➥ māna:

• for māna:
  • self-centredness (abandoned at arahantship)
  • conceit (abandoned at non-returnership)
• for atimāna:
  • arrogance
  • self-conceit
• for asmimāna:
  • self-equation
  • self-centredness
• for omāno:
  • self-contempt
• for adhimāna:
  • over-estimation

Conceit: abandoned at non-returnership

Non-returners have abandoned conceit (māna):

• Abandon one thing, bhikkhus, conceit, and I guarantee you non-returnership.

Mānaṁ bhikkhave ekadhammaṁ pajahatha ahaṁ vo pāṭibhogo anāgāmitāyā ti. (Iti 3)

Non-returners have not abandoned self-centredness (māna or asmimāna):

Mblockquote> • Friends, even though a noble disciple has abandoned the five ties to individual existence in the low plane of existence (pañcorambhāgiyāni saṁyojanāni), still, in regard to the five grasped aggregates, there remains within him (hotiyeva) a residual self-centredness (anusahagato asmī ti māno). (SN iii 130) </blockquote>

Self-centredness is sometimes discriminated from conceit by being called asmimāna or asmī ti māno.

Self-centredness: abandoned by the arahant

The destruction of self-centredness is associated with arahantship:

• The elimination of self-centredness is happiness supreme

Asmimānassa vinayo etaṁ ve paramaṁ sukhan ti. (Uda 10)

• In one who perceives the voidness of personal qualities [in all things], self-centredness is uprooted. He realises the Untroubled in this very lifetime.

anattasaññi asmimānasamugghātaṁ pāpuṇāti diṭṭheva dhamme nibbānaṁ ti. (Uda 37)

Conceit: extolling oneself and despising others

Conceit is associated with extolling oneself and despising others:

• Whoever extols himself and despises others, considering them inferior due to his own conceit, one should know him as a wretch.

Yo cattānaṁ samukkaṁse pare ca mavajānāti
Nihīno sena mānena taṁ jaññā vasalo iti. (Snp 132)

Conceit and arrogance

Conceit is sometimes paired with arrogance:

• being conceited and arrogant

mānātimānajātikānaṁ. (DN iii 87)

• He speaks with conceit and arrogance

mānātimānaṁ vadate. (Snp 829)

Self-centredness

Self-centredness implies the notion “I am”:

• The notion “I am” is… an acquiescence in self-centredness.

Asmī ti… mānagatametaṁ. (SN iv 202-3)

Here asmī ti is equated with mānagatametaṁ. This shows that asmimāno is a compound of two equivalent terms, and that asmimāno means simply māno.

Vidhā means mānavidhā

Self-centredness (māna) has three modes (tisso vidhā). This is proven by comparing the Vidhā Sutta (SN v 56) and Theragāthā verse 428. What the former calls vidhā, the latter calls mānavidhā.

The Vidhā Sutta says there are three modes [of self-centredness] (tisso vidhā), namely:

• ‘I am better’ mode [of self-centredness]

seyyo’hamasmī ti vidhā

• ‘I am equal’ mode [of self-centredness]

sadiso’hamasmī ti vidhā

• ‘I am worse’ mode [of self-centredness]

hīno’hamasmī ti vidhā. (SN v 56)

Theragāthā verse 428 says:

• Self-conceit and self-contempt have been abandoned and completely abolished [by me].

Atimāno ca omāno pahīnā susamūhatā

• Self-equation has been eradicated. All modes of self-centredness have been struck down.

Asmimāno samucchinno sabbe mānavidhā hatā ti. (Tha 428)

In comparing the two quotes, we can say:

In Theragāthā verse 428, mānavidhā consists of

1) atimāno

2) omāno

3) asmimāno

In the Vidhā Sutta, tisso vidhā consists of three corresponding elements:

1) seyyo’hamasmī

2) hīno’hamasmī

3) sadiso’hamasmī

This shows that:

1) Vidhā is an abbreviation for mānavidhā. Therefore vidhā means ‘modes [of self-centredness]’ not just ‘modes’ (as PED).

2) ‘I am better’ mode [of self-centredness] (seyyo’hamasmī ti) equals ‘self-conceit’ (atimāno)

3) ‘I am worse’ mode [of self-centredness] (hīno’hamasmī ti) equals ‘self-contempt’ (omāno)

4) ‘I am equal’ mode [of self-centredness] (sadiso’hamasmī ti) equals ‘self-equation’ (asmimāno).

Equation is ‘the act of regarding as equal’ (WordWeb).

➥ māno: (main article see: māna)

Illustration: māno, conceit

Let both householders and ascetics think this was done by me. Let them be under my will in whatever their duties. Such is the intent of the fool. His desire and conceit grow.

Mameva kataṁ maññantū gihī pabbajitā ubho
Mameva ativasā assu kiccākiccesu kismiñci
Iti bālassa saṅkappo icchā māno ca vaḍḍhati. (Dhp 74)

➥ mānaṁ: (main article see: māna)

Illustration: mānaṁ, conceit

Having struck down conceit, humble-minded, one should venerate the arahants, those freed from inward distress, who have done what needed to be done, free of perceptually obscuring states, unsurpassed.

Arahante sītibhūte katakicce anāsave
Nihacca mānaṁ atthaddho te namassa anuttare. (SN i 178)

➥ maññanā: (main article see: māna)

Illustration: maññanā, conceit

• Because of diversity in quests there is diversity in gains.

pariyesanānānattaṁ paṭicca uppajjati lābhanānattaṁ

• Because of diversity in gains there is diversity in conceit.

lābhanānattaṁ paṭicca uppajjati maññanānānattaṁ. (DN iii 289)

Illustration: māno, conceit

Conceit, O brahman, is your shoulder-load.

Māno hi te brāhmaṇa khāribhāro. (SN i 169)

➥ ātimāna: (main article see: māna)

Illustration: ātimāna, arrogance; mānātimāna, conceit and arrogance

And those that were beautiful despised those that were ugly, thinking: We are more beautiful than them; they are more ugly than us.

Tattha ye te sattā vaṇṇavanto te dubbaṇṇe satte atimaññanti mayametehi vaṇṇavantatarā amhehete dubbaṇṇatarā ti

And because of their arrogance due to beauty, being conceited and arrogant, the savoury earth disappeared.

tesaṁ vaṇṇātimānappaccayā mānātimānajātikānaṁ bhūmipappaṭako antaradhāyi. (DN iii 87)

Illustration: māna, self-centredness (i.e. arahant); maññanaṁ, self-centredness

There are no spiritual shackles for one who has abandoned self-centredness.

Pahīṇamānassa na santi ganthā

His spiritual shackles and self-centredness are all destroyed.

Vidhūpitā mānaganthassa sabbe

Though the one of great wisdom has transcended self-centredness he might still say ‘I speak,’

So vītivatto maññanaṁ sumedho ahaṁ vadāmī ti pi so vadeyya

and he might say ‘They speak to me.’

Mamaṁ vadantī ti pi so vadeyya

Proficient, understanding conventional terminology, he makes use of such terms merely for the purposes of communication.

Loke samaññaṁ kusalo viditvā vohāramattena so vohareyyā ti. (SN i 14-15)

Illustration: māna, self-centredness (i.e. arahant)

He has destroyed craving, obliterated the tie to individual existence, and through rightly penetrating self-centredness, has put an end to suffering.

acchecchi taṇhaṁ vāvattayi saṁyojanaṁ sammā mānābhisamayā antamakāsi dukkhassa. (AN iii 247)

➥ asmimānaṁ: (main article see: māna)

Illustration: asmimānaṁ, self-centredness

Bhikkhus, when the perception of the unlastingness [of the five aggregates] is developed and cultivated… it completely uproots self-centredness

aniccasaññā bhikkhave bhāvitā bahulīkatā… sabbaṁ asmimānaṁ samūhanati. (SN iii 155)

➥ asmimāno: (main article see: māna)

Illustration: asmimāno, self-centredness

And how is the bhikkhu a Noble One whose banner is lowered, whose burden [of the five grasped aggregates] is laid down, who is emancipated [from individual existence]?

Kathañca bhikkhave bhikkhu ariyo pannaddhajo pannabhāro visaṁyutto hoti?

In this regard a bhikkhu has abandoned self-centredness.

Idha bhikkhave bhikkhuno asmimāno pahīno hoti. (MN i 139)

Illustration: māna, self-centredness

The notion “I am” is

Asmī ti bhikkhave

• a matter of spiritual instability

iñjitametaṁ

• a matter of mental turmoil

phanditametaṁ

• a matter of entrenched perception

papañcitametaṁ

• an acquiescence in self-centredness

mānagatametaṁ. (SN iv 202-3)

➥ adhimāna: (main article see: māna)

Illustration: adhimāna, over-estimation

He declares his [attainment of] arahantship from over-estimation

adhimānena aññaṁ vyākaroti. (AN v 162)