Both the Eradication of Self-View and the Realization of Enlightened Mind Are Personally Attained by Manas

I, referring to the seventh consciousness (manas), is the manas that takes the form aggregate (rūpa-skandha) among the five aggregates as self, takes the feeling aggregate (vedanā-skandha) as self, takes the perception aggregate (saṃjñā-skandha) as self, takes the mental formations aggregate (saṃskāra-skandha) as self, takes the consciousness aggregate (vijñāna-skandha) of the six consciousnesses as self, and also takes itself as self; thus, the view of self arises. The six consciousnesses are of dependent origination, arising successively; they are tools utilized by the seventh consciousness, manas. Just as the five aggregates always regard each part of the physical body—such as the head and limbs—as self, similarly, since beginningless time, manas has always regarded every part of the five aggregates as self, and naturally also regards the functions of the eighth consciousness as self.

The self-nature of the mental consciousness (mano-vijñāna) is weak, far less powerful than that of manas, and is relatively easy to sever. Generally speaking, the mental consciousness, through studying the principle of the non-self of the five aggregates and contemplating it slightly, can understand the principle. However, manas has weak contemplative and observational power; compounded by the deep ignorance accumulated since beginningless time, which severely obstructs its wisdom, it is not easy for manas to understand the principle. Thus, the view of self held by manas is extremely difficult to eradicate.

Throughout history, those who have genuinely severed the view of self have been exceedingly rare, as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. Even during the Buddha's time, the proportion of those who attained the fruits of enlightenment was not very large. Therefore, it is said that the view of self primarily refers to the view of self held by manas. To sever the view of self, manas must personally, together with the mental consciousness, investigate the principle of non-self, and be able to directly observe that the five aggregates are indeed without self. Only then is the view of self truly severed.

If one merely relies on the mental consciousness, like a repeater, reciting texts in the form of chanting and memorizing articles, without deeply contemplating and observing within concentration, manas will never be influenced or come to understand the principle. This is merely a superficial action of the mental consciousness on the surface level of words. At best, it can lead to an intellectual understanding that the five aggregates are without self, but it cannot lead to the actual realization that the five aggregates are without self. Consequently, it cannot sever the view of self.

Since severing the view of self is a personal realization attained by manas, is the realization of the mind (明心), the realization of the true mind—the eighth consciousness—also personally attained by manas? The answer is likewise yes. Because since beginningless time, manas has always regarded the functions of the five aggregates and the six consciousnesses as self, and has also regarded the functions of the eighth consciousness as self. It does not know that it itself is nothing; on one end, it depends on the eighth consciousness, and on the other end, it depends on the five aggregates and six consciousnesses. Only in this way can it have its so-called self-functioning, enabling it to exist within the three realms and accomplish its illusory self-functioning.

Therefore, to enable manas to eradicate ignorance and accomplish the Buddha Way, on the one hand, the great tree of the five aggregates must be felled, so that it has nothing to depend on; on the other hand, it must realize the true eighth consciousness, knowing that all dharmas are the doing of the eighth consciousness, not its own functioning. In this way, manas clearly perceives the true reality of the Dharma realm. Ignorance is gradually eliminated bit by bit; self-attachment (ātma-grāha) and dharma-attachment (dharma-grāha) are gradually severed completely, leading to utter selflessness. Ultimately, it becomes a Buddha, a World-Honored One.