Who Cuts Off the View of Self? Whose View of Self Is Cut Off?

Is the "I" that regards the six consciousnesses of the consciousness aggregate as the self the true self, the Eighth Consciousness, or the false self, manas? Is the elimination of the view of self aimed at making manas abandon the view that the consciousness aggregate is the self, or at making the Eighth Consciousness abandon the view that the consciousness aggregate is the self? At the ultimate stage of observation and practice, is it manas that realizes the selflessness of the consciousness aggregate, or is it the Eighth Consciousness that realizes the selflessness of the consciousness aggregate? The result of eliminating the view of self is to make manas recognize that the five aggregates of consciousness are not the self and do not belong to the self. It is not to make the Eighth Consciousness regard the five aggregates of consciousness as devoid of self and ownership; the view of self and the view of ownership are unrelated to the Eighth Consciousness.

Observing the suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and selflessness of the consciousness aggregate should involve observing the impermanent nature of the arising, ceasing, and changing of the consciousness aggregate, as well as the selfless and unreal nature of the consciousness aggregate—that it is not the false self, manas, nor does it belong to the false self, manas; in reality, there is no false or delusional self, all is empty. It is not about observing that the five aggregates of consciousness are not the Eighth Consciousness.

Who is conducting this observation? It is not the Eighth Consciousness conducting it, but manas personally observing based on the foundation of mental consciousness's observation. Ultimately, manas comes to understand that the consciousness aggregate is neither the self nor different from the self; the self and the consciousness aggregate do not mutually exist or contain each other.

"Different" means the consciousness aggregate is not the self, but belongs to the self. "Not different" means the consciousness aggregate is neither the self nor what belongs to the self; both the self and what belongs to the self must be eliminated.

Who realizes the selflessness and non-self nature of the consciousness aggregate? Who realizes the selflessness of the form aggregate? Who realizes the selflessness of the feeling aggregate? Who realizes the selflessness of the perception aggregate? Who realizes the selflessness of the volitional formations aggregate? Who eliminates the view that these aggregates constitute the self? Whose view is the view of self? To which "I" does the "I" in the view of self refer? The knowledge-view that regards the five aggregates as the self is a wrong view; the knowledge-view that regards the five aggregates as not the self is a right view. Who holds the wrong view? Who attains the right view? From which "I" is the wrong view eliminated? Which "I" attains the right view? Who regards the five aggregates as not the self? Who regards the five aggregates as the self? When saying "the five aggregates are me," to which "I" does this "I" refer? Is this knowledge-view right or wrong?

Regardless of whether it is a right view or a wrong view, the Eighth Consciousness possesses neither. The Eighth Consciousness itself does not give rise to knowledge-views; it does not learn Buddhism or practice cultivation, has no afflictions of views or afflictions of defilements, and thus has no need to eliminate afflictions of views or defilements. Therefore, the initial observation and practice are conducted by the sixth and seventh consciousnesses. At the ultimate stage of observation and practice, the sixth and seventh consciousnesses no longer regard the five aggregates as the self and also know that there is no so-called self; the five aggregates and eighteen elements are selfless.

If, at the conclusion of observation, one arrives at the view that the five aggregates are not the Eighth Consciousness, then prior to attaining the fruition, one would have regarded the five aggregates as the Eighth Consciousness. However, sentient beings, since beginningless time, have fundamentally lacked such realization; they do not know of the existence of the true self, the Eighth Consciousness, and have always regarded the five aggregates as the false self, belonging to and used by themselves. Whoever holds the view of self should eliminate the view of self. Mental consciousness and manas hold the view of self; therefore, to eliminate the view of self, one must eliminate the view of self held by mental consciousness and manas. Eliminating the view of self is to discard the false. Realizing the mind is to recognize the true. Manas and mental consciousness must first discard the false before they can recognize the true.