A Buddhist Story About No-Self

Who are you? What is your self? What is that which you call 'I' and who are 'you' to call it that?

Inquiry into the nature of the self is at the core of the Buddha's teaching - and it is the key to the Buddhist liberation from suffering. In this video we explore an ancient Buddhist story (from sometime between 100 BC and 200 AD) that has become iconic in the tradition.

It is a story about a monk, a king... and a chariot.

#philosophy #buddhism #wisdom

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📚 Recommended Reading

▶ A Companion to Buddhist Philosophy (Steven M. Emmanuel)
▶ An Introduction to Buddhist Philosophy (Stephen J. Laumakis)
▶ What the Buddha Taught (Walpola Rahula Thero)
▶ The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching (Thich Nhat Hanh)
▶ Foundations of Buddhism (Rupert Gethin)
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🎶 Music used

1. S2S original track based on Brian Eno

[vhxfzcz]

A powerful message behind the story. When watching, there is only the action, watching. There is no Self that is watching. Because the Self is just an idea put together by thought.

[buddhaneosiddhananda]

My guru told me..."Philosophers die confused and separate from the truth... by their own grasping minds..."

[hermansohier]

No one is hearing, seeing or thinking, there's just hearing, seeing and thinking .

[russellbarndt]

I have herd this axle teaching many times, I must say this is one of the most relevant examples I have listened to, what I perceive as "I" am humbled and must note that it aligns with modern science 2500 years later to recognize the perception of life as an illusion relieving suffering if recognized, thank you with humility kind

[melt]

We’re an interdependent process. To ignore the grave and phenomenal responsibility that comes from that creates more suffering. True compassion is the key.

[motivemystic]

Wow, this video really made me think about the concept of self! It's amazing how Buddhist teachings delve into the nature of our identity and challenge us to question who we truly are. This thought-provoking inquiry into the self is so important in our fast-paced world. Thank you for sharing this enlightening story!

[ujjwalbhatt]

Excellent content my friend. Your content is amazing and makes me think a lot. Much love and support from India ❤

[zaraaaa]

one of the best playlists i have come across for buddhism thank you

[epicuro]

David Hume, Scottish empiricist philosopher (1711-1776) says something similar: “For my part, when I enter most intimately into what I call myself, I always stumble on some particular perception or other, of heat or cold, light or shade, love or hatred, pain or pleasure. I never can catch myself at any time without a perception, and never can observe any thing but the perception…. If any one, upon serious and unprejudic'd reflection thinks he has a different notion of himself, I must confess I can reason no longer with him. All I can allow him is, that he may be in the right as well as I, and that we are essentially different in this particular. He may, perhaps, perceive something simple and continu'd, which he calls himself; tho' I am certain there is no such principle in me.”
― David Hume, A Treatise of Human Nature

[carolinewilson]

Brilliant!!! Such complex ideas explained so clearly! I think you’re a genius! Thank you!!!!

[seekerseeker]

Many thanks to the S2S patrons on Patreon: Tsvetina Ivanova, Arian Rasuli, @RMSounds, and Joshua Day. Your encouragement really makes a difference!


Thank you for watching!

[AndrewUnruh]

What a great video! I suspect there is another type of unconscious. For those familiar with machine learning, it is very similar to hidden layers. Basically, these are things that exist within our nervous system but are never directly presented to what we think of our consciousness. A good example of this is how our brains fill in our blind spot. It just happens automatically. We are not aware of it happening.

[JanetHadson-pozr]

There was never a self . It’s freeing to discover that. Nothing to be ‘me’ or ‘mine’ about .

[eddiexgames]

I had a problem when suffering depression and that was trying to understand if I am I or if I am nothing, if I was able to disprove life to myself I did not believe I was myself, but one thing I couldn’t disprove was the fact that I am thinking and I couldn’t think of not thinking meaning a have a self which is only the thought influenced by other means that is not my thought. I couldn’t understand the difference between reality and dreams at one point in my life and it was making my depression worse until I read a Scripture from philosopher Rene Descartes, cogito ergo sum Latin for I think there for I am. Or at least this helped me a bunch understanding my purpose in case someone needed it.

[galaxymetta]

The suttas said non self instead of no self. In non self, all the 5 khandas of mind and body which we traditionally attribute to be self are actually not the self.

[dakshinagodigamuwa]

Very interesting story indeed, I have never heard this one before. Enjoyed the way it really simplifies the idea of the no-self teaching. Hope you can cover more interesting Buddhist stories.

[mkheng]

Love it. ( love it being a conventional term that does not last or to be found in any of skandas associated with the one who loves it)

[roudys]

Subtle I know, but "who am I?" encourages in me a story. I am a father, a worker, and more concepts. The question that strikes at the heart of it more for me is, "what am I?" To this I get more verbs...then we're off to emptiness vastly filled.

[man.............]

This guy made me pass my philosophy midterm

[khimsannsoy]

Thanks to your video, I finally understand the question 🙏 🙏 🙏