Quote:
|
Originally Posted by NoOne
It simply means realising the Truth, that there is no individual self, there is only One Self, shared by everyone.
|
In Buddhist philosophy there isn't any self-theory, and anatta shouldn't be directly translated as 'self'. The concept of anatta is not the same as self or individuality. Individuality is called 'santana' which is another philosophical concept in Buddhism which talks about how the body/mind are momentary (or impermanent) and no substance thereof endures from one moment to the next. In this way, santana is anatta because it is 'substanceless' or 'impermanent'.
However; the santana does carry forward because the manifest in one moment bears characteristics of the last and will pass its characteristics to the next through the processes of kamma - which is a whole 'nuther thing again
Quote:
|
We erroneously think that we exist as selves separate from everyone else, when in Truth we all are just aspects of the same One, Universal Self that takes pleasure in expressing itself in Myriad forms. I believe that is also the teaching of the Upanishads.
|
It could be from the Upanishads; and it might well be true, but it's not really part of Buddha's teaching. He didn't teach any self-theories because he thought self-theory will only give rise to suffering. In the sutta he explained all that, he also said that the Brahamans had misrepresented him by saying he teaches Nihilism. After babbling on for a while, Buddha reminded of what he does teach: there is suffering; suffering has a cause; suffering can end and; there is a way to end suffering.