Quotes About Non-Self

Ignorance is the failure to discriminate between the permanent and the impermanent, the pure and the impure, bliss and suffering, the Self and the non-Self.

What we call life … is the combination of the Five Aggregates … These are constantly changing; they do not remain the same for two consecutive moments. … If we can understand that in this life we can continue without a permanent, unchanging substance like Self or Soul, why can't we understand that these forces themselves can continue without a Self or Soul behind them after the non-functioning of the body?

Afterwards, over drinks, one of the barbarians asked me what I dreamt of. I, of course, was taken aback. They say barbarians don't dream. But I told him... "I dream of tangible nothing," I said. "So you mean nothing as something, then?" the barbarian replied over the rim of his gin-and-tonic. "I mean unity, dissolving into non-self," I said, just to be confusing.

The intricate maze of philosophy of the various schools is said to clarify matters and to reveal the Truth, but in fact it creates confusion where none need exist. To understand anything there must be the Self. The Self is obvious, so why not remain as the Self? What need to explain the non-self?

three marks of existence

The result, in this world view, is that real freedom comes not from the decisions of an ego-self's "will" but from action without any Self whatsoever

Uzam, zaman, boyut, oluÅŸ, gelecek, ilerisi, varl?k, varolmay??, ben, ben olmayan, hiçbir ÅŸey ifade etmiyorlar bana.

Just as we conceive of a self and counter this notion with a non-self, … we are also taken in by another set of opposing concepts – existence and non-existence.

True self is non-self, the awareness that the self is made only of non-self elements. There's no separation between self and other, and everything is interconnected. Once you are aware of that you are no longer caught in the idea that you are a separate entity.

True self is non-self, the awareness that the self is made only of non-self elements. There's no separation between self and other, and everything is interconnected.