Why Can a Srotāpanna Not Have the Thought "I Have Attained the Srotāpanna Fruit"?

The Diamond Sutra Original Text: "Subhūti, what do you think? Can a Srotāpanna have the thought, 'I have attained the fruit of Srotāpanna'? Subhūti said, 'No, World-Honored One. Why? Srotāpanna means 'one who has entered the stream,' yet there is nothing entered. He does not enter form, sound, smell, taste, touch, or dharmas. That is why he is called a Srotāpanna.'"

The Buddha asked Subhūti: What do you think about this? Can a Srotāpanna (Stream-enterer), the first fruit, have the thought, "I have attained the Srotāpanna fruit"? Subhūti said: He cannot have such a thought, World-Honored One. Why? Srotāpanna means "one who has entered the stream of the holy path." One who has entered the stream of the holy path has nothing to enter within the mundane dharmas; he does not enter the form, sound, smell, taste, touch, or dharmas of the mundane realm. Only then is he truly worthy of the name Srotāpanna.

The Srotāpanna, having just severed the view of self (sakkāya-diṭṭhi), no longer regards the dharmas within the five aggregates and eighteen realms as being a real "self." Without the view of self or the notion of self, he does not conceive that there is a "self" that has severed the view of self and become a Srotāpanna. There is no person who severed the view of self, no Srotāpanna person, and no Srotāpanna fruit. The Srotāpanna fruit is a provisional designation, not a truly existent dharma, and cannot be grasped as real. If one grasps it as real, then the view of self and the view of dharmas (dharma-grāha) arise, and one is not a Srotāpanna. If a person has the thought, "I am a Srotāpanna," this person clearly displays the notion of self and thus is not a Srotāpanna.

Therefore, those who constantly proclaim "I have attained the fruit!" or "I have realized the mind!" and who boastfully publicize and show off, can be clearly seen to have heavy self-view, possess the notion of self, and are undoubtedly ordinary people. A person who frequently clings to thoughts like "I am a sage," "I am such-and-such a fruit attainee," "I am a Bodhisattva of the three virtuous stages," "I am such-and-such a ground Bodhisattva," "I have cultivated such-and-such," "How I was in my past lives," "What I have done for sentient beings," and who spreads such talk everywhere, fearing others won't know, hoping for others' reverence, wishing others would prostrate in admiration, desiring widespread fame – these behaviors clearly show that this person has heavy self-view, possesses the notion of self, displays the characteristics of an ordinary being, and is indeed a complete worldling.

Since one has already severed the view of self, there is no notion of self, no notion of "I" having severed the view of self. The mind is empty of "I" and also empty of the "fruit." In the actual state of truth, there is no such thing as "severing the view of self," no such person as a Srotāpanna. Only when the unconditioned mind (asaṃskṛta-citta) manifests is one a Srotāpanna who has realized the unconditioned dharma. If there is an "I" or a notion of self, then it is not unconditioned, nor is there an unconditioned fruit. Therefore, one can also judge whether a person has severed the view of self by observing their speech and conduct – whether their words, actions, and deeds reflect an empty mind, whether they are humble and self-effacing, and whether they dislike publicity. If such a person likes to constantly mention "I" and show off everywhere, then they possess the notion of self, have not severed the view of self, and are not a Srotāpanna.