conventional self

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conventional self

Postby befriend » Sun Jun 19, 2011 11:41 pm

do we say there is a self in conventional reality but there is no self in ultamite reality?
stay in the present moment.
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Re: conventional self

Postby daverupa » Sun Jun 19, 2011 11:57 pm

We define precisely what Self is denied. There is such a thing as an empirical self, but it's anatta, anicca, dukkha. The Self denied in anatta is one which is permanent, self-willed, independent, and essentially sukkha. This is not to be found anywhere in the five khanda, and there is no experience that is not at least one of the five khanda. But the empirical self is a sankhara, and easily found. It is this empirical self which can lean and incline toward the Dhamma, or not.
    "There is, headman, dhammasamādhi. If you were to obtain cittasamādhi in that, you might abandon this state of perplexity. And what, headman, is dhammasamādhi?

    [kammapatha & brahmavihara, & a method of arousing gladness]"
- SN 42.13 - Pāṭaliya


    "Others will misapprehend according to their individual views, hold on to them tenaciously and not easily discard them; we shall not misapprehend according to individual views nor hold on to them tenaciously, but shall discard them with ease — thus effacement can be done."
- MN 8 - Sallekha Sutta
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Re: conventional self

Postby rowyourboat » Mon Jun 20, 2011 5:15 pm

befriend wrote:do we say there is a self in conventional reality but there is no self in ultamite reality?

Hi befriend,

Do you see a self outside of the five aggregates? If so, such a thing is considered just imagination. If you see a self within the aggregates - that requires closer inspection, through discussion, questioning, pondering and doing vipassana until you come to Right view.

With metta

Matheesha
With Metta

Karuna
Mudita
& Upekkha
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Re: conventional self

Postby Oh.Wow » Wed Nov 30, 2011 12:43 am

Well, according to what the Buddha taught, there is no self. What you consider to be "you" is just a combination of several components that came together, and will eventually fall apart. When it comes to a "conventional self" the selfless nature of "you" is still present; that's not going to change, but "we" do live in a world where it is natural to distinguish from being to being, and object to object - it's OK. :tongue:
-Wow
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