6 Buddhism and the Self of the Upanishads.In the Nikāyas, the Buddha repeatedly emphasizes not only that the five khandhas of living being "not-self," that is, not "I" or "mine," but that clinging to them as if they were "what I am," or were "mine," gives rise to unhappiness.Īccording to the early texts, while on the path, one should develop oneself in healthy and liberating ways, only letting go of the attempt to improve the self as it becomes unnecessary. In the same vein, the Pali suttas (and parallel āgamas, both referred to collectively below as the nikāyas), categorize the phenomena experienced by a being into five groups ("khandhas") that serve as the objects of clinging, and the basis for a sense of self. In Buddhism, anattā ( Pāli) or anātman (Sanskrit: अनात्मन्) refers to the notion of "not-self." In the early texts, the Buddha commonly uses the word in the context of teaching that all things perceived by the senses (including the mental sense) are not really "I" or "mine," and for this reason one should not cling to them.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |