In this blog post I would like to share a Q&A exchange I had with Mae Neecha the topic of Sakkaya-Ditthi, the first fetter, ego or self view. I offer it here because it provides an important clarification on the path to enlightenment and  has since colored my own thinking and process.

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Original Question: 

I was re-watching some of Mae Yo Q and As yesterday (way more interesting thank Lakorns to practice my Thai). In the one about “Important Qualities”, Mae Yo briefly talks about the first 3 fetters, ending by saying since the 2nd 2 will go when the first goes basically we need to find a way to eliminate sakkāya-diṭṭhi. That all makes sense only…

My question then, what exactly is sakkāya-diṭṭhi? I know it generally gets translated as ego or self view. But it seems to me that thats not a great definition; after all, this elimination comes for sotapanas who still deal with the 8 worldly conditions, vengeance, lust, all emotions that must require some remaining sense of self in order to arise.

My best guess is that this is an elimination of misunderstanding Rupa (form) as something permanent, as something that can be us, or make us or be controlled by us. As something with real meaning, not just the meaning our 3s and 4s pour into it and which we are deluded into believing is real? Or perhaps, more refined, an understanding of impermanence that we can arrive at through an understanding of Rupa which helps us see our impermanence (and therefore non abiding selfyness)?

Either way, I just feel like Rupa has to be the key bc all my contemplations keep pointing back to how it totally powns us…

Neecha’s Reply:

I would define Sakkyaditthi as the view that you are at the center of the universe and understanding/conquering sakkyaditthi is understanding that you alone are the cause of your suffering and wrong perceptions. Eliminating the sakkyaditthi fetter is seeing that theres a huge difference between your perception of the truth and the actual truth.

Alana Again:

That makes lots more sense…and our misunderstanding of Rupa is such a pervasive cause of our problems that this is one of the first things we get clarity around our mistaken perception of versus reality? Put another way..the way we see rupa sells the lie of our self as center of the universe so we need to re-understand it before we can see the truth?

 Neecha’s Reply:

Yes. We understand rupa in terms of ourselves because the world revolves around us. Seeing the reality that we are not invincible, but rather, subject to the 3 common characteristics like all other tangible things is a big first step. It’s the foundation for eliminating the other fetters.