If “all phenomena are not-self” (as the Buddha says), then who inherits past karma, who gets reborn, and who becomes enlightened? And why did the Buddha reject every idea of a self while refusing to say that the self doesn’t exist?
I invite you to explore these questions and more on my upcoming live stream on YouTube this Saturday (August 29th) at 12:00 PM ET / 9:00 AM PT.
I’ve explored the Buddha’s no-self teaching before, but I recently discovered a new perspective on it that I want to share with you. It is a perspective that makes sense of the self view, the no-self view, and the letting go of views as stages of the same path to awakening.
I’ll spend most of the live stream discussing the Buddha’s landmark teaching as found in the original suttas of the Pali Canon. After the lecture, there will be time for Q&A where I will address your questions and thoughts.
I look forward to going live with you on Saturday! You can find the stream page here: https://youtube.com/live/ro2YSSHwU98?feature=share
With love and gratitude,
Simeon
People often claim that the Buddha taught "there is no self." But I have found that sentiment difficult to locate in the older sources. What I find instead is the phrase, "the self is nowhere to be found in the world," which has a distinctly different meaning. Some even suggest that the idea that there is no self is a form of nihilism. What are your thoughts on this?