no-self pt. 2: And what about it?

Part 2 of this assignment was to respond with our own opinion on the doctrine of no-self. I hope this can help illuminate what it looks like on the ground to put this kind of philosophy into practice.

༶

I feel very comfortable with the notion of not having a self. The Buddhist doctrine of no-self has always resonated with me and makes sense in my mind; I find the philosophical arguments to be sound. I enjoy the experience of having a self in the conventionally true sense, I do not experience a lack of ultimate selfhood as being at odds with this. Both co-exist on their different planes of truth. I think it's important to remember the Buddha’s emphasis on his philosophy being the “middle way”. Despite the focus on the self as being not ultimately real, this doesn’t mean that we reject the conventional concept of a self. That would lead to asceticism and rejection of the body, a viewpoint that this philosophy was expressly countering. I see the philosophy of no-self as both embracing the existence of the conventional self and ultimate self at the same time, appreciating material existence for what it is; the interplay of phenomena. Knowing this, one can tread a little more lightly and loosen the grip on material attachments, and from that experience more peace and less suffering. 

I had a conversation with a friend recently who was asking what Buddhists think about the feeling of passion. My response was that Buddhists think a feeling like passion is just as valuable or real as any other emotion, not any more desirable or undesirable than fear or indifference. I think it could be easy to read these texts and fall into the trap of thinking passion as deceptive and to be rejected, as it can lead one deeper into clinging to the material world and reify the conventional self. I don’t think that is an accurate view. When I experience great joy and passion, eating a piece of chocolate cake for example, I don’t reject the feeling moving through me. Instead, I look at it for what it is, a play of phenomena like a cloud in the sky. I take a step back and allow the feeling to happen without attaching my ego and sense of self to it, I enjoy it for what it is without taking it so seriously as being ultimately real. The beauty of this is when the cake is done and the feeling ends, I don’t feel as great of a sense of loss, instead it's just a different type of cloud moving through my mind.  

This is not to say I have perfect detachment, nor am I necessarily aiming for that at this moment. I am comfortable both appreciating what materiality has to offer while knowing it isn't ultimately ‘real’. I felt more drive to reach ‘enlightenment’ when I was newer to this material. The longer I have spent with it, the more comfortable I feel with just being where I'm at, not believing I have to be the Dalai Lama to find peace. I feel that this is one of the great paradoxes of Buddhism, the longer I spend with it, the less of a need I feel to break the cycle of rebirth. At first the concept of no-self seems like it requires a radical letting go of one's identity into nothingness, never to be found again. In reality it seems to play out as a greater and greater comfort and acceptance with being who I am, as there isn’t so much clinging getting in the way of the simple act of being. 

༶