Not-self (Sanskrit: anātman, Pali: anattā) is best understood within the context of the Buddha’s teaching on the 5 aggregates (Sanskrit: skandhas, Pali: khandhas). Rather than focus on the “self”, the Buddha suggests we see ourselves as a composite of elemental aggregates shared among other sentient beings and the universe. The teaching of anattā is likely designed to quell our narcissism, and open our minds to a wider—more interconnected—view of existence.
For many Buddhist seekers in the West, doubt, particularly about kamma (karma), rebirth, and the various planes of existence (heavenly and hell realms. etc) mentioned in the texts, is one of the biggest hindrances standing between them and the benefits of practice.
As someone who was once a hard-lined atheist, I was skeptical about these notions as well, but I’ve since come to learn that the seemingly irrational parts of Buddhism don’t really matter much, and can be easily interpreted in a simple yet accurate way.
Kamma is a way to describe the causes and effects that naturally arise from our volitional activities. Each action results in an immediate (macro) or subtle (micro) reaction that effects our experience within our environments.
Rebirth is the recycling of our elemental aggregates (khandhas) into a new life form. There’s nothing supernatural about this process, and no souls or anything magical are being passed. This is very much aligns with the law of conservation of energy.
And the heavenly and hell realms described in the texts aren’t like those proclaimed by the Abrahmic scriptures. “Heaven” and “hell” in Buddhism are temporary states—the conditions of which are the byproduct of its inhabitants, similar to pleasant or hostile conditions that are created by the inhabitants of a country.
The Buddha summarized his teachings very succinctly in the 22nd sutta of the Majjhima Nikaya: “One thing and one thing only do I teach, suffering and how to end suffering.” [1]
This is expanded upon by the Four Noble Truths, which—in essence—state: 1) dissatisfaction exists, 2) it exists because we cling, 3) therefore we should stop clinging, 4) following the Eightfold Path can mitigate our clinging and dissatisfaction. [2].
And the Eightfold Path [3], in short, is:
And that’s pretty much it.
[1] The Snake Simile (MN 22)
[2] Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion (SN 56.11)
[3] Eightfold Path for the Householder
The Buddhist “bible” is called the Tipitaka. It’s a massive collection of texts that were first compiled by the Fourth Buddhist Council in 29 BCE. It’s divided into 5 nikayas (volumes). One of my favorite nikayas is the Samutta Nikaya, the 3rd volume, pictured here. As you can likely tell from the thickness of this book, the Buddha had a lot more to say than the handful of inspirational quotes floating around on social media.
My name is Tony Sharp. I do many things. My interests include math, science, and sweet and sour chicken. This blog will likely focus on my philosophical and political opinions.
Talk to you more soon!
