Contemplating the Five Aggregates and Eliminating the View of Self (Part I) (Second Edition)

Chapter 6: The Relationship Between the Five Aggregates and the Eighth Consciousness

Section 1: The Meaning of the Two Kinds of Dharma of No-Self

1. The Meaning of No-Self

The two words "no-self" (anātman) carry different meanings in different contexts. Only by clarifying these meanings can one understand what no-self actually refers to, and only then can one know how to begin practicing. The no-self of the deluded mind of the seven consciousnesses means, on one hand, that there is no unborn-and-undying nature, no eternal nature, no true sovereign nature; on the other hand, it means lacking the emptiness (śūnyatā) of the eighth consciousness. The no-self of the true mind, the eighth consciousness, means, on one hand, that it lacks the self-ness and selfishness of the seven consciousnesses, and on the other hand, that it lacks the sovereign, decision-making nature of the seven consciousnesses.

Only by clarifying these concepts can one understand the true meaning of self and no-self, and only then can they guide one's practice. It is not easy to untangle oneself from these concepts. A single term or concept can have multiple meanings; if the meanings are not clarified and one remains muddled, one cannot begin to practice. For example, the word "real" (真实) has different meanings in different contexts: one meaning refers to the true reality, the eighth consciousness, which is unborn and undying and originally existent; another meaning refers to appearances in worldly phenomena that accord with facts, but these are conditioned, subject to arising and ceasing, not originally existent dharmas.

2. Distinguishing the Two Kinds of No-Self Nature

Through contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) on suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and no-self, one ultimately realizes that the five aggregates and eighteen realms of the worldly sphere are all conditioned, subject to arising and ceasing — dharmas of no-self. Only by realizing that the five aggregates are indeed subject to arising and ceasing can one know they are without self, and only then will one gradually extinguish meaningless, evil, and unwholesome activities of the five aggregates. At first, one reduces the activities of the five aggregates and loses interest in them, because one knows the five aggregates are without self — they are conditioned, mutable, empty, and meaningless.

The purpose of investigating the eighth consciousness is precisely to realize the eighth consciousness within the five aggregates. After realization, one can directly perceive (in terms of direct perception) the relationship between the five aggregates and the eighth consciousness, ultimately realizing one delusion and one truth — observing how the deluded is deluded and how the true is true. By realizing the true and eternal existence of the eighth consciousness and observing the purity of the eighth consciousness within the five-aggregate body, one will realize the no-self nature of the eighth consciousness. At the same time, by observing how the eighth consciousness specifically gives rise to the five aggregates, one realizes that the five aggregates are indeed illusory, unreal, and without self.

The two kinds of no-self nature point in different directions. The nature of suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and no-self corresponds to a nonexistent self paired with arising-and-ceasing impermanence; this nonexistent self is the self of the seven consciousnesses, a false self, a self that can be extinguished. The self of the eighth consciousness corresponds to the unborn and undying, to true reality, to purity. The no-self nature of the eighth consciousness means that within the mind of the eighth consciousness there is no cognition of self, no selfishness, no self-regard. These two kinds of no-self must absolutely not be confused with each other; otherwise, correct practice is impossible. The deluded mind of no-self must inevitably arise, cease, and change, while the eighth consciousness of no-self is forever unborn and undying.

The two kinds of no-self have two meanings. The no-self of the seven consciousnesses lacks true reality yet possesses destructibility. The no-self of the eighth consciousness means no selfishness, no self-ness, no decision-making nature, no grasping (upādāna). When the seven consciousnesses, relying on the eighth consciousness, cultivate to the point of no-self, they also acquire a no-self, selfless, non-grasping nature similar to that of the eighth consciousness. People with slight self-ness dare to negate themselves, correct their errors as soon as they recognize them, and turn around quickly. People with heavy self-ness are unwilling to re-examine their thinking rationally and clarify their thoughts, unwilling to negate themselves even a little; such people find it hard to detect their own faults, cling stubbornly to fixed views, refuse to correct themselves, and find practice extremely difficult.

Without meditative concentration (samādhi), one's deliberation is very rough, lacking logic, and one simply cannot sort out the confusing and erroneous points in these dharma meanings; the mind remains chaotic. When encountering especially complex dharma meanings, one feels at a loss with no clue where to begin. Therefore, meditative concentration is extremely important.

3. The False Self and the True Self Cannot Be Equated

"I do not study Buddhism, I do not practice, I do not keep precepts, I do not cultivate concentration, I do not develop wisdom, I do not seek liberation, I am free and at ease, spontaneous and natural." What does this "I" refer to? It refers to the eighth consciousness. Can the subject "I" here be replaced with the seven consciousnesses? Can the seven consciousnesses and five aggregates also, like the eighth consciousness, not study Buddhism, not practice, not keep precepts, not cultivate concentration, not develop wisdom, not seek liberation, and be spontaneous and natural? Obviously not — unless after attaining buddhahood, when consciousness has been completely transformed into wisdom and the nature of the seven consciousnesses has become similar to that of the eighth consciousness.

Some people say: since we are to learn from the eighth consciousness, rely on the eighth consciousness, and transform the basis (āśraya-parāvṛtti) upon the eighth consciousness, we should be like the eighth consciousness. Is this statement correct? It is both correct and incorrect. One must have rigorous logical deliberation and distinguish clearly in which respects one should learn from the eighth consciousness and in which respects one should not, when to learn from the eighth consciousness and when not to. After attaining buddhahood, the seven consciousnesses are like the eighth consciousness — not studying Buddhism, not keeping precepts, not cultivating concentration, not developing wisdom, not seeking liberation, not seeking buddhahood. Before attaining buddhahood, during the stage of being an ordinary sentient being, one must study Buddhism, keep precepts, cultivate concentration, develop wisdom, seek liberation, and seek buddhahood. Before buddhahood, one should learn from the purity of the eighth consciousness in its operation within the five-aggregate body — its freedom from greed, hatred, and delusion. After buddhahood, the seven consciousnesses are as pure as the eighth consciousness, so there is no longer any need to learn the eighth consciousness's purity, because a Buddha is beyond training (aśaikṣa). Only by clarifying these two selves can one practice well; if they are lumped together, practice becomes impossible and accomplishment unattainable.

4. The Contemplative Practice of the Great and Small Vehicles Must Not Be Confused

Let go of self and attain no-self. What do both "selves" refer to? Both refer to the false self. If the logical relationship between the false self and the true self is not worked out, practice in both the Great and Small Vehicles is difficult. Someone engages in contemplative practice of the Small Vehicle yet fails to reach the Small Vehicle conclusion of no-self — how did they practice? Someone engages in contemplative practice of the Great Vehicle yet only reaches a Small Vehicle conclusion, because their spiritual faculties (indriya) are not yet sufficiently developed. Generally speaking, for those who have not yet seen the mind, and those still some distance from seeing the mind, it is advisable to focus exclusively on Small Vehicle contemplative practice, not mixing it with the Great Vehicle's Chan investigation, because with insufficient faculties and limited wisdom, it is unlikely one will arrive at a correct contemplative result, and one cannot truly eradicate the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi-prahāṇa).

No-self does not always refer to the eighth consciousness of the Great Vehicle dharma. Some say only by transforming the basis upon the eighth consciousness can one be without self — this is not so. For example, how do worldly people who do not understand Buddhism attain no-self? Did heroes like Lei Feng, achieving so-called selflessness in worldly endeavors, transform the basis upon the eighth consciousness? None of them did. Did those from the first fruit to the fourth fruit of the Small Vehicle transform the basis upon the eighth consciousness? None of them did. Therefore, regarding the dharma of no-self, mechanically forcing everything onto the eighth consciousness will not do; one must actually engage in contemplative practice and personal experience. As long as a Small Vehicle practitioner genuinely attains the fruits, they will necessarily arrive at a reasonable and truthful conclusion, and will not run over to the Great Vehicle dharma and produce a Great Vehicle conclusion.

As soon as many people's statements come out, one can tell whether they have undergone actual cultivation and realization. Language reveals whether a person's conclusions come from genuine practice and realization, or from emotional speculation, intellectual understanding, and parrot-like patchwork theories. When an ordinary person starts teaching the Dharma by discussing the practice of bodhisattvas at the first or eighth bhūmi, it shows this person simply does not understand actual practice and does not know how to begin practicing; that is why they lead others this way and that, without a clear roadmap. For a path one has never walked oneself, a clear roadmap is impossible. Everyone should put effort into cultivating concentration; without meditative concentration, deliberation lacks logic and is neither clear nor thorough.

5. What Conclusion Should Small Vehicle Contemplative Practice Yield?

If, after contemplative practice on the suffering, origin, cessation, and path of the five aggregates, one arrives at the conclusion that the five aggregates are not the eighth consciousness, what does this indicate? It indicates that all ordinary sentient beings, for beginningless kalpas, have been taking the five aggregates as the eighth consciousness, and then, upon encountering the Buddhadharma and seeking liberation, through contemplative practice and deliberation, corrected their former mistaken cognition, changing wrong view (mithyā-dṛṣṭi) into right view, saying: the five aggregates are not the eighth consciousness, the five aggregates are not the eighth consciousness, nor are they not the eighth consciousness. Is that how it is? Does the phrase "nor are they not the eighth consciousness" include the implication that the five aggregates are also the eighth consciousness?

If so, then ordinary sentient beings' beginningless belief that the five aggregates are the eighth consciousness — what is wrong with that? Is it a wrong view? There is nothing wrong with it! If ordinary sentient beings truly had, from beginningless kalpas, taken the five aggregates as the eighth consciousness, then there would be no view of self and no self-grasping, no ignorance and no afflictions, and the Buddha would not have needed to laboriously come to the Sahā world eight thousand times to rescue sentient beings. Recognizing the eighth consciousness as self, sentient beings would not recognize the five aggregates as self, and would not create evil karma. The most crucial point is: have ordinary sentient beings, from beginningless kalpas, taken the five aggregates as the eighth consciousness?

If ordinary sentient beings had, from beginningless kalpas, always taken the five aggregates as the eighth consciousness, then all ordinary sentient beings would be bhūmi-attained bodhisattvas possessing the seed-wisdom of consciousness-only (唯识种智). Because only bhūmi-attained bodhisattvas, through direct contemplative practice with the seed-wisdom of consciousness-only, can observe that the five aggregates in their entirety are the eighth consciousness — that a cloth doll is entirely cloth, a clay figure entirely clay, gold ornaments entirely gold. Then all sentient beings would have been bhūmi-attained bodhisattvas from beginningless kalpas — and in that case, would there still be any need to eradicate the view of self, eradicate the view of the eighth consciousness as self, eradicate the view of my eighth consciousness as self?

If ordinary sentient beings, from beginningless kalpas, did not know there is a true self, the eighth consciousness, and did not believe the five aggregates are the eighth consciousness, then when ordinary sentient beings encounter the dharma of liberation and engage in contemplative practice of the Four Noble Truths — suffering, origin, cessation, and path — and contemplate suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and no-self, could they ultimately arrive at conclusions like "the five aggregates are not the eighth-consciousness self" or "not my eighth consciousness"? Is this not a sleight of hand, swapping concepts? If it is concept-swapping, then no one could truly eradicate the view of self, and no Small Vehicle practitioner could attain purity of the Dharma eye or attain liberation.

Those who genuinely and truthfully cultivate the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment and truthfully engage in contemplative practice cannot possibly arrive at the conclusion "the five aggregates are not the eighth consciousness" when they eradicate the view of self and attain the fruits. Offering such a conclusion is emotional speculation about actual practice, purely a theory produced by research, without having gone through a process of truthful deliberation and contemplative practice. Only after eradicating the view of self, and then contemplating from the perspective of the Great Vehicle dharma, can one arrive at the conclusion that the five aggregates are not the eighth consciousness.

When the Buddha taught the Four Noble Truths to his disciples, he first told them: within the five aggregates there is the true self, the eighth consciousness, unborn and undying; even if the five aggregates and eighteen realms are extinguished, the eighth consciousness does not perish. Thus the disciples all believed and accepted the Buddha's words, knowing there is something undying, that after Nirvāṇa without remainder (Anupadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa) it is not annihilatory emptiness (uccheda-śūnyatā) and nothingness — that true self has function. Upon hearing the Buddha's words, the disciples immediately knew the five aggregates and eighteen realms can perish while the eighth consciousness does not perish, and knew the five aggregates are not the eighth consciousness. But this knowing is the knowing of the mind consciousness; the manas has not realized it — realization would make them Great Vehicle bodhisattvas. Nor would they go searching for the eighth consciousness; they would simply contemplate the suffering, origin, cessation, and path of the five aggregates, and would not say that only after laborious contemplative practice did they arrive at the conclusion: the five aggregates are not the eighth consciousness.

If it were so, then that person has never engaged in contemplative practice according to reason. This conclusion should have been known in the mind back when the Buddha taught that there is a true self. And ordinary sentient beings, before the Buddha taught the eighth consciousness, the tathāgatagarbha, did not know there was an eighth consciousness, so they would not have had the notion that the five aggregates are the eighth consciousness, such that they would need to eradicate the view of self and break the notion that the five aggregates are the eighth consciousness. Therefore, engaging in contemplative practice on the five aggregates yet arriving at the conclusion that the five aggregates are not the eighth consciousness is deviant contemplation — such a person has never genuinely contemplated the Small Vehicle dharma and has not eradicated the view of self.

In the Āgama sūtras, the Buddha taught the Sūtra on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness: contemplate the body as impure, contemplate feelings as suffering, contemplate the mind as impermanent, contemplate dharmas as no-self. If a person genuinely and truly engages in this contemplative practice over several years, when eradicating the view of self, could they arrive at the conclusion: the body is not the eighth consciousness, feeling is not the eighth consciousness, mind is not the eighth consciousness, dharmas are not the eighth consciousness? If they arrive at such a conclusion, may I ask: how did this person practice contemplation? Did they contemplate truthfully according to what the World-Honored One taught? This person drew conclusions based on imagination, without genuinely contemplating according to reason. If Small Vehicle practitioners had truly realized that the five aggregates are not different from the eighth consciousness, the tathāgatagarbha, then they would not fear suffering and hasten to extinguish the five aggregates and enter Nirvāṇa without remainder. Because they would have realized that the five aggregates are all illusory manifestations displayed by the eighth consciousness, without real substance, without genuine suffering, they would not avoid or hide from suffering.

6. The Meaning of Suffering as Not-Self

After contemplating the no-self of the five aggregates, if one arrives at the conclusion: form, feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness are suffering, and what is suffering is not the eighth consciousness — can this be made to hold together?

Having realized that form, feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness are suffering and not the eighth consciousness, can one gradually become weary of them and disliking of them? If so, then one would turn around and crave and delight in the eighth consciousness. Could Small Vehicle noble disciples delight in and crave the eighth consciousness? Does such a phenomenon exist? If it did, then arhats, delighting in the eighth consciousness, would continue cultivating the bodhisattva path, benefiting themselves and others, and would not enter Nirvāṇa without remainder, would not disappear from the world of the three realms.

Theoretically, one can know the five aggregates are not the eighth consciousness — anyone can know it the moment they hear the Buddha introduce the eighth consciousness. Many people, just by thinking about it, know that the aggregate of form arises and ceases, comes and goes without stop, and is of course not the real self, nor the real eighth consciousness; there is no need to labor painstakingly in contemplative practice to establish that the five aggregates are not the eighth consciousness — that strays far too much from the topic.

Can it hold together to say the five aggregates are suffering, and are not the eighth consciousness nor belong to the eighth consciousness? The manas naturally regards the five aggregates as its own (as itself), not the eighth consciousness's — that is why it grasps the five aggregates as self, and hence there is measureless suffering of birth and death. If an ordinary being's manas regarded the five aggregates as the eighth consciousness's, belonging to the eighth consciousness, would the ordinary being's manas still have the view of self and self-grasping? Would it still have the imputed nature (parikalpita-svabhāva)? If nothing is its own, what would the manas have left to grasp?

The five aggregates are in essence the eighth consciousness; the six great seeds forming the five aggregates all come from the eighth consciousness — the five aggregates are the eighth consciousness's investment, brought forth by it. The five aggregates are of course the eighth consciousness's. How strange is it that after contemplative practice one instead concludes the five aggregates are not the eighth consciousness? Theorizing always has its limits; there always comes a day when the path dead-ends and one cannot make one's account self-consistent. But one who has realized the truth can argue it horizontally or vertically and always makes sense, always holds together, and no one can refute it.

7. Which "Self" Does the No-Self of the Five Aggregates Refer To?

Originally the sixth and seventh consciousnesses took the five aggregates as self; after contemplative practice eradicates the view of self, they no longer take the five aggregates as self. When the manas originally took the aggregate of form as self, it would take the aggregate of feeling as "mine" (我所), believing form is within feeling, or feeling is within form. Let us observe: is there feeling within form? Is there form within feeling? Neither — the two do not mix with each other. Likewise, when the manas takes the aggregate of feeling as self and takes the aggregates of form, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness as belonging to it, it believes that within feeling there are form, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness, and that within form, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness there is feeling. In reality, the several aggregates neither separate from one another nor exist mixed together; when one concretely observes the five aggregates, one can realize this principle.

If one says 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 of the consciousness-mind. The other aggregates should be observed in the same way. If one contemplates the Great Vehicle principle and the Small Vehicle principle simultaneously, then when contemplating the Small Vehicle principle of no-self, contemplation becomes impossible. Deliberating and contemplating both Great and Small Vehicle principles at the same time causes mental confusion, which is somewhat detrimental to Small Vehicle practice of eradicating the view of self. After understanding the Great Vehicle principle, when engaging exclusively in Small Vehicle contemplation, do not add in the Great Vehicle; otherwise there is 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 inhere in the eighth consciousness (nor it in them), everyone please try — can you contemplate this out? Do you have any approach? Unless one has investigated Chan and realized the eighth consciousness, and one's prajñā wisdom is very deep, it is barely possible; with shallow wisdom it cannot be done. The Heart Sutra says only when practicing the deep prajñā-pāramitā can one illuminate and see that the five aggregates are all empty; when practicing shallow prajñā-pāramitā, one cannot yet illuminate and see this — let alone when one has not yet practiced prajñā-pāramitā at all. If you contemplate according to the methods the Buddha taught in the Āgama sūtras, the thinking flows smoothly; do not invent your own methods.

8. Whose View of Self Is Eradicated in Eradicating the View of Self?

The "self" in taking the aggregate of consciousness — the six consciousnesses — as self: is it the true self, the eighth consciousness, or the false self, the manas? In eradicating the view of self, is it the manas that is made to eradicate the view of self that takes the aggregate of consciousness as self, or the eighth consciousness? At the end of contemplative practice, is it the manas that regards the aggregate of consciousness as no-self, or the eighth consciousness? The result of eradicating the view of self is to make the manas regard the aggregate of consciousness and the five aggregates as not self and not belonging to self — not to make the eighth consciousness regard the aggregate of consciousness and the five aggregates as no-self and without what belongs to self. The view of self and the view of what belongs to self have nothing to do with the eighth consciousness.

Contemplating the suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and no-self of the aggregate of consciousness should mean contemplating its arising-ceasing, mutable, impermanent nature, and its no-self nature, its unreality — that it is not a false self, not possessed by a false self, and in fact there is no false self at all; all is empty. It is not contemplating that the aggregate of consciousness and the five aggregates are not the eighth consciousness.

Who performs this contemplation? Not the eighth consciousness; rather, on the basis of the mind consciousness's contemplation, the manas personally contemplates, and in the end the manas realizes that the aggregate of consciousness is not self and not different from self, that self and the aggregate of consciousness do not mutually inhere in or contain each other. "Different" (异) means separate, other; the aggregate of consciousness is not other than self, not a "mine" existing outside of self. "Not different" means not separate, not something else; the aggregate of consciousness is neither self nor what belongs to self — both self and what belongs to self are self, and both must be eradicated.

Who realizes the no-self and not-self of the aggregate of consciousness? Who realizes the no-self of the aggregate of form? Who realizes the no-self of the aggregate of feeling? Who realizes the no-self of the aggregate of perception? Who realizes the no-self of the aggregate of volitional formations? Who eradicates the view of self that takes these aggregates as self? Whose view is the view of self? Which "self" does the "self" in "view of self" refer to? The view that the five aggregates are self is a wrong view; the view that the five aggregates are not self is right view. Who has the wrong view, and who has right view? Whose wrong view is eradicated? Which self is given right view? Who regards the five aggregates as not self? Who regards the five aggregates as self?

Which self does the "self" in "the five aggregates are self" refer to? Is this view right view or wrong view? Whether right view or wrong view, the eighth consciousness has neither; the eighth consciousness itself does not give rise to views. He does not study Buddhism or practice, has no afflictions of view or afflictions of delusion, and thus need not eradicate view-afflictions or delusion-afflictions. Therefore, contemplative practice begins with the sixth and seventh consciousnesses contemplating, and ends with the sixth and seventh consciousnesses no longer accepting the five aggregates as self, also knowing there is no so-called self — the five aggregates and eighteen realms are without self.

If one says contemplative practice ultimately concludes that the five aggregates are not the eighth consciousness, then before attaining the fruits, that person would have believed the five aggregates are the eighth consciousness. Yet sentient beings from beginningless kalpas have never had such an awareness; not knowing there is a true self, the eighth consciousness, they all believe the five aggregates are the false self, belonging to and used by self. Whoever has the view of self — that is the one whose view of self must be eradicated. The mind consciousness and manas have the view of self; therefore, in eradicating the view of self, it is the view of self of the mind consciousness and manas that must be eradicated. Eradicating the view of self is rejecting the false; seeing the mind is acknowledging the true. Only after the manas and mind consciousness deny the false can they go on to acknowledge the true.

9. Is the Material Body Not the Eighth Consciousness?

From the surface phenomena of worldly phenomena, the material body is material form with appearance, and of course is not the formless, markless eighth consciousness. But from the perspective of ultimate truth (胜义谛), from the perspective of consciousness-only, the substance of the material body is the eighth consciousness. After the eighth consciousness gives birth to a sentient being's material body, how does the present material body exist? Is it still being produced by the eighth consciousness? Is the eighth consciousness still continuously producing the material body? If this question cannot be answered, how can one know that the material body is not the eighth consciousness, not different from the eighth consciousness, and does not inhere in the eighth consciousness?

When the eighth consciousness first produces the material body, it transmits the seeds of the four great elements, simultaneously transmits the consciousness-seeds of the manas, and then transmits the consciousness-seeds of the mind consciousness. After the material body is born, the eighth consciousness continues to transmit the seeds of the four great elements without cease — equivalent to the eighth consciousness continuously giving birth to the material body. Once the eighth consciousness stops transmitting the seeds of the four great elements, the material body perishes and no longer exists.

The eighth consciousness gives birth to all dharmas; as long as a dharma exists, the eighth consciousness is continuously giving birth to it. After a dharma appears, the subsequent production is called sustaining and maintaining, but in fact it is still production, without interruption. The seeds of the four great elements arise and then cease, arise again and cease again; through this continuous cycle of arising and ceasing, the material body continues to exist and constantly changes. The eighth consciousness's function upon the material body is continuously transmitting and withdrawing the seeds of the four great elements and the consciousness-seeds; its function upon all dharmas is transmitting seeds, continuously giving birth to dharmas — that is, maintaining the existence and mutation of dharmas, letting dharmas arise, abide, change, and perish. The entire material body is composed entirely of the seven great seeds output solely by the eighth consciousness; the material body is thus a holding limited company solely invested in by the eighth consciousness — it may also be called a sole proprietorship. Only there is no harvest, no profit, but also no loss; rise or fall, success or failure — the eighth consciousness does not care, because the eighth consciousness does not take the material body as self or as belonging to self.

From the perspective that the eighth consciousness wholly invests in and controls the material body — is the material body not the eighth consciousness? No! Is the material body not different from the eighth consciousness (not belonging to the eighth consciousness)? No! Does the material body not inhere in the eighth consciousness? No! The seeds of the material body all come from the eighth consciousness; a portion of the seeds within the eighth consciousness constitutes the material body — the material body is the eighth consciousness, belonging to the eighth consciousness. The material body in its entirety is true suchness (tathatā) — this is what is called the one true dharma realm! Of all conditioned dharmas in the world, which is not the eighth consciousness? The whole is true suchness — the one true dharma realm!

Since the material body is entirely constituted of the eighth consciousness's seeds, regulated and controlled by the eighth consciousness, then the material body and the eighth consciousness neither inhere in each other, nor fail to inhere in each other! How could the boss ever leave his own company? But is the material body truly the eighth consciousness's sole proprietorship, with no partner holding shares? No second boss, no third boss? Not so! There is also a false boss superficially managing and controlling it — He believes the material body is "I" and "mine," that He has the final say.

On what basis does the eighth consciousness output the seven great seeds to invest and hold shares? Of course, on the basis of karmic seeds. Where do karmic seeds come from? They come from the manas leading the six consciousnesses to create karmic actions. When the manas leads the six consciousnesses to create wholesome karma, there is a good material body, an excellent profit-making company; when the manas leads the six consciousnesses to create unwholesome karma, there is a material body of the evil destinies, a disaster-plagued material body, a losing, declining company. The rise and fall of the material-body company: the manas bears the risk and responsibility; profits go to the manas, and losses also go to the manas.

The eighth consciousness is an absentee proprietor: after investing, it concerns itself with nothing else. When the company needs money, it will invest and manage again, as long as there is stock in the treasury. That said, all the funds the eighth consciousness invests come out of the treasury accounts — and where do the treasury's funds come from? From the revenue created by the seven consciousnesses. So does the material-body company's profit get deposited into the storehouse? It is deposited into the storehouse. When the company's operations fail, the manas is responsible for the debts, repaying them from the deposits in the storehouse. When the storehouse is empty, the material body wanders and begs for a living; the second boss, the manas, and the third boss, the six consciousnesses, become slaves — while the big boss is indifferent, suffering no loss whatsoever.

10. The Small Vehicle's Correct Contemplation That the Five Aggregates and Eighteen Realms Are Not Self

When observing that the five aggregates are not self, one first observes that the aggregate of form is not self. If this "self" is replaced with the eighth consciousness, then it becomes contemplating that the aggregate of form is not the eighth consciousness. May I ask: what is the purpose of observing this? How would one observe it? Is observation even needed? Is this correct contemplation? When observing that the aggregate of feeling is not self, one instead observes that the aggregate of feeling is not the eighth consciousness — what is the purpose of observing this? How would one observe it? Is observation even needed? Is this correct contemplation?

When observing that the aggregate of perception is not self, one instead observes that the aggregate of perception is not the eighth consciousness — what use is such observation? How would one observe it? Is observation even needed? Is this correct contemplation? When observing that the aggregate of volitional formations is not self, one instead observes that the aggregate of volitional formations is not the eighth consciousness — what is the purpose of observing this? Is observation even needed? How would one observe it? Is this correct contemplation? When observing that the aggregate of consciousness is not self, one instead observes that the aggregate of volitional formations is not the eighth consciousness — what is the purpose of observing this? Is this correct contemplation? Is observation even needed? How would one observe it?

Then continuing to observe that the six faculties are not self, one instead observes that the eye, ear, tongue, nose, body, and mental faculties are not the eighth consciousness — is observation even needed for this? Who does not know that the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind faculties are simply not the eighth consciousness? Yet through laborious cultivation of concentration one engages in contemplative practice to arrive at the conclusion that the six faculties are not the eighth consciousness. Who does not know that the eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body faculties are not the eighth consciousness? Who does not know the manas is not the eighth consciousness? It is the same with observing the six sense objects — why insist on observing that the six sense objects are not the eighth consciousness? Who does not know that form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas are not the eighth consciousness? Is observation even needed? Everyone knows this — is this not drawing legs on a snake, a superfluous act? Does it have anything to do with the impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and no-self of the five aggregates?

The Small Vehicle contemplation of the five aggregates is precisely to contemplate the impermanence, mutability, emptiness, and suffering of the five aggregates and eighteen realms, thereby confirming that they are not the self we have grasped since beginningless kalpas — that there is simply no self to be grasped at all. In this way the view of self is eradicated. Such contemplation is correct contemplation; if one contemplates otherwise, it is deviant contemplation.

11. What Doubt Does the Small Vehicle Eradicate?

The Small Vehicle's eradication of doubt means eradicating doubt about whether the Four Noble Truths taught by the Buddha can bring liberation, eradicating doubt about whether oneself has eradicated the view of self, and eradicating doubt about whether others have eradicated the view of self. After eradicating doubt, one can correctly judge whether the Buddhist teachings someone proclaims can enable sentient beings to eradicate the view of self and attain liberation, and can correctly judge whether oneself and others have eradicated the view of self, no longer generating doubt about the Dharma, about oneself, or about others. However, because they have not realized the Great Vehicle dharma, they still have extremely abundant obstruction of the knowable (jñeya-āvaraṇa), and so still have uncertainty and doubt regarding the Great Vehicle dharma.

12. The Meaning of the Four-Line Verse "All Volitional Formations Are Impermanent"

"All volitional formations are impermanent; they are dharmas of arising and ceasing." All dharmas that exist and operate in the world are impermanent. Why are they impermanent? Because these conditioned formations all exist in dependence on the tathāgatagarbha; they are manifested by the tathāgatagarbha in accordance with various karmic conditions, produced by causes and conditions. When the conditions are exhausted, they perish; therefore they are subject to arising and ceasing, and what arises and ceases is impermanent.

"When arising and ceasing are extinguished, tranquil cessation is bliss." When one's practice reaches the point of eradicating self-grasping, eradicating all craving for the dharmas of the threefold world — that is, when one attains the fourth fruit of arhatship — one then has the ability to extinguish all conditioned formations in the world. When the fourth-fruit arhat extinguishes all these operating dharmas, he also extinguishes his own five aggregates and eighteen realms; but there is one thing that does not perish and can never be extinguished — the arhat's eighth consciousness, the tathāgatagarbha. Thus the five aggregates and eighteen realms are extinguished: there is no longer the person of the arhat, no six faculties, six sense objects, or six consciousnesses, no sense realms, no consciousness-mind; hence there is no suffering feeling, and no pleasant feeling either. And the tathāgatagarbha also has no feelings of suffering or pleasure, abiding in the realm of tranquil cessation where the six sense objects are not seen and no dharmas are seen, with not a single dharma manifesting — silent and still, empty and vast, without a trace of suffering feeling. Conventionally this is called the bliss of tranquil cessation, but in reality there is not even bliss.