In Buddhism, there is this concept called Anatta which says that the
Self does not exist. There is no everlasting soul or Atman. This
concept states that we are just an empty conglomeration of changing
body and mind. I had much trouble understanding and accepting this
doctrine, since I have always believe in a soul. However, this does
not mean that there is no Self, only that the Self changes from
moment to moment. We are not the same person, in body and mind,
that we were ten minutes ago, nor is the universe the same at any
instant of its progression through time. I think I may have begun to
understand and accept, so I decided to write about it.
In Buddhism, there is this concept called Anatta which says that the
Self does not exist. There is no everlasting soul or Atman. This
concept states that we are just an empty conglomeration of changing
body and mind. I had much trouble understanding and accepting this
doctrine, since I have always believe in a soul. However, this does
not mean that there is no Self, only that the Self changes from
moment to moment. We are not the same person, in body and mind,
that we were ten minutes ago, nor is the universe the same at any
instant of its progression through time. I think I may have begun to
understand and accept, so I decided to write about it.
In Buddhism, there is this concept called Anatta which says that the
Self does not exist. There is no everlasting soul or Atman. This
concept states that we are just an empty conglomeration of changing
body and mind. I had much trouble understanding and accepting this
doctrine, since I have always believe in a soul. However, this does
not mean that there is no Self, only that the Self changes from
moment to moment. We are not the same person, in body and mind,
that we were ten minutes ago, nor is the universe the same at any
instant of its progression through time. I think I may have begun to
understand and accept, so I decided to write about it.
http://fortytwostrong.blogspot.com/2007/07/anatta-vs-atta-atman-and-meaning-of.html[08/30/2013 3:50:53 PM] Life, the Universe, and Everything Musings on the number forty two: A college student's thoughts on life, science, and stories from her never- ending spiritual journey. S UNDAY, J UL Y 2 9 , 2 0 0 7 Anatta vs. Atta (Atman) and the meaning of Ubuntu In Buddhism, there is this concept called Anatta which says that the Self does not exist. There is no everlasting soul or Atman. This concept states that we are just an empty conglomeration of changing body and mind. I had much trouble understanding and accepting this doctrine, since I have always believe in a soul. However, this does not mean that there is no Self, only that the Self changes from moment to moment. We are not the same person, in body and mind, that we were ten minutes ago, nor is the universe the same at any instant of its progression through time. I think I may have begun to understand and accept, so I decided to write about it. We do not inherently exist. That is we cannot exist independently. We must depend upon other people, plants, and the very fabric of the universe, spacetime, and everything in it in order to exist. The same goes for every other object and being. H.H. the Dalai Lama gives this example. A flower needs the seed, the parent flower, the water, the soil, the sun, and the air to exist. It is not independent arising. The sun and even the entire galaxy, as great and massive as they are, also depend on the existence of everything, even the little flower. Without the mass of the flower or every other planet, person, and star, the galaxy would fly apart, because each mass provides the gravity that holds the galaxy together. Alone, all these things are empty and meaningless, and they cannot exist. This emptiness I at first took for nihilism, yet Anatta is far from nihilism. It does not mean that human life, the flower, and the universe are devoid and meaningless. Instead they are full and rich and important, because they are a part of the whole, and the whole of existence depends on everything in it. Without the universe and without the connection to everything in it, life is meaningless, Self is meaningless and could not inherently exist. Looking at Anatta this way, I find that this doctrine is not nihilism at all, but existentialism. We are all connected to one another and dependent upon one another. We have a Self (and a self) that exists and changes from one instant to the next based on our experiences and the change in the universe. It makes sense now that when we are alone, we feel emptiness, because we ARE empty without others (and others are empty without us). This makes morality and compassion all the more important. Because we depend on the existence of others for our own, we should be kind and loving. We need to be compassionate for the sake of others and ourselves, Contributors Vermilion Caitlin Star Magnolia A star magnolia on campus FreeRice.com
play vocabluary game to donate rice at freerice.com Blog Archive 2008 (14) 2007 (21) November (2) October (2) http://fortytwostrong.blogspot.com/2007/07/anatta-vs-atta-atman-and-meaning-of.html Life, the Universe, and Everything: Anatta vs. Atta (Atman) and the meaning of Ubuntu http://fortytwostrong.blogspot.com/2007/07/anatta-vs-atta-atman-and-meaning-of.html[08/30/2013 3:50:53 PM] Posted by Vermilion at 10:08 AM because what we do to others (who are connected to us), we do to ourselves. I suppose I could bring the whole God thing into this too. I believe that the collective whole is God, just like the Hindu Brahman who is everything and in everything (the Self). There is a powerful African word which reflects this: Ubuntu, which means alone we are nothing, but together we are (God). Ubuntu literally means, I am, because We are. I once read a book by Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu who worked against apartheid in South Africa. In the book, he talks about Ubuntu and why even the supporters of the apartheid deserved forgiveness, A person with Ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed. Every action precipitates a reaction which will produce another reaction and so on. We are all connected to everything in the universe. We need to practice tolerance, acceptance, and love, because we ourselves want to be tolerated, accepted, and loved. Those who are truly compassionate and do kind acts will improve others, and that in a small way, will help the universe on its journey to peace, happiness, and truth... reality, nirvana. There is something to live for, there is something to hope for, we have a purpose! It is for the sake of others that we exist. Which reminds me of a quote by Albert Einstein, Strange is our situation on the earth. However, there is one thing that we know, we are here for the sake of others. Above all, for those upon whose smile and well-being our own happiness depends. And, also, for the countless unknown souls with whose fate we are connected by a bond of sympathy. Einstein said it exactly. Back to the lack of an everlasting soul, we should live in the now and not worry about what is to come, because we do not know or control anything beyond the present. We should not try to store up good deeds in heaven or good karma for a satisfactory rebirth, because we do not know if there is an afterlife, or another reincarnation, or even an eternal soul. No one can answer these in the negative or the positive. All we can do is live now and enjoy what we have now. If we are worried about the future and the afterlife, we will continue to suffer, because we are living in the future which may never come. We should live for others, not to get into heaven or gain a good birth or obtain some vengeful god's favor, but to reach peace and happiness in this life NOW and help other do the same. So this is my acceptance of Anatta. We exist. We are beautiful. We are, but not without one another. Ubuntu. No comments: August (1) July (2) Anatta vs. Atta (Atman) and the meaning of Ubuntu NASA Payload and Life in General Update June (4) May (2) April (1) March (3) February (3) January (1) 2006 (22) 2005 (14) Iris A boquet of iris that I got for our one year anniversary. Links FreeRice.com Planetary Society ClearDarkSky PhysicsToday NewScientist SpaceWeather SETI@Home Einstein@Home LBT Life, the Universe, and Everything: Anatta vs. Atta (Atman) and the meaning of Ubuntu http://fortytwostrong.blogspot.com/2007/07/anatta-vs-atta-atman-and-meaning-of.html[08/30/2013 3:50:53 PM] Quotes "Love is that condition where the happiness of another is essential to your own." -RAH Photo Credits All photographs are my own work. Post a Comment Links to this post Create a Link Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom) Newer Post Older Post Home I visited the world's largest telescope... two 8.4m mirrors strapped together at 11,000 feet! Current Reading Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury The Sun My Heart by Thich Nhat Hanh South African Daisy Flowers from my garden