Introduction to the Buddhist Doctrine of No-Self
Annatta, the Doctrine of No-Self, is central to all Buddhist teachings. It is based on the fundamental notion that things do not exist the way that they appear. Having developed a strong habit of firmly believing in the existence of an independent, separately existing self the idea of not having a self may at first seem preposterous. It is easy to see how one can become so convinced in such existence. In fact, it is one of the most common occurrences throughout today's modern world.
However, upon further inquiry into the subject it may happen that one begins to develop an understanding that the strong belief in the existence of a separately existing self has been supported only by one's lack of attention to the subject. In other words, the appearance of a separately existing self can be so convincing that it is possible for one to take its existence for granted, completely overlooking the possibility that the self may not truly exist at all in the way that it appears.
From my own experience, I have discovered that there is a direct relationship between the busyness of the mind and the appearance of a separately existing self. It seems that the busier the mind, the more the self appears to be solid. The slower the mind, the more the appearance of the self begins to soften. In my opinion, without a steady practice of meditation the Doctrine of No-Self remains purely an intellectual exercise which from the perspective of a busy mind is perceived as a complete waste of time. However, with a steady meditation practice I have on more than one occasion been astonished at what I have observed with regard to the existence and non-existence of the self.
Through my own meditation practice I have seen that much of what I used to "take for granted" as truly existing has actually been merely the activity of my own mind projecting such things as "inherent existence" onto others, "inherent self-existence" onto a notion of "me", and a wide array of self-referential meaning, descriptions and labels onto everything else in between. This has been happening all along without even the slightest amount of direct, conscious awareness. Essentially, I have been making it all up all along, while fully believing in the validity of everything that I have believed about what is appearing.
What is even worse is that it hasn't even been "me" that has been making it all up, but rather the confused, habitual mis-observations of many of those who have come before me. On a very deep level, I have inherited most, if not all, of the fundamental beliefs about life, myself and how things operate.
Like the Buddha, I have discovered that these unconsciously inherited misconceptions about human life and the functioning of human life have directly been the cause of all of my suffering. It seems that no matter what I do, and no matter how well intentioned I am, as long as I continue to function through these misconceptions I am unable to be of true service to myself and everyone around me. In this sense, the stakes of developing an active and deep understanding of this topic are extremely high.
The difference between how things appear and how things truly are is one of the Buddha's greatest observations and contributions. He simply noticed and begin to question by pausing and looking more deeply into the true nature of how things exist, without the veils of past conditioning.
What follows is a collection of various ways to understand the notion of "No-Self" from a number of resources, including prominent Buddhist meditators and thinkers. The overwhelming question is: "How it can possibly be that even though there is a strongly convincing appearance of an independent, separately existing self this appearance does not truly exist at all in the way that it appears?"
The explanations and answers given to this question are astonishing and in my opinion, highly valuable. However, without a steady practice of meditation, mindfulness, and the ability to cultivate direct insight by looking deeply into one's self and the world around them, the words on this page will always remain empty of any true benefit. It is only by slowing the mind through practice, that a direct experience of "no-self" gradually becomes possible, and it is only through insight obtained through direct experience that one's mind may become illuminated to this most fascinating and important phenomena of the mind.
Why is it important to understand the Doctrine of No-Self, anyway?
An
accurate understanding of how the self truly exists is important for a
number of reasons. Firstly, if we do not understand what we are
dealing with how are we going to manage our affairs in a way that is in
accordance with the way that things truly are? If we do not understand
our own true nature, how can we be of any benefit to anyone?
As
long as we misunderstand our own true nature our actions will always
result in one form of destruction or another. Is it not even reasonable
to assume that any other outcome could be reached. As long as we
operate from a viewpoint of misunderstanding even the very best of our
intentions will not have the solid ground to stand on in order to come
to their best fruition.
Secondly, by viewing the self as a
separately existing entity we form the basis of a worldview based on the
duality between a perceived self and a perceived other. The belief in
world of duality is the cause for most, if not all, of the suffering
within it. If our dualistic perception is not an accurate view of the
true nature of the world, then why would we want to continue to hang on
to it and continue the cycle of suffering. If the true nature of our
world is non-dualistic, then realizing this and acting accordingly
brings much hope and optimism for our future.
