The modern siege against a spiritual self

The word ‘self’ used in a spiritual context like Buddhism can often be used in the wrong way.  The word self, we have to remember when we see it in Buddhism, is a translation of âtman and/or attâ .  The English word self doesn’t match up with âtman that well.  Nor does ego.  Âtman has no reference to Freud’s ego; nor is it ever used as the center of selfishness.  To use a line from Mark Twain the difference between the modern meaning of self and the Buddha’s meaning is “the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.”

We have to keep in mind also, that Buddhism’s rise in popularity in the West is due, in part, to a misreading of Buddhism by those who are fed up with religion; who are sympathetic to certain views found in materialism which, for example, reject postmortem survival.  In this context, there is a siege directed against a spiritual self. 

For the most part, Buddhism understood in the West is believed to be an Indian form of materialism that rejects Brahmanism’s idea of spirit or âtman.  This is, of course, not true at all.  No where in the Buddhist canon is Brahmanism rejected out of hand.   If this were actually the case, why is there a whole chapter in the Dhammapada dedicated to the brahmin (Brâhmanavaggo), beginning with verse, 383?  Let us not also forget that the Buddha’s family name is Gautama which is a brahmin name.  In the Itivuttaka (IV, i) the Buddha even declares that he is a brahmin.  

In light of the above, and much more, why should we straightaway assume the âtman as it is used in the canon of Buddhism doesn’t often refer to the notion of Brahmanism’s âtman?  Surely, the Buddha when he said “The self is the support of the self” (attâ hi attano nâtho) meant more than suggesting our temporal self is the support of itself.  And what accounts for all the self compounds found in the Pali canon, for example, attaññu (knower of the self)? (I counted over 65 different compounds using self.)

The most revealing part of the West’s understanding of Buddhism it that it relies more on what the Buddha did not say instead of what he actually said.  Western Buddhism, especially its notion of self or âtman/attâ has all the earmarks of materialism.  The golden thread of the transcendent is missing.

Comments

[start psychic phone line]

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[MStrinado]

Right-on!

The following translation of verse 383 is from Ken's "The Authentic Dhammapada of the Buddha, The Law of illumination":

383. He has cut off the outflowings of desire's streams! He has in Wisdom transcended all desires! That most Excellent Brahman in Vigilance has driven away desires upwellings! Great Man among men! He sees indeed the decay and misery of all phenomenon! He is Supreme Knower of That Unmade bliss fulfillment O' his Essence, That very Brahman.