Can you help me to undestand the idea of "no self" in Buddhism?
I'm new to the study of Buddhism and I love what I have learned so far...it's brought so much peace and joy to my life I can't even explain it. However, I'm having a hard time understanding the whole idea of "no self", like how there's no "I" that really exists, etc. Can you help me, by explaining in simple terms? I truly believe we're all connected, the whole universe is connected, that we're not independent, but when I try to explain this to others I just really can't seem to get the words right. The common reaction is "well if I don't really exist as "I", then what about my mind/body...doesn't that make me "me"?"
Sorry if this isn't worded so well...it's a hard concept...I'm just trying to get some insight from people who have studied the idea for a lot longer than I have.
We are all merely expressions of the Oneness that makes up the entire universe and all of existence. It is very difficult to explain and is nearly impossible for someone to understand who is incapable of abstract thinking. How can we all be the same yet different at the same time? This question has been meditated over for thousands of years and the answer can be found there, in meditation. Words are a poor medium for experiential concepts such as this.
Unlike other religions Buddhists don't believe in an eternal soul, so there is no such thing as your true self because everything is subject to change and decay.
Much of Buddhism sounds vague, for example; action through non-action,- this does not mean 'do nothing,' but rather following the currents, going with the flow, thus things fall into place almost of there own accord.
The 'no-self' and 'I,' which does not exist, must be seen in the same vein, as Buddhism teaches all is illusion. Therefore, the individual puts everything above the 'self,' detached from 'it,' and in consequence becomes part of it, but not caught up in it. It does not refer to 'non-existence' of an individual, but of one who is part of the world and yet not disturbed by it.
There is an old saying:
Eternally the river flows, constantly the currents change.'
Flow and change with the currents of life.
I hear ya... I have a hard time putting it into words even though I understand the concept. I myself am an atheist, but I do believe in many of the Buddhist teachings as pure Buddhism has no God and is not a religion, its a way of living your life.
No self has a lot to do with that whole attachment concept. Nothing in this world belongs to anyone. You own nothing, Steve Jobs or Bill Gates own nothing. Nothing can be owned, not even your body. We are all integral pieces to the world puzzle. Each of us necessary, from an apple to the Pope... we are all just living things on the same plane of existence.
With that being said, if you cannot own anything, or be attached to anything, so even your mind and your body are not yours, so the idea of "I want" or "I like" is moot, since "I" doesn't exist.
This does not mean that people can't own things, or consider themselves in the "I" form, it just means that if you want to live a happy healthy enlightened life, its best to admit these truths to yourself as attachment is the cause of all suffering.
Not sure if any of this makes sense to anyone else
What you think of when you think "I" is only temporary. Your personality does not survive death ... only your habits and imprints (what Buddhists call "karma').
This becomes even more apparent when you sit and watch yourself ... from one second to another, the mind and emotions jump all over the place like a nervous monkey. Meditation helps us connect with a way of existing that lies outside the scope of mental processes and emotions, and this is the real "I" .. outside of personality and unchanging and therefore it is considered to be the reality, the true self.
My teacher (a Tibetan monk) says, "If you think you don't exist, try slamming a car door on your hand and believing you don't exist." He says that reality feels very real, but is is only that which is permanent and unchanging (found through meditation) that is actually Real. What we consider to be ourselves is not permanent or unchanging and is therefore, not the "real" us.
If you understand "no self", you really understand Buddhism. Buddhism is the only religion in the world that teaches about "No-Self" (Anatta in P?li or Andaman in Sanskrit).
The Four Noble Truths (Ariya-Sacca) are the ultimate truths that the noble ones (Ariya-Puggala) see but ordinary people cannot--in this world, there is no animal, person, or self but only groups of four basic natural elements (earth, water, fire and air) that temporarily assemble together. These elements are all Body/Mind (also known as Rupa/Nama, 5 Khandas or 5 Aggregates), but we call them dog, cat, man, etc.
We initially borrow them from the earth, use them, and eventually give them back to the original owner. Because we do not know this reality (Ignorance), we believe that we own this Body/Mind (Attachment, Clinging). We therefore love them and will do anything to make them happy and to escape any unhappiness. The burden of the Desire (Craving) and subsequent actions are enormous, and as a result, we suffer from it.
In order to comprehend these truths that seem to be unreal to an ordinary person, one has to study and to practice Satipatthana (= Vipassana = Insight Meditation). This is the most straightforward way to realize the true nature of Body/Mind.
At first, one has to observe one?s body/mind again and again until one is able to separate between the two. The body stays in one part while the mind stays in another part. When the body moves, the mind perceives that movement. When the mind moves, another mind acknowledges it.
The body is a heap of elements from which our parents borrow from the earth and pass to us. We grow from the same substances taken from the land and, one day, we will give them back. Actually, these elements are returned to the earth all the time: in the form of exhaled air, flatus, feces, urine and sweat.
Physical pain and discomfort force the body to alternate its postures frequently among standing, sitting, walking, and lying down. It is a heavy burden for the body to breathe, to eat, to drink, to defecate, to pass gas, to urinate, to scratch, to take a shower, to brush teeth, to watch TV, to listen to music, to work, etc. This body cannot avoid aging, illness, and death. It is therefore suffering, uncontrollable and not self.
The mind rises and falls rapidly and it has been working non-stop all day and all night (as a dream). The mind is oppressed by the desire to seek happiness for both the body and the mind. It must see, hear, think, smell, taste, and touch from that oppression. It also alternates among happiness, unhappiness, good, and bad. We can?t order only happiness and wholesomeness. We can?t refuse grief or unwholesomeness. The mind is therefore suffering, impermanent, uncontrollable and not self.
When we constantly observe our body and mind until we accept that they are not ourselves, the mind will enter the level of the Stream-enterer (Sotapanna). When the mind finally lets go of the body and mind, the Enlightenment will be attained. A person is then called the Worthy One (Arahant). This achievement of Enlightenment is the ultimate goal of Buddhism.
the present moment is too short. But it exists. It exists and we can notice it by placing our minds at the present moment alone.
most people don't notice the present moment. they live in either in the past or future - close to the present. the reason for this is they are thinking, and their minds are not aware of present moment but only different objects that exist in their minds. such objects can only exist in the mind as the past (objects met in the past) and future (objects to be met in the future). Because of being not at present moment, the mind creates the illusion of 'I' and "I exist".
The real condition is things only exist at the present moment. Both past and future are concepts. That is to say a thing is the subject to cease. Once something is destroyed, it cannot be replaced. So it cannot be recreated. For that reason, both past and future don't really exist as reality.
Everything is aging; once a thing is made or produced or born, that thing starts changing by age. A thing cannot become new again. One cannot become a baby, a fetus again. Nothing can go back. Nothing can stop their changing or aging reality. Cannot become again. What cannot become again doesn't exist in reality - memory is only mental image attached to the mind.
Likewise, one cannot rush into future. One has to wait, hoping, as gradually becoming. So future exists only as potential which nobody knows how they are going to look like, what they will become, etc. So future is not real either.
For a person, present means just now. Only this condition at this present moment really exists. Yet, we don't really how long that moment really long. So we naturally have to live in the past or the future - that means we are not capable of living at this very present moment.
The actual condition of 'self' in Buddhism is - control, controller, controllable - something to do with controlling the changing phenomena of the body and the mind (or the physical and mental matters in nature). They are as they are - we are not capable of controlling them. Being unable to control is non-self - Anetta.
We are aware of both past and future. We have potential the sharpen our mind to make it stay only at present and concentrate on our own body and mind in order to know the very present. We have to concentrate on ourselves - a person has to concentrate on his own body and mind; the reason is we cannot know others' - we can only concentrate on ourselves and aware of our present. There is no possible way for us laity to know others' very presents. This is why the meditation on ones own body and mind is important (the only way) in Buddhism.
maybe I need to explain more. You can send questions to me on this subject or you can ask at yahoo Buddhist groups.
'Self' is perception of something solid dwelling inside us.
In fact, we are made up of Mind and Body aggregates.
As long as mind and body are in synchrony, feeling of self is strong.
Buddhist practice dis-synchronize mind and body and feeling of self disappear.
We need to practice to understand this.
Actually you have a very good understanding of "no self" when you wrote "?we're all connected, the whole universe is connected, that we're not independent?." Do you exist? Of course. The concept of "no self" does not mean that you don't exist. That would be illogical.
The concept of shunya tamptiness of self" or "no self") is very difficult to explain because it is so obvious it often is difficult to put into words. This concept is greatly misunderstood in Western society. Most believe that this "emptiness" means Buddhism is nihilistic and that nothing exists. A more modern interpretation by some Buddhists is that shunyata means interconnection or, as coined by the Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, as Interbeing; that no thing exists on its own but is connected to other environmental causes and sentient beings. So, you see, you are spot on.
An example that is sometimes used is that of a tree seed. In order for the seed to grow, it first needs a parent tree and, in most cases, some living being to pollinate the tree's flower. The seed does not exist on its own. If we take the analogy further, the seed falls to the ground. It requires rain, soil nutrients, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and sun to germinate and grow. Without the correct mixture, the seedling will not grow well. The seedling is dependent upon all of the preceding to exist. It does not exist on its own. We could continue the analogy to the felling of the tree at maturity by loggers, the transportation of the log to the mill, and all the various people who turn the tree into lumber and ultimately into a utilitarian object like a chair. The chair does not exist on its own but required all of the preceding in order to have been made. It does not exist on its own. It has no self.
We can apply the same to sentient beings including you and I. I do not exist on my own. I am a product of my parents, my grandparents, all my forebearers, and all of the people who came in contact with me as I grew. My teachers, friends, people with whom I disagreed, my lovers, all had a hand in my being who I am. I lack "self" since I am interdependent upon all of these who birthed, trained, nourished and taught me. I am a father, a son, a brother, a husband, a student, a teacher and because I am viewed as a different person to these people, I have in a manner of speaking "no self". I am interconnected with and dependent upon everyone. The more we understand and think about this, we see what shunyata, or emptiness of self, is really all about?it is not nihilistic but rather all inclusive.
Can you help me to undestand the idea of "no self" in Buddhism?
