Learning and Practicing Buddhism Is to Make the Manas Confirm That All Dharmas Are Not Self

Studying Buddhism and cultivating practice means making the manas confirm that all dharmas are not the self. Once everything has been fully confirmed, one has arrived home and need not cultivate any further. When He confirms a portion, one attains that portion of liberation; when He confirms everything, one attains ultimate and complete liberation. Having a self is karmic obstruction, it is ignorance (avidyā), for it is only because of the self that various obstructions can arise. Without self, there will no longer be any obscuration.

Therefore, we should not constantly put our "self" on display, letting everyone see how lofty I am, how clever I am, how wise I am, that I surpass all of you, that I... Such conceit (māna) is very serious and can completely obscure one's progress on the Path, so that one no longer advances and may even regress. I have met quite a few people who regressed on the Path because of conceit, losing the benefit of wholesome dharmas—this is truly an unwise course of action.