DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - Conditioned Existence is devoid of any unchanging, inherent self-nature?

**bZEUWO4F** · 06-29-2011, 10:51 PM

Following Kris post...

I can't hold a hard intellectual demonstration of this because it goes much more about personal experience, also, personal realization and I do not have still the skills needed to transmit this experiences.

Before coming to BWB I really was stagnant with the popular books that are at hand in bookstores and where the "empty of inherent existence" is a kind of Christian "creed" that can lead to mental amusement and endless elaborations about things, which has never been the purpose, at least, of the teachings of the historical Buddha.

Later on, when I started Zazen and, after that, being encouraged to give a sincere look at the teachings of the historical Buddha, aided with the comments of the Thai Forest Teachers where Not Self is the cornerstone of contemplation, something started to become a little bit clear.

Lets say that doing philosophies, having views and meshing with ontologies is not my best strength. Maybe I have a kind of brain deficiency in that cognitive area. Not Self has been a very revealing experience because, IMO, of its directedness to explore this in our person. Contrary to what one may assume this experience gives the real taste of what the Buddha is really asking about cessation of Dukkha: understanding that there is no real ownership. That at the end we can not own anything because of its impermanent nature and thus its final unsatisfactoriness.

I think that "empty of inherent existence" is a more sided, gentle, kind and too chatted way to the experience not self and not self is the direct way once and for all.

Just a few ideas that come to mind...

06-29-2011, 10:51 PM	#10
bZEUWO4F Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 489 Senior Member	Following Kris post... I can't hold a hard intellectual demonstration of this because it goes much more about personal experience, also, personal realization and I do not have still the skills needed to transmit this experiences. Before coming to BWB I really was stagnant with the popular books that are at hand in bookstores and where the "empty of inherent existence" is a kind of Christian "creed" that can lead to mental amusement and endless elaborations about things, which has never been the purpose, at least, of the teachings of the historical Buddha. Later on, when I started Zazen and, after that, being encouraged to give a sincere look at the teachings of the historical Buddha, aided with the comments of the Thai Forest Teachers where Not Self is the cornerstone of contemplation, something started to become a little bit clear. Lets say that doing philosophies, having views and meshing with ontologies is not my best strength. Maybe I have a kind of brain deficiency in that cognitive area. Not Self has been a very revealing experience because, IMO, of its directedness to explore this in our person. Contrary to what one may assume this experience gives the real taste of what the Buddha is really asking about cessation of Dukkha: understanding that there is no real ownership. That at the end we can not own anything because of its impermanent nature and thus its final unsatisfactoriness. I think that "empty of inherent existence" is a more sided, gentle, kind and too chatted way to the experience not self and not self is the direct way once and for all. Just a few ideas that come to mind...
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