Quote:
|
Originally Posted by django
Buddha must have been brought up with Hindu beliefs, but he turned Hindu wisdom on it's head and stated there was no self, only a false self. I Believe there is an Atman Self/Higher Self/Soul, and I've been thinking about this versus the Buddha's no self, and wondering how does a belief in a Higher Self or No self affect other people's approaches to spirituality. There must be quite a difference, considering the two beliefs are polar opposites, I'd love to hear how this particular aspect of belief has affected you.
|
The difference is at a very subtle level really. Even the idea of the eternal soul is a construct of thought to reinforce the ego or false self, which is the source of all problems.
The conditioned Hindu Brahmins couldn't quite grasp Buddha's teachings at his time and hence opposed Buddha for that matter.
A study of the works of Jiddu Krishnamurti helped me to understand clearly the teaching of Buddha in this matter.
The idea of the soul or atman itself can become a barrier to experiential understanding which is what really counts in spirituality.