The Dualism of Self and No-Self

The Dualism of Self and No-Self

‘What is there is transcend when there is nothing at all.’
Simple Bear

A few days ago, I was sharing with my friend, Brother Bear on how I think my ego always flare when I start sharing with others on my opinions and experiences and how I am trying to keep quiet, to minimize the opportunities for my ego to express itself. It was difficult trying to rein in the ego, trying to be aware of and discipline it by putting it in unfavorable conditions for expression. On retrospect, this was not a good methodology to adopt and I was finding myself trapped in a rut, unable to come to terms with reducing my ego, the sense of self in daily life, the reconciliation between the notions of self and no-self. I realized after contemplation that I have been, all these while, trying to understand no-self from a self perspective; by trying to transcend the state of self to the state of non-self, I have allowed myself to submit to the habitual tendency of acknowledging the existence of the self. When I perceive that there is a state of self to be transcended, I am acknowledging the perceived existence of the self a priori to the notion of no-self; the perception that there is a state of no-self beyond that of, the state of self. The reason behind my dukkha is perhaps engendered by the possibility perceptions that I was holding, the concept of no-self without letting go of the concept of self; thinking of them as two separate entities when they are all but one, dualistic.

Perhaps, by accepting, understanding and experiencing no-self as a priori reality to the rising of the perceived state of self due to amalgamation of various conditions, we can truly progress towards the pinnacle of spiritual cultivation. It is not easy to accept and understand as the mere notion of no-self shakes the foundation of our very existence; if we truly don’t exist as we, then who are we, what are we? What is the functionality of understanding no-self in relation to our basic, primitive, strong belief in the notion of self? The moment that we are objectively and subjectively aware of ourselves, respectively as a physical, visual and sensorial entity in relation to external and internal stimuli, the self is already perceived to exist, a schematic apparatus to understand and make sense of the stimuli that is in constant interactions with the consciousness. This notion of self lays the foundation of the world, the society that we live in; to put it in abstract terms, the notion of self is the world. When we looked into a mirror, we recognize ourselves visually as us; likewise, the society that we live in is a bigger mirror, we recognize ourselves in the society, consciously, as us.

If no-self exist in self and self exist in no-self in the mind, then what is the state that we are trying to transcend? When reality is really nothingness, then what the state of self and no-self are we talking about? There are no a priori or a posteriori realities, those do not exist, reality alone does. Perhaps by recognizing the dualism of self and no-self, we can truly, reach perhaps happiness as a self in no-self; diminution of the ego in our everyday lives, we can learn to be more compassionate and loving to the people around us, we can accept impermanence and change, reducing dukkha in our everyday lives. That perhaps in an existential point of view, is more important in making the mind a happy place to live in as I.

‘Let us grow up even if we cannot wake up.’
Wei Wu Wei

Simple Bear 05.04.2012.

P.S: Perhaps one day I can truly accept, understand and experience anatta (no-self), in the meanwhile I can only appreciate it intellectually and use it to achieve happiness as self.