[Tilmbeinymn]

I've been reading a book Kaarine recomended in the books thread, Buddhism - Plain and Simple and it got me thinking how I have defined my self by my precieved labels and role in society. For the last ten years I've defined myself by Schizophrenic, former addict, but really and truly am "I" anything of these things? How many hats do I wear in in a different day? Pysch patient is only one of them. I am not sure where I'm going with this, perhaps its leading me in the direction that there is no "I" at all.

[Pataacculakp]

perhaps its leading me in the direction that there is no "I" at all.

Sounds a tad nihilistic that does.

[ReggieRed]

Sounds a tad nihilistic that does.

You've a point there, Kris. No fixed I might have been better. Did put me into a spontaneous meditative state, though.

One thing it did make me think about though was how the psychiatric system disempowers people by labelling them, but thats a debate for somewhere else.

[ExpodoDop]

Kaarine's book has empowered me though, it made me realise that I am not my label. Its also got me thinking intellectually about the fixed sense of the "I". Our belief in it is so powerful that giving someone a label with such connotations as Schizophrenia can really destroy someones life, but a lot of that disempowerment is our belief and faith in the sense of self and our acceptance of place and roles based on our sense of self plus what we are told we are. And other peoples conceptualisation of what some one with that label should be like.

Its also got me thinking about conceptualisation and the trouble it causes.

[VtLe67WR]

most Buddhists do not really understand the word "jati" or "birth"

in India, 'jati' has always referred to one's label, role, status and identity in society

thus when the Buddha gained enlightenment, his first words were

"through myriad births (jati) i have wandered
searching for the builder of this house
each new birth bringing more suffering
now i know you, builder of this house
you will not imprison me anymore..." thus, with his enlightenment, the Buddha ended the prison of jati

as the suttas say

"birth is ended; there is no more coming into any state of becoming" but of course, this is the mind of the fully enlightened being

on a more conventional level, the Buddha said each human being is the same

each human being wishes to be happy and to be free from suffering

with metta

element

[Abraham]

Excellent post, Element.

It took me a couple of reads to twig what the Buddha was trying to say, but I think I got it.

[Gudronich]

Hi Traveller,

It is great to know that you have found useful and insightful the book recommendation. It helped me a lot to have a more direct insight into the teachings of Buddha and it meant a step forward into them. Being a book which is "plain and simple" it was not so easy. But slowly it made the work.

Non self is a very difficult aspect. At times can result quite threatening because the sense of selfhood is one of the most hardest delusions to give up. The realization of non self is an act of absolut intimacy. It is realized through meditative and contemplative works and practices observing deeply the phenomenological reality in and outside. Indeed non self is spoken loudly by nature in front of us every day but happens that we do not want to see it.

In daily life people sees "Traveller" but Traveller now knows that it is just a needed convention. Now knows that labels bring suffering, whatever the label is; that "me" and "mine" are because greediness, craving, clinging and this, at the end, will just bring us the bunch of sufferings we have been experiencing.

A quite mind, a still mind, a mindful mind is the mean to awake to this fact without feeling threatened.

The quotations of Element are just beautiful. Are beautiful objects of contemplation...