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Why is self empty?
santhisouk
Veteran
Here is what I think:
There are three types of cravings: sensual cravings, cravings for things to be continued or renewed, and cravings for things to end. All leading to attachments.
"Bhikkhus, form is not-self. Were form self, then this form would not lead to affliction, and one could have it of form: 'Let my form be thus, let my form be not thus.'
The same holds true for feelings, perception, mental formations, and consciousness. We would not purposely inflict pain upon ourselves yet attachment to any one of those things leads to pain. So how is it that we are in control of them? If we see this then we are seeing to the true nature of it, and all of it makes up our very existence so calling it "empty" would not be doing it any injustice.
"Bhikkhus, how do you conceive it: is form permanent or impermanent?" — "Impermanent, venerable Sir." — "Now is what is impermanent painful or pleasant?" — "Painful, venerable Sir."
Impermanence leads to suffering because we would not want the things we are attached to nor ourselves to end. Through impermanence alone we can see the three types of cravings exists within it. Wanting sensual pleasures to be permanent, wanting change to continue as when finding a higher pleasure, and wanting change to end as when not finding a higher pleasure.
"Any kind of consciousness whatever, whether past, future or presently arisen, whether gross or subtle, whether in oneself or external, whether inferior or superior, whether far or near must, with right understanding how it is, be regarded thus: 'This is not mine, this is not I, this is not my self.'
Neither is feelings, perception, mental formations, and consciousness. To say something is ours means we attached to those things. If those things got damaged, then we are damaged. If those things got destroyed, then we are destroyed. Are we just firewood waiting to be burned to ashes? Are we just the early stages of soil? Not to call these things in relation to "self", is seeing to the true nature of it.
"When he finds estrangement, passion fades out. With the fading of passion, he is liberated. When liberated, there is knowledge that he is liberated. He understands: 'Birth is exhausted, the holy life has been lived out, what can be done is done, of this there is no more beyond.'"
That is what the Blessed One said. The bhikkhus were glad, and they approved his words.
Now during this utterance, the hearts of the bhikkhus of the group of five were liberated from taints through clinging no more.
Seeing the true nature of things creates discontentment. Through discontentment, disenchantment, through disenchantment, dispassion, and through dispassion, liberation. What are we liberated from? Self affliction, mental affliction, ignorance, cravings, attachments, defilements, hell, rebirth, and many many other things.
Quotings in boldface from: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn22/sn22.059.nymo.html
There are three types of cravings: sensual cravings, cravings for things to be continued or renewed, and cravings for things to end. All leading to attachments.
"Bhikkhus, form is not-self. Were form self, then this form would not lead to affliction, and one could have it of form: 'Let my form be thus, let my form be not thus.'
The same holds true for feelings, perception, mental formations, and consciousness. We would not purposely inflict pain upon ourselves yet attachment to any one of those things leads to pain. So how is it that we are in control of them? If we see this then we are seeing to the true nature of it, and all of it makes up our very existence so calling it "empty" would not be doing it any injustice.
"Bhikkhus, how do you conceive it: is form permanent or impermanent?" — "Impermanent, venerable Sir." — "Now is what is impermanent painful or pleasant?" — "Painful, venerable Sir."
Impermanence leads to suffering because we would not want the things we are attached to nor ourselves to end. Through impermanence alone we can see the three types of cravings exists within it. Wanting sensual pleasures to be permanent, wanting change to continue as when finding a higher pleasure, and wanting change to end as when not finding a higher pleasure.
"Any kind of consciousness whatever, whether past, future or presently arisen, whether gross or subtle, whether in oneself or external, whether inferior or superior, whether far or near must, with right understanding how it is, be regarded thus: 'This is not mine, this is not I, this is not my self.'
Neither is feelings, perception, mental formations, and consciousness. To say something is ours means we attached to those things. If those things got damaged, then we are damaged. If those things got destroyed, then we are destroyed. Are we just firewood waiting to be burned to ashes? Are we just the early stages of soil? Not to call these things in relation to "self", is seeing to the true nature of it.
"When he finds estrangement, passion fades out. With the fading of passion, he is liberated. When liberated, there is knowledge that he is liberated. He understands: 'Birth is exhausted, the holy life has been lived out, what can be done is done, of this there is no more beyond.'"
That is what the Blessed One said. The bhikkhus were glad, and they approved his words.
Now during this utterance, the hearts of the bhikkhus of the group of five were liberated from taints through clinging no more.
Seeing the true nature of things creates discontentment. Through discontentment, disenchantment, through disenchantment, dispassion, and through dispassion, liberation. What are we liberated from? Self affliction, mental affliction, ignorance, cravings, attachments, defilements, hell, rebirth, and many many other things.
Quotings in boldface from: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn22/sn22.059.nymo.html
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Comments
This is the way of all things.
Very nice! :thumbup:
Trying to cling to the essence of things when those things are transitory is like trying to grasp a bubble or mirage. You're always going to be unsatisfied until you stop trying to grasp what's "empty, void, without substance" (SN 22.95).
Peace