[330] How does one regard the self as possessed of consciousness (viññāṇa)?
Here someone regards form (rūpa), feeling (vedanā), perception (saññā), or volitional formations (saṅkhārā) as self. It occurs to him thus: "This indeed is my self; but this self of mine is possessed of consciousness by means of this consciousness" — thus he regards the self as possessed of consciousness. Just as there might be a tree possessed of a shadow, and a man might speak of it thus: "This is the tree, this is the shadow; the tree is one thing, the shadow another; but this tree is possessed of a shadow by means of this shadow" — thus he would regard the tree as possessed of a shadow. Even so, here someone regards form, feeling, perception, or volitional formations as self. It occurs to him thus: "This indeed is my self; but this self of mine is possessed of consciousness by means of this consciousness" — thus he regards the self as possessed of consciousness.
The adherence and misapprehension is the view; the view is not the basis, and the basis is not the view; the view is one thing, the basis another. The view together with the basis — this is the second self-view (attānudiṭṭhi) with consciousness as its basis. Self-view is wrong view (micchādiṭṭhi) … These are fetters (saṃyojana), but not views. Thus one regards the self as possessed of consciousness.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.