self

• To learn the Buddha's truth is to learn ourselves. To learn ourselves is to forget ourselves.

  Genjō-kōan Shobogenzo

The most important text

1. Buddhism and the Theory of No-Self ●●●

   a construction that we form from our memories of the past, and imaginings of the future

   acting self · atman and Brahman · constructed self · existential self · grasping the true ego · physical self · Ryosui calling his own name · Sekitei asking about the original self · theory of no-self · theory of non-substantiality

Other texts

2. Genjō-kōan ●●● Shobogenzo

   To learn the Buddha's truth is to learn ourselves. To learn ourselves is to forget ourselves.

   forgetting ourselves · myriad dharmas are not self
3. MMK 3: Cutting Through Categories ●●● Summer 2008 — Nagarjuna’s Mulamadhyamakakarika

   Buddhists who say there is no self have only got half the story because self comes and goes

   making oneself real · self comes and goes · self disappearing in a saxophone solo · thinking is self
4. Recognising the Marrow in Ourselves ●●● May 2012 — Nová Dedinka

   we can't always recognise something that has the truth, unless we recognise the same thing in ourselves

   being a certain kind of Buddhist · freedom to be ourselves · recognising the truth in ourselves
5. Buddhist State as Semi-Permeable Membrane ●●● September 2015 — Banský Studenec

   We become a semi-permeable membrane. When we become a semi-permeable membrane, we're very flexible.

   no I in Japanese · semi-permeable membrane · swelling and shrinking self
6. Genjo-koan 2: Delusion and Self-Image ●●● Summer 2002 — Genjo-koan

   in order to find out who we are, the best way is to forget who we are

   atoms in a rat's brain · forgetting ourselves
7. Genjo-koan 3: Action Only Here and Now ●●● Summer 2002 — Genjo-koan

   Master Dogen says that's a misapprehension, that there is no permanent mind or essence or self

   atoms in a rat's brain · no permanent soul
8. Uji 4: Coming into the Present ●●● Summer 2007 — Uji

   we often put some unchanging entity behind the present moment in which we exist

   talking beyond labels with labels · groping for who we are · unchanging entity through time
9. Old Writings and Our Own Life ●●● September 2013 — Banský Studenec

   how do we find ourselves without books? Well, Dogen says that practising zazen, his meditation technique, is sitting with ourselves, facing ourselves

   finding ourselves in zazen · finding value in oneself
10. The Universe Made Real ●●● Shobogenzo · Genjō-kōan

    To find who “I” really am is to forget about “I.”

    forgetting ourselves
11. Bussho 1: Fully Manifesting Existence ●●● Summer 2004 — Bussho

    we assert ourselves beyond labels, not only in Zazen, but Zazen is our standard

    beyond labels
12. Bussho 3: Beyond the Process View ●●● Summer 2004 — Bussho

    the idea of an enduring self in the sense of a continuing soul that goes on to some other place is not Buddhism

    no permanent soul
13. Zazen from Four Viewpoints ●●● June 2005 — Lotus Centre

    In zazen, we find ourselves. Irritable self. Negative self. Aggressive self. Sexy self.

    finding ourselves in zazen
14. Bussho 3: Acting in the Present Moment ●●● Winter 2005 — Bussho

    We impose an enduring quality on things

    enduring image
15. Bussho 4: Hearing and Understanding ●●● Winter 2005 — Bussho

    to manifest ourselves just as we are is to be a buddha

    manifesting ourselves as we are
16. Bussho 5: Our Fundamental Nature ●●● Winter 2005 — Bussho

    The obvious times when we are ourselves without noticing are when we are doing things, when we’re acting.

    being ourselves when we act
17. Shoaku Makusa 4: Doing Right Without a Doer ●●● Winter 2006 — Shoaku Makusa

    that’s one characteristic of his description of the present moment: action in the moment doesn’t have a doer

    action without a doer
18. Uji 5: Life Moment by Moment ●●● Summer 2007 — Uji

    We can't find out who we are. But knowing that we can't find out who we are is finding out

    knowing who we are
19. The Truth as a Cup of Tea ●●● September 2013 — Banský Studenec

    It's to be able to express your real self in your real life. Not speaking from your very clever brain

    expressing your real self
20. Prajñā: The State Before Thinking ●●● May 2014 — Banský Studenec

    Prajñā has no I. It doesn't mean the person disappears.

    prajñā has no I
21. Dojo and Home, Sacred and Ordinary ●●● September 2015 — Banský Studenec

    Nagarjuna said very strongly, This place and this place are the same. So we have to have a semi-permeable membrane.

    semi-permeable membrane
22. Civilisation as a Shared Trance ●●● July 2021 — Skalní fara

    We need the story. We can only live in the story. But the story is only a story.

    life as a story
23. Bendōwa ●●● Shobogenzo

    The view expressed now is absolutely not the Buddha’s Dharma; it is the view of the non-Buddhist Senika

    non-Buddhist view of Senika
24. How To Pursue the Truth ●●● Shobogenzo · Bendōwa

    If we believe that physical things perish, but the soul is eternal, that body and mind are separate

    belief in an eternal soul
25. Ikka-no-myoju ●●● Shobogenzo

    pursuing things to make them into self, and of pursuing self to make it into something

    pursuing things and self
26. Nagarjuna’s Mulamadhyamakakarika ●●● January 1996 — Gudo Wafu Nishijima

    he denied the existence of soul or spirit completely

    no permanent soul
27. Uji 1: Time Is the Present ●●● Winter 2004 — Uji

    We put ourselves together at this moment into some kind of constructed self

    constructed self
28. Uji 4: Contradictory Explanations ●●● Winter 2004 — Uji

    some real unchanging entity that passes from moment to moment moving through all worlds and all times

    unchanging entity through time
29. Uji 5: Words and Reality ●●● Winter 2004 — Uji

    To realise yourself means to make yourself real, to make yourself real means to do something.

    making oneself real
30. Bussho 2: This World, Not Heaven ●●● Summer 2005 — Bussho

    to say that there is no “me” when we practice Zazen is not to say that the person disappears

    to whom buddha-nature is clear
31. Bussho 4: The Cut Earthworm ●●● Summer 2005 — Bussho

    many stupid people have equated buddha-nature with the idea of soul or spirit

    buddha-nature as soul or spirit
32. Ikka-no-myoju 2: Undivided Reality ●●● Summer 2006 — Ikka-no-myoju

    So the edgeless state is when I stop thinking about myself and seeing the world from inside and meet the world

    edgeless state
33. Ikka-no-myoju 3: Our Place in the Universe ●●● Summer 2006 — Ikka-no-myoju

    our name is a concept, and we ourselves are beyond our name

    name as a concept
34. Uji 2: A Crack in Our View of Time ●●● Summer 2007 — Uji

    We construct ourselves. We put ourselves together at each moment.

    constructed self
35. Enlightenment as a Normal State ●●● July 2009 — Dibbavana

    we build up a picture of ourself for ourself, our own me. We create a me all the time

    constructed self
36. Genjo-koan: Being Awake Is Being Here ●●● May 2014 — Banský Studenec

    to find out who we are is to forget who we are. When we forget who we are, we can become one with everything.

    forgetting ourselves
37. Zazen Is Not Meditation ●●● July 2021 — Skalní fara

    to love ourselves doesn't mean to be kind to ourselves or to think we're great. It means to accept who we are

    loving ourselves as acceptance
38. Time-Present ●●● Shobogenzo · Uji

    This person I think of as myself is a “person” that I put together at one time-present.

    self put together in time-present
39. Bussho 1: Having Buddha-Nature ●●● Summer 2005 — Bussho

    Well which “me” is being kind to myself, and if that “me” can be kind to myself, it must be kind already

    being kind to oneself
40. Kuge 3: The Whole World in Each Flower ●●● Winter 2007 — Kuge

    what we find on the zafu ain’t nothing like a Buddha

    grumpy human being on the zafu
41. MMK 4: Constructs and the Present Moment ●●● Summer 2008 — Nagarjuna’s Mulamadhyamakakarika

    we can see ourselves more clearly, warts and all. To know yourself is not to know the perfect self

    seeing ourselves warts and all
42. Ceremony and Everyday Life ●●● February 2009 — Cholín

    In Buddhism, we're always meeting ourselves. Sometimes frightening, disappointing, happy, sad, worried. So don't try to meet another self.

    meeting ourselves
43. Sadness Is a Change in Balance ●●● August 2011 — Dibbavana

    Maybe, or maybe I'm changing all the time. In some Buddhist teachings they say there is no self, which means there's no permanent self.

    no permanent soul
44. Dogen’s Teaching as a Way of Living ●●● September 2013 — Banský Studenec

    So I have to accept myself. We have to accept that. Yeah. So we have to accept what we're like.

    accepting what we are like
45. Buddhism Through European Glasses ●●● August 2014 — Banský Studenec

    to learn how to make yourself as a pot takes ten years, twenty years

    making yourself as a pot

Keywords