The Process from the Srotāpanna's Eradication of the View of Self to the Arhat's Eradication of Attachment to Self

After the manas eradicates the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi) and becomes a srotāpanna, why is self-grasping (ātma-grāha) only eliminated at the fourth fruit?

The depth and degree of the manas's wisdom in eradicating the view of self varies, and is divided into different levels. It is like learning to cook and becoming a chef—one still needs continuous hands-on practice to master the cooking techniques, and then one becomes a first-grade chef, a second-grade chef, and eventually a special-grade chef. The manas's eradication of the view of self is like a student who has just entered the school gate; only after several years of study can one graduate. Of course, this does not rule out that outstanding ones may skip grades—that is, among Buddhist practitioners, those with exceptional good roots may attain the second, third, or even fourth fruit when they realize the fruits.

The degree to which the mind consciousness and the manas understand the principle of the non-self of the five aggregates (pañca-skandha) differs, their insight differs, and thus the fruits they attain differ. After attaining the srotāpanna fruit, one needs to continue engaging in deep contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) on the suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and non-self nature of the five aggregates and the eighteen realms (aṣṭādaśa-dhātu). As one's understanding deepens continuously, one's views are overturned ever more thoroughly, the wisdom of non-self grows ever deeper, and self-grasping becomes ever lighter. Finally, when one reaches the utmost of the principle of non-self of the Small Vehicle, self-grasping is completely eliminated, various wisdoms arise, and one gains the ability to transcend the three realms, attain liberation from birth and death, and enter nirvāṇa without remainder (Anupadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa). Whatever degree of wisdom one realizes, that degree of afflictions is eliminated; self-grasping is reduced to that degree, and one attains the corresponding fruit.

For example, when the World-Honored One beheld the morning star in the middle of the night and suddenly awakened, He eliminated the final portion of ignorance and attained the greatest and most ultimate wisdom, and thus instantly became a Buddha, needing to wait for nothing and cultivate nothing more, because ignorance had already been completely eliminated and there was no dharma left to cultivate.

As for a person of the first fruit, the manas's wisdom of non-self is still shallow, and the one-thought ignorance is still heavy, so the view of self has not been eradicated thoroughly. As one continues to observe and cultivate, one's understanding of the non-self of the five aggregates becomes ever more profound, one's wisdom becomes ever deeper and more penetrating, and ignorance becomes ever lighter. All this is the result of step-by-step cultivation. When wisdom reaches its ultimate, there is no need to cultivate any further; ignorance and afflictions are simultaneously eradicated completely, and the fruit of the fourth stage—beyond training (aśaikṣa)—is attained at the same time.