The Buddha has made it very clear in the Nikayas (Pali discourses) that what suffers is not our self. Sound strange? It shouldn’t. Unfortunately, some Buddhists—in fact lots of them—are under the mistaken impression that suffering should be equated with the self! Again, I stress that suffering has nothing to do with our self, not when you come across this passage from the Samyutta-Nikaya.
“What is suffering is not the self (yam dukkham tadanattâ). What is not the self should be seen as it really is with correct wisdom thus: This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self (na meso attâ)” (S. iii. 45).
This takes us to the obvious question: What is not the self? The answer is easy. What is not the self or anattâ consists of the Five Aggregates: form, feeling, perception, mental impressions, and consciousness. As a strict rule, I should never identify my self with the Five Aggregates. If I do, I am not following Dharma (P., dhamma). So what does it mean to follow Dharma?
“Bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu is practicing in accordance with the Dhamma, this is what accords with the Dhamma: He should dwell engrossed in revulsion towards form, feeling, perception, mental impressions, and consciousness” (S. iii. 39).
An aside, let me add that the practice of Buddhism is simple and straightforward. It gets complicated when there lacks a clear distinction between self (our Buddha-nature) and what is not the self, namely, the Five Aggregates which, incidentally, belong to Mara the Evil One.
I hate to display my ignorance, but I'm having a hard time finding the part of the Samyutta Nikaya designated as S. iii. 45 in the online versions. In Thanissaro Bikkhu's versions, the numbering skips over 45, going from 42 to 46, with no explanation. How is this reference you cite to be located? Two of the 5 parts of the Samyutta Nikaya have names that start with S - the first and the third. Is iii the third of the 5 volumes, or what? Thanks.
Posted by: Eidolon | January 12, 2012 at 02:38 PM