The Word of the Buddha The Six Views about the Self

¶ 12For one who attends superficially in this way, one of six views arises: 1.) The view ‘I have a self’ arises in them as true and established; 2.) Or the view ‘I do not have a self’ arises in them as true and established; 3.) Or the view ‘I perceive the self in itself’ arises in them as true and established; 4.) Or the view ‘I perceive the self in what is not-self’ arises in them as true and established; 5.) Or the view ‘I perceive what is not-self as the self’ arises in them as true and established; 6.) Or else, this view arises: ‘This self of mine that speaks and feels, that experiences here and there the results of good and bad actions, is permanent, everlasting, eternal, not subject to change, and it will endure as long as eternity.’ This is called adherence to views, entanglement in views, the wilderness of views, the distortion of views, the quivering of views, the fetter of views. Fettered by the fetter of views, the uninstructed ordinary person is not freed from birth, aging, and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair; they are not freed from suffering, I say.