Your "self" is a problem | Chan/Zen Buddhism Podcast - No. 011

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About David Listen 常聞:
Buddhist instructor, former monk, current life coach/mentor and licensed mental health counselor in the State of New York, USA. For more info, see the links below.

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In studying Buddhism, you have likely come across the teaching of "no-self" (non-self, not-self etc.) This is one of the core teachings, and the most unique concept in world religion and philosophy.

It points directly at our problem of misperception, which is the root cause of suffering. If we perceive a self, we feel separate from the rest of humanity and the entire world. If we perceive a self, we feel that there's something about us that is permanent which makes us misperceive permanence in the world. Seeking permanence in that which is impermanent, and seeking separation and control in that which is dependent and out of control is the cause of our distress.

But does that mean we should seek a state of "no-self?" And if so, how do we function in the world? How do we navigate a society which requires us to constantly present our "self?" In a competitive environment which everyone is attempting to stay relevant, how can we be free from attachment to self while playing the game of self-presentation? Should we just give up thinking about our self altogether?

In this podcast, we present the teachings of no-self in a way that avoids the extremes of self-attachment and self-annihilation.

00:00 Intro
02:50 Topic: no-self, not-self, etc.
05:12 Question: the conflict of self-image & no-self
07:51 Short answer
08:43 "Thought but no thinker"
21:21 The context of "no-self"
29:38 Human being: the five aggregates
41:47 The medicine of "no self"
44:18 "Emptiness"
47:09 Lacking self but having a name
57:44 Practical application
1:00:56 Conclusion
1:02:07 Discussion