The Self-View (ātma-dṛṣṭi) as Taught in the Āgama Sūtras

Taking the functions and operations of the six consciousnesses as my own functions and operations is the self-view (ātma-dṛṣṭi). Grasping the perceiving-aspect of the six consciousnesses as my own perceiving is the self-view. Taking the information the six consciousnesses obtain through the six windows as what I myself discerned is the self-view. Taking the feelings of the six consciousnesses at the six sense bases as my own feelings is the self-view. Taking the six consciousnesses' thoughts and views regarding the six sense objects as my own is the self-view. Taking the bodily, verbal, and mental actions of the six consciousnesses as what I myself have done is the self-view. Who is this "I"? Only the manas.

The self-view that the Buddha taught in the Āgama sūtras is precisely the view of the manas; eliminating self-view means making the manas eliminate its self-view. So did the Buddha speak of the manas in the Āgama sūtras? Of course—everywhere he pointed to the manas.

The self-view of the manas is in essence the view of a self of dharmas (dharma-ātma-dṛṣṭi), taking all dharmas as self and what belongs to self, not knowing that they all belong to the eighth consciousness. Within this there is the manas' self-view of the five aggregates, that is, taking the five aggregates as self and what belongs to self.

The manas has self-grasping (ātma-grāha) and grasping at a self of dharmas, and correspondingly there are the self-view and the view of a self of dharmas. In fact, the view of a self of dharmas includes the self-view of the five aggregates; the manas only has the view of a self of dharmas, taking all dharmas as self and what belongs to self. Thus the manas' grasping at a self of dharmas includes self-grasping; the manas only has grasping at a self of dharmas, clinging to all dharmas as self and what belongs to self. When the view of a self of dharmas and the grasping at a self of dharmas are completely eliminated, ignorance is completely eliminated, and one becomes a Buddha. Practice is nothing more than this matter, yet it takes three great asaṃkhyeya kalpas of struggle. If one can harden one's resolve—leaving not a single thing that should be eliminated, cutting off not a single thing that should be severed—then the three great asaṃkhyeya kalpas would not be needed, and the suffering felt would be greatly, greatly reduced.

The manas has self-view because of the ignorance within its own mind. Studying Buddhism and cultivating practice is precisely to break through these ignorances of the manas, to let Him know that all dharmas are not those of my manas but all belong to the eighth consciousness, including the five aggregates and the eighteen realms. In this way the manas will gradually eliminate self-grasping and grasping at a self of dharmas; when ignorance is completely eliminated, the Buddha path is accomplished.

The ignorance of sentient beings is entirely the ignorance of the manas. The ignorance of the six consciousnesses arises from the ignorance of the manas, having been infused and stained by the manas' ignorance. When the manas has no more ignorance, there is no self-view or self-grasping, nor any view of a self of dharmas or grasping at a self of dharmas. This entire small self, false self, is the manas, corresponding to a great self, true self—the eighth consciousness. The two together manifest all worldly dharmas: one is willful and possessed of self-nature, the other accords with the nature of no-self. Practice means cultivating the manas; there is nothing else to cultivate. All dharmas exist to serve Him.

Understanding this principle, one will understand the origins and workings of all worldly dharmas, and understand why the Buddha path is cultivated and how to cultivate it. The mind will then be bright and clear, without obstruction.

If anyone has a courageous mind, they can form a "death-defying squad," mutually supervising and cooperating, to let all selves die. What use am I? The root of birth and death: with a self, one cannot attain great ease and freedom, cannot attain great liberation. The entire process of Buddhist cultivation and realization is precisely the process of seeing through and letting go. Seeing through is already extremely difficult; letting go is even harder, much harder. Letting go of everything, one becomes a Buddha.