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**SergeyMaikov** · 04-06-2012, 07:14 PM

When I first read the opening thread, my heart dropped as this is a concept I have been struggling to understand / come to terms with

Even using the term 'I' is causing 'me' problems as if we take all the wonderful contributions that have been offered by others, there is nothing that has experienced any of this!

To answer your question Aloka concerning current understanding, I shall be honest to respond with 'it's a work in progress, that's likely to take some time, maybe not in this lifetime!'

Interestingly, I had been wrestling with the writing of Nagarjuna the last few days where he discusses the 5 aggregates.

The self is not forms
The self is not something different from forms
The self does not have or possess any forms
The self does not exist in dependence upon forms
And forms do not exist in dependence upon the self

My sticking point is that if the self does not exist, who / what is 'it' that is experiencing?

I shall continue to read with interest the contributions of others, but I'm also mindful that this is something that one has to 'experience the realisation of', as opposed to just trusting the writings of others by way of explanation.

04-06-2012, 07:14 PM	#31
SergeyMaikov Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 475 Senior Member	When I first read the opening thread, my heart dropped as this is a concept I have been struggling to understand / come to terms with Even using the term 'I' is causing 'me' problems as if we take all the wonderful contributions that have been offered by others, there is nothing that has experienced any of this! To answer your question Aloka concerning current understanding, I shall be honest to respond with 'it's a work in progress, that's likely to take some time, maybe not in this lifetime!' Interestingly, I had been wrestling with the writing of Nagarjuna the last few days where he discusses the 5 aggregates. The self is not forms The self is not something different from forms The self does not have or possess any forms The self does not exist in dependence upon forms And forms do not exist in dependence upon the self My sticking point is that if the self does not exist, who / what is 'it' that is experiencing? I shall continue to read with interest the contributions of others, but I'm also mindful that this is something that one has to 'experience the realisation of', as opposed to just trusting the writings of others by way of explanation.
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