Saṃyuktāgama, Volume 5 — Discourse 109

Original text:诸比丘！何等为见谛圣弟子断上众邪，于未来世永不复起？愚痴无闻凡夫见色是我、异我、我在色、色在我；见受、想、行、识，是我、异我、我在识、识在我。

「云何见色是我？得地一切入处正受，观已，作是念：『地即是我，我即是地，我及地唯一无二，不异不别。』如是水、火、风、青、黄、赤、白一切入处正受，观已，作是念：『行即是我，我即是行，唯一无二，不异不别。』如是于一切入处，一一计我，是名色即是我。云何见色异我？若彼见受是我，见受是我已，见色是我所，或见想、行、识即是我，见色是我所。

「云何见我中色？谓见受是我，色在我中；又见想、行、识即是我，色在我中。云何见色中我？谓见受即是我，于色中住，入于色，周遍其四体；见想，行，识是我，于色中住，周遍其四体，是名色中我。

「云何见受即是我？谓六受身——眼触生受，耳、鼻、舌、身、意触生受。此六受身一一见是我，我是受，是名受即是我。云何见受异我？谓见色是我，受是我所；谓想、行、识是我，受是我所，是名受异我。

Explanation: The Buddha said: Bhikṣus, what is the view after the view of self has been eradicated? The noble disciples have eradicated the supreme and most fundamental wrong views of ordinary beings, which will never arise again in future lives?

Ignorant ordinary beings who have not heard the Dharma regard the aggregate of form as the self (the manas), or as belonging to the self (the manas); the self (the manas) is within the aggregate of form, and the aggregate of form is within the self (the manas). Ignorant ordinary beings who have not heard the Dharma regard the aggregates of feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness as the self (the manas), or as related to the self, as belonging to the self (the manas); the self (the manas) is within the aggregates of feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness, and the aggregates of feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness are within the self.

How is it that one sees the aggregate of form as the self (the manas)? Having attained right acceptance of the totality of the earth element as an all-inclusive basis, after contemplating it, one has this thought: 'The earth element is the self (the manas), the self is the earth element; the self and the earth element are one and not two, without difference or distinction.' The earth element is what I possess.

Likewise, contemplating water, fire, and wind, and the blue, yellow, red, and white all-inclusive bases with right acceptance, after contemplation one has this thought: 'The operation of the material body is the self (the manas), the self is the operation of the material body; the self and the operation of the material body are one and not two, without difference or distinction.' The operation of the material body is what I possess.

Thus, regarding each of the all-inclusive bases of form, one clings to each one as the self (the manas), thinking 'I am each of these bases' — this is what ordinary beings call the view of self that takes nāma-rūpa as the self (the manas).

Why does the manas-self take the operation of the material body as itself and as what it possesses? Because it is the manas that wants the material body to operate, and it is also the manas that acts as the master to make the material body operate. Once the material body operates, it is then regarded as 'I have operated,' and the functional capacity to operate is regarded as what I possess.

For example, after one has slept well, the manas wants to wake up, wants the material body to become active, wants the material body to get out of bed; thereupon the eighth consciousness complies with the manas and gives rise to the six consciousnesses, and the material body gets out of bed. Then the manas thinks 'I have gotten up,' and the activity of getting up is regarded as what I, the manas, possess. Here the mind consciousness has no role, because before waking up there is no mind consciousness at all; so it is not the mind consciousness that wants to get up, nor is it the mind consciousness acting as the master to get up.

Another example: after one falls unconscious, the six consciousnesses all cease. During the unconscious state, the manas, following the eighth consciousness, can discern the condition of the material body and the realms of the six sense objects. Once the manas judges that the material body is capable of activity and operation, the manas will strive to make the material body become active and wake up. At this time there is no mind consciousness; it is not the mind consciousness that wants to wake up — it is entirely the manas acting as the master, wanting the material body to become active. When the material body can become active, the manas then thinks 'I can be active, I have awakened.' At the same time, the manas takes the functional capacity of activity as what it possesses, and takes the material body as the self.

How is it that one sees the aggregate of form as not the self but as belonging to the self? If a person sees the aggregate of feeling as the self (the manas), then after taking the aggregate of feeling as the self, he regards the aggregate of form as belonging to the self. Or if a person sees the aggregates of perception, volitional formations, and consciousness as the self (the manas), then after taking the aggregates of feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness as the self, he regards the aggregate of form as belonging to the self.

How is it that one sees the aggregate of form as within the self (the manas)? It means this person regards the aggregate of feeling as the self (the manas), and thus the aggregate of form is within the self (the manas); or he regards the aggregates of perception, volitional formations, and consciousness as the self (the manas), and thus the aggregate of form is within the self (the manas).

How is it that one sees the self (the manas) as within the aggregate of form? It means this person regards the aggregate of feeling as the self (the manas), dwelling within the material body; the aggregate of feeling can enter into the material body and pervade the four limbs, head, feet, and the whole body — this is called what ordinary beings regard as the self (the manas) within nāma-rūpa.