Who Should Eradicate the View of Self?

All sentient beings take the five aggregates as the self — then who is it that takes the five aggregates as the self? Who do "sentient beings" refer to? Sentient beings mainly refer to the manas. The Vimalakīrti Sūtra says: "knowing the mental activities of sentient beings." Who is it that knows the mental activities of sentient beings? It is the tathāgatagarbha that knows the mental activities of sentient beings — then who does this "sentient being" refer to? It refers to the manas. Because the tathāgatagarbha mainly knows the mental activities of the manas, this manas represents the sentient being. The manas takes the five aggregates as the self, takes the aggregate of feeling as the self, takes the aggregate of form as the self, then takes the aggregate of perception as the self, takes the aggregate of volitional formations as the self, and then takes the six consciousnesses of the aggregate of consciousness as the self; it also takes the various functional natures of the tathāgatagarbha as belonging to itself (the manas) — all these dharmas were produced by "me" and all belong to "me" — so this "self" mainly refers to the manas.

Then whose view of self is eradicated in the eradication of the view of self? Now it becomes very clear: the eradication of the view of self is mainly the eradication of the manas's view of self. The manas takes all these dharmas as the self; the eradication of the view of self means making the manas no longer regard the five aggregates as itself (the manas). Eliminating this view of the manas is the eradication of the view of self.

Therefore, the eradication of the view of self must reach the manas; only when the manas acknowledges that the five aggregates are not the self can it be called the eradication of the view of self. Because this "self" refers to the manas, not to the six consciousnesses or the mind consciousness — it mainly refers to the manas. The manas takes the aggregate of consciousness, that is, the six consciousnesses, as well as the aggregate of feeling, the aggregate of perception, the aggregate of volitional formations, and the aggregate of form, all as the self. So the eradication of the view of self means making the manas no longer regard these dharmas as the self. If the manas does not eradicate the view of self, and only the mind consciousness eradicates the view of self — the mind consciousness believes the five aggregates are not the self — does this count as the eradication of the view of self? Now it appears that the mind consciousness believing it is not the self is useless; this is not the eradication of the view of self! Only when the manas acknowledges that the five aggregates are not the self is it the eradication of the view of self.

We have studied so many teachings on non-self, and we all feel that the five aggregates are not the self, that they are all empty, that all dharmas are illusory and transformed. But feeling is just feeling; after all, it is not yet realization, so deep inside there is not the slightest emptiness. This shows that the feeling is felt by the mind consciousness, and what the mind consciousness feels is not practical or effective; the mind consciousness does not make the decisions. The manas, which makes the decisions, does not feel it and has no personal realization, so the "self" in the mind remains the self as before; whatever should be grasped is still grasped as before, and not a single one of the bonds of birth and death can be severed. Because these dharmas learned by the mind consciousness have not yet permeated and influenced the manas, the manas does not yet understand these dharmas, does not yet acknowledge these dharmas, and does not know that these dharmas are all illusory; thus the three fetters are not severed.

Therefore, feeling that the five aggregates and the six sense objects are illusory, feeling that all dharmas are illusory and transformed — these are all views acquired by the mind consciousness through study. Having only views without personal realization is like armchair strategizing; it cannot sever the bonds. Deep in the mind, everything one contacts is still felt to be real, and for the sake of these things one still grasps and clutches without cease. The manas has not realized that the five aggregates are without self, has not realized the illusory nature of all dharmas; the mind consciousness's mere theoretical understanding has no effect — this cannot be called personal realization. 

Whether it is the Mahāyāna dharma, the Hīnayāna dharma, or the various principles of the world, the realization of these dharmas must be acknowledged and realized by the manas, confirmed by the manas. If it is not confirmed by the manas, then what is learned is only what the mind consciousness has perceived, only the feelings of the mind consciousness, only knowledge acquired by the mind consciousness — then there is no genuine benefit, because the six consciousnesses do not make the decisions; it is the manas that makes the decisions. The manas is the "self," and the mind consciousness is the function of the "self" that the manas grasps. Therefore, the eradication of the view of self means eradicating the manas's view of self, and realizing enlightenment also means that the manas realizes the true self — the eighth consciousness, the tathāgatagarbha.