August 24, 2014

No Self, Selflessness (Anatta/Anatman) & the Five Aggregates

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The concept of no self or selflessness (also known as anatta or anatman in Buddhism) can sometimes be confusing. If there is no self, then who or what is experiencing our present reality? The Buddha taught that there are five aggregates that constitute a living being; however, to solely identify with these is to rob ourselves of knowing our true nature which isn’t defined by these five phenomena.

In this video, I explain in detail what these five aggregates (khandhas or skandhas) are and how the Buddha’s teachings of no self serves as a liberating reminder that our thoughts, feelings and perceptions are not to be taken so seriously; that instead there is a way to live in this world with a greater lightness of being.
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