Commentary on the Mahāyāna Extensive Hundred Treatise, Volume Two

Original text: 又诸我见略有二种。一者俱生。二者分别。俱生我见。由无始来。内因力故恒与身俱。不待邪教及邪分别。任运而起。故名俱生。此复二种。一常相续。在第七识缘第八识。起自心相。即执为我。名为我见。

Explanation: The view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi) is of roughly two kinds: one is the innate view of self, and the other is the view of self through discrimination. The innate view of self arises because, since beginningless kalpas, due to the power of internal causes, it has constantly accompanied the body. It does not depend on wrong teachings or wrong discriminations, but arises spontaneously; hence it is called innate. This again is of two kinds. The first is continuously present without interruption: it resides in the seventh consciousness (manas), which takes as its object the eighth consciousness (Ālayavijñāna) and gives rise to an image of its own mind, grasping it as self; this is called the view of self.

The innate view of self can further be divided into two kinds. One kind continues from life to life without interruption, has never been severed, and will not be severed in the future, unless the view of self is truly eradicated and the innate view of self no longer arises. On what is this view of self based? Because of the manas's ignorance since beginningless kalpas, it takes all the dharmas born of and grasped by the eighth consciousness as self and what belongs to self, thereby giving rise to grasping at all dharmas; this is called the consciousness of imputed nature (parikalpita-svabhāva). It has never known the true reality of the dharma-realm, never known that all dharmas come from the eighth consciousness and belong to the eighth consciousness; therefore this is called an inverted view, a mistaken grasping.

The manas's view of self is, in general, all called the view of self regarding dharmas (dharma-ātma-dṛṣṭi), taking all dharmas as its own possession. Among these, when the manas takes the five aggregates (pañca-skandha), which are born of and grasped by the eighth consciousness, as self and what belongs to self, this is the inverted wrong view and mistaken grasping, called the view of self regarding the five aggregates. Because there is the view of self, there is self-grasping (ātma-grāha). This view of self can only be eradicated through studying and cultivating the Four Noble Truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path. After it is eradicated, the manas's grasping at the body of the five aggregates can gradually lessen and be eliminated. When self-grasping is completely severed, one will transcend the three realms and attain liberation.

Original text: 二有间断。在第六识缘五取蕴。或总或别起自心相。即执为我。名为我见。如是二种俱生我见。微细难断。数数修习胜无我观。方能除灭。

Explanation: The second kind of innate view of self refers to the intermittent view of self of the mind consciousness (manovijñāna). When the mind consciousness takes as its object the five aggregates subject to grasping (pañca-upādāna-skandha), it either takes the totality of the five aggregates subject to grasping as self and what belongs to self, or takes individual aspects of the five aggregates subject to grasping as self and what belongs to self, thus grasping the five aggregates subject to grasping as self and what belongs to self; this is the mind consciousness's view of self. For the mind consciousness's view of self to arise, there must be a prerequisite: the mind consciousness must understand the features of the five aggregates, be able to recognize the features of the five aggregates, and comprehend the functions and contents of the five aggregates, before the view of self can arise; otherwise there is no view of self.

For example, when the mind consciousness takes the eye consciousness's function of seeing forms as self and what belongs to self, first the mind consciousness must know that at this moment there is seeing of form, that at this moment it is "I" who sees form; there must be the concept of "I" in the mind. If the concept of "I" has not yet been cultivated through habituation, there is no view of self. For instance, when a baby is just born, it has no discriminative ability regarding its parents and does not recognize them, so anyone may hold it. When it grows a little older and recognizes its parents, it knows "these are my parents," and then it will cling to its parents and dislike being held or cared for by others.

When a baby is just born, it has no discriminative ability regarding food, and its recognition of self is also unclear, so it will not take food as "mine" and cling to it refusing to let go. It is fine with the parents giving the food to other children; the baby has no objection and will not cry, fuss, or get angry. When it grows a little older, it gains recognition of self and others, and recognition of food, clothing, toys, and so on; then there arises the view of self and the view of what belongs to self, and it will cling to its own possessions and not allow others, for example, to touch them. Therefore, the mind consciousness's view of self is not innate; it arises only through postnatal learning and cognition, and it also relies on the habituation by the manas before the view of self and the view of what belongs to self come into being.

These two kinds of innate view of self, of the manas and the mind consciousness, have very subtle modes of activity and are therefore difficult to sever. Only by repeatedly and continuously cultivating the excellent contemplation of no-self, through long-term habituation, can they be eliminated. Therefore, severing the manas's innate view of self is not easy. If the innate view of self is not severed, the manas's innate self-grasping cannot be eradicated, because self-grasping depends on the view of self to exist; where there is the view of self, there is self-grasping.

Original text: 分别我见。由现在世外缘力故。非与身俱。要待邪教及邪分别。然后方起。故名分别。此亦二种。一缘邪教所说蕴相。起自心相。分别为我。名为我见。二缘邪教所说我相。起自心相。分别为我。名为我见。如是二种分别我见。

Explanation: The second kind of view of self is the view of self through discrimination, which is also the view of self of the mind consciousness. This view of self arises due to the habituation of the postnatal living environment; it is not born together with the body of the five aggregates, does not accompany the existence of the five aggregates, and requires following others' wrong teachings, together with the arising of wrong discriminations, before the mind consciousness's view of self can exist. Then the mind consciousness's view of self goes on to habituate the manas, thereby increasing the manas's view of self and self-grasping.

The view of self through discrimination is also divided into two kinds. One kind takes as its object others' incorrect teachings about the five aggregates, saying: this is the aggregate of form; these are the aggregates of feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness; this is the appearance of my physical body; this is the appearance of my feelings; this is the appearance of my cognition; these are my thoughts and views; this is my decision; this is what I did—and thus one considers all these functions and activities to be one's own aggregates of form, feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness; this is called the view of self through discrimination.

The second kind of view of self through discrimination takes as its object others' wrong teachings about the mark of self, saying: this is me; this is what I am—and thus one takes all these marks as self, the mark of self arises in the mind, and there is the view of self. This is the meaning of the two kinds of view of self through discrimination as described.