The Nature of Self

1. The Nature of Self P L Dhar iitd

2. How does the notion of self arise? • By clinging to form , … to feeling, to perception, …. to volitional formations, …. to consciousness that ‘I am’ occurs • Apart from the aggregates no distinct ‘being’ : no forest apart from the trees, no car apart from its component parts etc. • Apparent continuity of identity: illusion created by memory ; gradual change in body doesn’t draw our attention

3. ‘Self’ and Modern Science • Professor David Loy : • Self is a construct : psychological social Linguistic • Understanding of ‘self-ing’ from recent researches in Neuro-biology : Continuity of background feelings gives rise to the perception of continuity of identity

4. The illusion of Personality : Body • Am I looking fine ? Fair & lovely ! • I am tall / short • I suffer from backache !

5. The illusion of Personality : Mind • Consciousness • Perception • Feelings • Volitional formations

6. The illusion of Personality • “My” sense of ‘self’ is a precipitate of my habitual ways of feeling, thinking, and acting. • Those impermanent processes interact with others and give rise to a sense of being a ‘self’ that is separate from others • If we strip away theses psychological processes … what is left? ……………… no-thing

7. The illusion of Personality • A constructed self is not a real self • Both a problem and the solution ! • Problem…. An uncomfortable sense of unreality at our core , …… a perpetual sense of lack • We usually try to make ourselves ‘real’ through various means , various reality symbols like wealth, power, fame • Solution: not being a real self => the sense of self can be deconstructed • Liberation from all suffering : no ‘self’ to defend !!

8. No I , No Problems

9. How to bring about this abandonment of clinging ? • Cultivation of Mindfulness of these aggregates clearly comprehending these characteristics of impermanence, suffering and non-self. Dispassion Abandoning craving & aversion Dis-enchantment Awakening from the Illusion of personality

10. A human being is part of the whole, called by us "Universe," a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest – a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole [of] nature in its beauty.~ Albert Einstein

11. Let us spend some time practising this deconstruction of ‘self’ !

12. यायं तण्हा पोनोब्भविका नन्दिरागसहगता तत्रतत्राभिनन्दिनी, सेय्यथिदं – कामतण्हा, भवतण्हा, विभवतण्हा।