Quote:
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Originally Posted by Gem
Buddhism isn't a philosophy about self, and the examples in the suttas don't lay claim to an atman styled self as a true self or a nihilistic perspective of your non-existence. It's common people want a definite answer to the existential question, but insight into this does not provide an answer... but even the Brahman discourse is a finger pointing rather than an answer given. Buddhism doesn't give the answer because Buddha didn't answer these questions, but he did outline the reasons why he doesn't answer these in a couple of the suttas, which I'm too lazy to dig up again.
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There is a
presumptive philosophy pertaining to the 'nature' of 'self' as well as its 'relation' to THAT Which IS in Buddhism, I think, which leads to people having various takes on the notion of the possibility and desirability
of its extinction.
In something I read someone suggested that The Bhagavad Gita (or parts of it) was written
in response to 'the challenge' Guatama's philosophy posed to Vedic conceptions of the self-Self 'relationship' and the possibility of 'self'-chosen 'evolution' in said regard. Given the 'timing' involved - the Bhagavad Gita is generally thought to have been composed around or later than than the time Gautama live (see
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhagavad_Gita and
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha) - this makes sense to me as a reasonable hypothesis. There was a 'debate' going on about this, IOW.
Here what the Gita said in an attempt to 'clarify' the subject, i.e. to refine (and presumably
reassert) the Vedic world-view in regard the 'lower' (sense of) self (from Ch.6):
"Let him seek liberation by the help of his Highest Self, and let him never disgrace his own Self. For that Self is his only friend; yet it may also be his enemy.
To him who has conquered his lower nature by Its help, the Self is a friend, but to him who has not done so, It is an enemy.
The Self of him who is self-controlled, and has attained peace is equally unmoved by heat or cold, pleasure or pain, honour or dishonour.
He who desires nothing but wisdom and spiritual insight, who has conquered his senses and who looks with the same eye upon a lump of earth, a stone or fine gold, is a real saint.
He looks impartially on all – lover, friend or foe; indifferent or hostile; alien or relative; virtuous or sinful."