That the Buddha taught his followers to uproot (ûhucca) a wrong view of self or in Pali, attânuditthi, should not be construed to mean a denial of the self (nattha attâ) which is outright nihilism. A view of self only pertains to the view that one’s own body (sakkaya-ditthi) is the self, i.e., the corporeal man. This view must be uprooted. The Sutta-Nipata Atthakatha (1126) says: “Uprooting (uhaccati) the view of self (attanuditthi) means removing the view that one’s being is the body (sakkayaditthi),” which is connected with this passage from the Sutta-Nipata:
“Regard the world as void (suññato lokam), Mogharaja, ever mindful, uproot the wrong view of self (atttânudditthim), thus you will be one who has crossed over death, the Lord of Death does not see one who thus regards the world” (1119).
Obviously, there is one who crosses over death reaching the undying land—but it isn’t the Five Aggregates which are fungible with sakkaya which is glommed onto and mis-taken for the true self. If the adept even unconsciously covets any trace of the aggregate or khandha/skandha body, the crossing over will prove unsuccessful. He will have to undergo another birth and death.
Reaching nirvana, that is, the accomplished crossing over is, in fact, our realization of the unviewable (aditthi) self in contrast with the viewable self of the Five Aggregates making up the sakkaya. Later on, in Mahayana Buddhism this unviewable self will become nirvana, the Tathagatagarbha, and Buddha-nature in the Mahayana-mahaparinirvana Sutra.
The Void refers to all births and deaths. The Non-Void refers to Great Nirvana. And the non-Self is nothing but birth and death. The Self refers to Great Nirvana.
And
The atman is the Tathagatagarbha. All beings possess a Buddha Nature: this is what the atman is. This atman, from the start, is always covered by innumerable passions (klesha): this is why beings are unable to see it.
For those who find it difficult to comprehend or accept at face value the truth that the Buddha’s view of self only pertains to the human problem of mistaking the Five Aggregates with the intrinsic, higher self, Buddhism will forever remain a mystery for them.
Those who assert the fleshy eyes of the Buddha are incapable of seeing are themselves blind.
Posted by: Mark Rogow | March 10, 2011 at 09:35 AM