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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.
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Namaste.
This is going to be very difficult for me to express or write about.
These beliefs have both affected me and shaken me deeply. For years I was like a dog chasing it's tail trying to understand the difference between 'self' and 'no-self' or even a 'false self' if that's what 'self' really was.
It was like a 'chicken and egg' thing. How does one say "I am that?" when there's still an "I" and still a "that?"
How can people comprehend what is 'not self' through the 'self'? assuming of course the 'self' exists?
Of course I understood the nature of Brahman, The Void, Maya and all that, but where did that leave anything else in relation to it, assuming there was any relationship to start with.
The whole problem being of course that I believed in God or a Deity who was somehow anything and everything, so how could I say 'neti neti' (not that) to God?
It felt like I was always taking one step forward and two steps backward.
It wasn't until I fully surrendered my heart to God, I realised I was 'self' and 'no self' simultaneously whenever I was in that state of divine communion.
Of course I can still say that God alone exists, but I still need who "I am" as a person to relate to other humans in the way I am relating to you now.
All these beliefs totally screwed with my mind and undermined any beliefs I had in myself, my own self-esteem, my unlimited potential and my love for God - no matter how 'egotistical' those may be.
As soon as I turned away from my impersonal philosophy and embraced Siva with all my heart and soul, I understood all of it...He made me understand all of it...all of it...
...and all I know is that I should have done this much sooner than I did.
Thank you.
Aum Namah Shivaya