How to Diligently Abandon Self-View

To eradicate the view of self, one should regularly contemplate the activities of the five aggregates. When the six sense faculties contact any of the six sense objects, clearly distinguish the five aggregates, observe their functions meticulously, contemplate their nature of suffering, emptiness, and impermanence, and diligently confirm their selfless nature. Engage in this contemplation with concentration—slowly, gently, deeply, carefully, bit by bit, without haste or agitation. Persisting diligently in this practice, there will inevitably be moments when one breaks through the obstacles of the mind, moments when ignorance is shattered, moments when the stubborn views of the manas are transformed. At that point, the practice will have achieved preliminary success. When time permits and environmental conditions allow, the activities of the body faculty should be slowed down as much as possible—the slower, the better; becoming like a robot is ideal. Within this state, the mind can become very tranquil and subtle. Observing the activities of the body faculty and the activities of the mind, one may feel mechanized, as if not performed by oneself, experiencing a sense of unreality. The notion of self will thus fade, making it easier to eradicate the view of the body and the view of self. Then observe the mind within the body faculty’s activities: what the body-consciousness is doing, what the mental consciousness is doing, what the manas is doing. Observe the auxiliary functions: what the eye-consciousness is doing, what the ear-consciousness is doing, what the nose-consciousness is doing; how each arises, how they function, how they closely cooperate, and finally how they shift and vanish. Observe and seek the origin and destination of the mind, then observe the arising and subsiding points of various mental thoughts, tracing them persistently until one sees through to the truth. The result is twofold: one can eradicate the view of self, and one can discover the source, realizing the enlightened mind.