The Five Aggregates Are Not Self, Not Different from Self, and Not Located Within Each Other

Originally, the seventh and sixth consciousnesses took the five aggregates as the self; after contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) eliminates the self-view (ātma-dṛṣṭi), they no longer take the five aggregates as the self. The manas originally took the aggregate of form (rūpa) as the self and the aggregate of feeling (vedanā) as belonging to the self, believing that the aggregate of form exists within the aggregate of feeling, and the aggregate of feeling exists 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 (saṃjñā), formations (saṃskāra), and consciousness (vijñāna) as belonging to the self, believing that within the aggregate of feeling there are the aggregates of form, perception, formations, and consciousness, and that within the aggregates of form, perception, formations, and consciousness there is the aggregate of feeling. In reality, the several aggregates do not exist within one another; when you concretely observe the five aggregates (pañcaskandha), you can realize this.

If one says that feeling can be found within the body, and form can be found within feeling, then a dead person would also have feeling, and a piece of 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 Small Vehicle are taught and contemplated at the same time, then while contemplating the Small Vehicle principle of non-self, one becomes unable to carry out the contemplative practice. Contemplating the principles of the Great and Small Vehicles simultaneously is somewhat confusing and somewhat disadvantageous for cultivating the Small Vehicle's elimination of self-view. After understanding the Mahāyāna principles, when you specifically engage in contemplative practice of the Small Vehicle, do not mix in the Mahāyāna; otherwise there will be no way to begin.

If you want to contemplate that the five aggregates are not the eighth consciousness, are not different from the eighth consciousness, and do not exist within one another with the eighth consciousness, each of you should try hard and see whether you can carry this contemplation out. Do you have any line of thought? If you contemplate according to the method taught by the Buddha in the Āgama sūtras, the line of thought flows smoothly—do not invent your own methods.