practice while contemplating the Hīnayāna principle of non-self. Contemplating and deliberating on the principles of the Great and Small Vehicles simultaneously is somewhat chaotic, and is somewhat disadvantageous for cultivating the Hīnayāna eradication of the view of self. After one has clearly understood the Mahāyāna principle, when one specifically engages in contemplative practice on the Hīnayāna, one should not add in the Mahāyāna; otherwise there will be no way to begin.

If one wants to contemplate that the five aggregates are not the eighth consciousness, are not different from the eighth consciousness, and do not reside in one another with the eighth consciousness, everyone should try hard and see whether you can carry out this contemplative practice—do you have any line of thought? If you follow the method taught by the Buddha in the Āgama sūtras to contemplate, the line of thought flows smoothly; do not invent your own methods.