Anatta: No-self or Not-self?

Buddhism: No-self or Not-self?
One of the first stumbling blocks in understanding Buddhism is the teaching on anattā, often translated as no-self. This teaching is a stumbling block for two reasons. First, the idea of there being no self doesn’t fit well with other Buddhist teachings, such as the doctrine of karma and rebirth: If there’s no self, what experiences the results of karma and takes rebirth? Second, it seems to negate the whole reason for the Buddha’s teachings to begin with: If there’s no self to benefit from the practice, then why bother?

Many books try to answer these questions, but if you look at the Pali Canon you won’t find them addressed at all. In fact, the one place where the Buddha was asked point-blank whether or not there was a self, he refused to answer. When later asked why, he said that to answer either yes, there is a self, or no, there isn’t, would be to fall into extreme forms of wrong view that make the path of Buddhist practice impossible. So the question should be put aside.

To understand what his silence on this question says about the meaning of anattā, we first have to look at his teachings on how questions should be asked and answered, and how to interpret his answers.

Hashtags:
#Buddhism #Anatta #NoSelf #NotSelf #BuddhaTeachings #Mindfulness #Liberation #Philosophy

[WisdomLife]

To those who are watching this video: May you and your family be blessed with inner peace, enlightenment, boundless compassion, and the wisdom to navigate life's journey with grace and tranquility. May your hearts be light, your spirits strong, and your days filled with serenity and joy.

[PureBuddhaLight]

Every video here is like a gentle reminder to live with kindness and gratitude. Amazing content

[BuddhismLight-wg]

I was thinking the same thing! That section was so well-crafted.

[jasonsung]

“Anatta” in Buddhism is composed of two concepts: Anitya and Sunyata (Impermanence and Emptiness). In Sammuti sacca (Conventional truth), “Atman”(Self) exists, so that Karma, Samsara, Rebirth, or Nirvana operate as we commonly believe and accept. In this realm, Buddha’s teaching is for most of us and Sattva. Whereas in Paramattha sacca (Ultimate truth) “Atman” doesn’t exist, and Karma or Rebirth also become non-exist, but in this realm the states are not as we can comprehend nor describe. One cannot use “Ultimate truth” to contradict “Conventional truth”. We can only accept Buddha’s teaching as it is.

[bensmith]

Self (atman) is a description/definition. We are beyond description/definition (anatman/anatta)

[lawrencedill]

I have been watching different videos on anatta but was very confuse until I watched this video.

[BobbyMcDonald-wqil]

We are all; Constant transformational evolving evolutionary indigenous beings to all there is.

[yasokhem]

This is not a matter of the Western Physics nor the English English Language. The existence Hinduism is because the Saptarishi Vedic Sanskrit Language says so and it does not compromise itself, take it or lease. Its power is second to none : it had taught the late Prahlad Jani (you can check his name in Youtube) to live the last 70 years of his life without eating nor drinking nor going to the toilet and he had been thoroughly tested by the top Indian Scientists in India. Hinduism is the journey of Atma going through the 8 other conditions (Samsara) starting from Brahman and ending it in Bahgawan or Selfrealisation or Buddhahood, awakened into knowing "Who one really is" and this experience was testified by Lao Tzu who made this statement : He who knows cannot speak of his experience, for there is no human language in existence that his can use, thus - He who know does not speak and he who speak does not know - & you guess it, Prince Gautama Was said that he talked like a talking bird as well as his Monks...