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Jade Small | June 30, 2014 | Spirituality | No Comments

ONE BUDDHA TEACHINGTHAT WILL TELL YOU MOREABOUT YOURSELF THANANYTHING ELSE

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NO-SELF

In Buddhism one of the ‘Three Characteristics’ is No-Self (the other

two are impermanence and suffering which are closely associated

with this). This refers to the illusion of reality having a permanent

and separate self.

There is this notion that there is a permanent “I” or “me,” which is

a separate entity that can be found. The obvious assumption of we

are our body sounds good until we look at it and say “this is my

body,” which implies at that moment that whatever owns the body

wasn’t the body. The observer and the observed; duality denies our

body being what we are. It is also in a state of impermanence, and

at a sensate level it is made up of energy flickering at a similar rate

to reality.

Perhaps thoughts are the “I.” They may seem more like the true

“me” than the body does. But they come and go and are changing

constantly too, as well as the majority of them not being under our

control at all. They too aren’t something solid enough to assume

they are the “I.” The ego is a process of identification with reality

(physical and mental phenomena), not a thing in and of itself; it is

like a bad habit. Not being a thing, it cannot be destroyed as some

people say, but by understanding our bare experience, our mind,

the process of identification can stop.

There is also something frequently called the “watcher” or

“observer,” which is observing all of these phenomena. Strangely,

the watcher can’t be found either, as it seems to sometimes be our

eyes, sometimes not; sometimes it’s images in our head;

sometimes it seems to be our body and sometimes it’s watching

the body. It seems odd that this watcher to which all of this is

being perceived by, which seems separate from reality and which

seems in control of “us” is constantly changing and completely

unfindable.

One of the biggest clues in solving this mystery is that if we are

observing it, then by definition it isn’t us. Reality is made up

entirely of sensations, and to begin to unravel this mystery is to

begin to awaken. Reality with a sense of a separate watcher is a

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delusion. So who or what is it that awakens?

WHAT AWAKENS?

In short, it’s all of this transience that awakens! Here’s an

explanation, keep in mind this is an attempt at summarising

something quite complicated.

No-Self

teachings

directly

counter the

sense that

there is a

separate

watcher,

and that

this

watcher is

“us” that is

in control,

observing

reality or subject to the tribulations of the world. These teachings

stop the process of mentally creating the illusion of a separate self

from sensations that are inherently non-dual and utterly transient.

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There are physical

phenomena (everything we

perceive with our senses)

and mental phenomena

(thoughts, feelings,

emotions). These are just

phenomena, and all

phenomena aren’t a

permanent, separate self as

they are completely

impermanent and are

intimately interdependent. These phenomena arise and pass as we

venture through reality, i.e. the sound of a bird singing comes into

existence and then dissipates.

There is also awareness of these phenomena, but awareness is not

a thing or localised in a particular place, so to even say “there is

awareness” is already a large problem, as it implies separateness

and existence of it where none can be found. Awareness is

permanent and unchanging, and it is said that all things arise from

it, and all things return to it. It could be called God, Nirvana, The

Tao, Allah, the present moment, the Buddha nature or just

awareness.

While phenomena are in flux from their arising to their passing,

there is awareness of them. Thus, awareness is not these

phenomena, as it is not a thing, nor is it separate from these

objects, as there would be no experience if this were so.

TRUE-SELF

True-Self teachings point out that we actually are all these

phenomena, rather than them being seen as observed. As

phenomena are observed, they can’t possibly be the observer.

Thus, the observer, which is awareness, cannot possibly be a

phenomenon and thus is not localised and therefore doesn’t exist.

Duality implies something on both sides: an observer and an

observed. However, there is no phenomenal observer, so duality

doesn’t hold up under careful investigation. When the illusion of

duality permanently collapses in awakening, in direct experience,

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all that is left is these phenomena, which is the True Self.

There’s a great little Buddhist poem by Kalu Rinpoche that sums all

this up:

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JADE SMALL

Staff Writer and Social Media Manager

for The Open Mind. I am a seeker of

knowledge, striving to expand and

help others on their quests!

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We live in illusion and the appearance of things.

There is a reality, we are that reality.

When you understand this, you will see “you” arenothing.

And, being nothing, you are everything.

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Jeff Wagner · Spokane Community CollegeWe are energy, the creator is all the shared energy in our universe. We are nothing , buteverything. We are a part of "god" as "god" is a part of us :)Reply · Like ·   · Follow Post · July 4, 2014 at 7:24am

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Hitesh Bhardwaj ·   ·   Top Commenter · PsychonautTrance

You sir, have told nothing, yet all! Reply · Like ·   · July 4, 2014 at 2:56pm

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25

Christine Klein ·   ·   Top Commenter

I agree !!!Reply · Like ·   · July 4, 2014 at 6:44pm

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Vic Rollon ·   Top Commenter

You have a deep understanding of man's nature. God blessReply · Like ·   · July 5, 2014 at 1:09am2

Ron Jivan West · University of SussexI suspect this article was written by a computerised random phrase generator which hadbeen given access to a Bhuddist dictionary of terms. Not only is it probably completelywrong, imho, but it seems to me to be internally inconsistent.......in other words it seems tome that it actually contradicts its own reasoning. The poem at the end has beencompletely misinterpreted. The reality that we are is, in laymans terms, "Pure Awareness"Reply · Like ·   · Follow Post · July 4, 2014 at 5:49am

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30

Dustin Reigle · Nashville, TennesseeMost of the so called quotes from Buddha you see today aren't from him, butthis piece is legit. What part of it do you not comprehend? The poem in the endis signifying that existence in its entirety is within our minds and how weperceive it.Reply · Like ·   · July 4, 2014 at 6:09am56

Dave Keays ·   ·   Top Commenter

Weren't there many Buddhas, Siddhartha being the 1st? That would accountfor all the almost contradictory statement you read from "the Buddha"Reply · Like ·   · July 4, 2014 at 8:39am

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3

Dakshitha Narendra · Leighton Park International SchoolDave Keays there were many Buddhas in the past, the most recent one beingGauthama Buddha.Reply · Like ·   · July 4, 2014 at 9:53am7

Michael Kewley ·   · Mirepoix, Midi­Pyrenees, France · 155 followers

Awareness arises and passes away like all phenomena. It is not permanent orunchanging. Dhamma is a deep and subtle subject and before we can teach Dhamma wemust know Dhamma. Take care with half understood truths......May all beings be happy.Reply · Like ·   · Follow Post · July 6, 2014 at 2:30pm

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Howard Wi ·  Follow

3/19/2015 One Buddha Teaching That Will Tell You More About Yourself Than Anything Else |

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Howard Wi · Thank you Michael...Reply · Like ·   · July 6, 2014 at 7:01pm

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Ken Streat · Wycliffe College

But unlike all other phenomena we can never, ever, be aware of the arisingand passing of awareness.Reply · Like ·   · July 6, 2014 at 11:57pm1

John Mcnatty ·   Top Commenter · Extruder Operator at Flexoplas packaging

And they say politicians can waffle on and say nothing sensible,they're only beginnerscompared to this tripeReply · Like ·   · Follow Post · December 29, 2014 at 5:13am1

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