Buddhism “Everything that arises also passes away, so strive for what has not arisen.” - Buddha

Three Marks of Existence Suffering (dukkha) Impermanence (anicca) No Self (anatta)

Buddhist Conception of Reality Doctrine of Dependent Arising Reality is a flow of multiple momentary mutually conditioned events.

Impermanence is a pervasive feature of the universe.

Impermanence (1) All things come into existence and go out of existence. (2) While things exist, they undergo constant change.

The 12 Links in the Causal Chain of Dependent Arising

John Holder Observation The Buddhist view of reality stands in between the extremes of theories that postulate a transcendent absolute reality (e.g., Brahman in Hinduism) and those that postulate that nothing exists (metaphysical nihilism). “From the point of view of dependent arising, things do exist, but only as complex, interdependent, changing processes.” (Holder, p. 26)

Discourse to Kaccayana “‘Everything exists’ – this is one extreme. ‘Everything does not exist’ – this is the second extreme. Without approaching either of these extremes, the Tathagata teaches dhamma by the middle.” (Buddha, in Holder, p. 83)

No Self (Anatta) All Things are Impermanent All Things are Impermanent There is No Self There is No Self There is no permanent self or enduring mind.

“For the Buddhist there is no atman or essential self underlying the changing stream of events which constitute the mind-body complex. The Buddhist doctrine of no-abiding-self (Pali: anatta; Sanskrit: anatman) provided a stark philosophical contrast to brahmanical notions of a substantial self (atman).” – Richard King, Indian Philosophy, p. 78)

What is the human person?

Personhood in Buddhism Buddhism maintains that a person is a dynamic aggregation of five different elements (skandhas), together called Nama-Rupa Rupa Vedana Sanna Sankhara Vinnana Consciousness Dispositions or Tendencies The Physical Body Feelings or Sensations Perception or recognition of sensation

The Skandha-Identity Argument (1) “The self” is not anything other than the five skandhas (individually or collectively considered). (2) None of the skandhas is permanent. Therefore (3) “The self” is not permanent.

The Five Elements (skandhas) constitute “the individual person,” though not in any substantial sense. “Self” is simply a name given to the aggregate of skandhas. There is no soul or permanent self residing in or behind the skandhas. There is no “atman.”

“The words ‘living entity’ or ‘ego’ are but a mode of expression for the presence of the five aggregates, but when we come to examine the elements one by one, we discover that, in the absolute sense, there is no ‘living entity’ there to form the basis for such figments as ‘I am’ or ‘I’’ in other words, that in the absolute sense, there is only Nama and Rupa.” - Buddhaghosa Buddhaghosa, 5 th century CE Buddhist Philosopher

The Chariot Analogy

“Why do you assume a ‘person’? Mara, you have adopted a wrong speculative view. This is only a heap of processes. There is no person to be found here.” “Just as the word ‘chariot” refers to an assemblage of parts, so, ‘person’ is a convention used when the aggregates are present.” (Holder, p. 87). Verses of Sister Vajira

Substantialist Tendencies? In some branches of Buddhism, something similar or functionally equivalent to atman seems to be affirmed.

The Buddha-Nature Mahayana Buddhism

In Mahayana Buddhism, the “Buddha-nature” typically refers to an innate potentiality in all sentient beings for becoming enlightened. This Buddha-nature is said to be uncreated, immutable, and immortal. In several scriptures, though, the Buddha-nature appears to refer to an underlying ontological reality, a single essence shared by all sentient beings. It seems to be functionally equivalent to a transcendental Self.

Tantric Scripture exalts the “beginningless Self,” “the Self of primordial unity,” and “the Supreme Being,” each in contrast to the empirical or phenomenal self. ~ Jeff Hopkins (Mountain Doctrine, pp )

“Permanent is the Self; the Self is thoroughly pure. The thoroughly pure is called ‘bliss’. Permanent, blissful, Self, and thoroughly pure is the one-gone-thus [i.e. Buddha].” ~ Jeff Hopkins (Mahāyāna Mahāparinirvā ṇ a Sūtra, Trans. Hopkins in Mountain Doctrine, p. 129)

“The Buddha-nature is eternal bliss, the Self, and the Pure. Buddha-Nature is not non- eternal, not non-bliss, not the non-Self, and not non-purity” ~ Buddha (Mahayana Mahaparinirvana, Trans. Kosho Yamaoto in Mahanaya Mahabarinirvana, vol. 8, p. 23)

What about Anatta? Can this Buddhist view of a transcendent Self be reconciled with the anatta doctrine? Yes. Anatta can be interpreted as “no individual, enduring self” or “no individual soul.” The term “atman” in the Upanishads sometimes refers to the individual soul, sometimes called jivatman.

Within the framework of Buddhism, Anatta can mean (i) no permanent individual self or (ii) no permanent self of any sort.

“No self means to awaken to a Self that is so vast and limitless that it cannot be seen.” ~ Sekkei Harada (Essence of Zen, p. 63)

Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta So the Buddhist anatta doctrine may be compatible with the conception of Atman affirmed in Advaita Vedanta, namely a single, pure undifferentiated consciousness. This may explain why bhakti vedantins accused Sankara of being a crypto- Buddhist.

Nirvana The Goal, The Attainment

Nirvana - “to be blown out.” “A man comes to believe in his essential nature, to know that what exists is the erroneous activity of the mind and that the world of objects in front of him is non-existent...this is called gaining nirvana.” Asvaghosa (2 nd century CE Buddhist philosopher) What is blown out?

Nirvana is “an indefinable state, independent of all worldly ties, beyond all earthly passion, freedom from all egotistical, false ideas, - in short, it is the exact opposite of everything known to the conditioned, individual existence between birth and death.” Von Glasenapp, modern Buddhist commentator

Nirvana is the blowing out of... Craving for Identity and Permanence Greed – Hate - Delusion False Ego Dukkha

Nirvana does not mean unqualified cessation of existence, annihilation, or extinction. Only the extinction of a false ego. What remains after such extinction? “Bliss, yes bliss, my friends is nirvana.” - Buddha As in Vedanta, “bliss” (ananda) does not mean a temporary pleasant or happy feeling. It just means satisfaction, fullness, completeness, or not needing. This state is compatible with pleasant and unpleasant experiences.

Nirvana and God While nirvana may be described as an ultimate reality, it is not a personal Supreme being or creator. It is not God as understood in the theistic traditions of the east and west. Nirvana plays a functional role similar to God in the theistic traditions. It is spoken of with language parallel to God in the theistic traditions: Imperishable and the Eternal Immovable or Unchanging Power Secure Refuge and Shelter Peace Truth

Nirvana most closely resembles nirguna Brahman of the Vedanta traditions and God as understood in the mystical traditions of the west as a being beyond all positive description.

“There is, O Monks, an unborn, neither become nor created nor formed. Were there not, there would be no deliverance from the formed, the made, the compounded.” – Buddha

Buddhism and the Doctrine of Rebirth

Physical Death At the time of death, the nama-rupa disintegrates. The individual psycho-physical person that once existed, no longer exists. The skandhas, which together constitute an individual personality, are severally and collectively impermanent. Hence, they cannot survive death, individually or collectively.

What Survives Death?

The doctrine of anatta prevents this understanding of rebirth. Not any soul or enduring mind.

Buddhaghosa considers it a “confusion” to suppose that rebirth involves a “being’s transmigration to another incarnation....a lasting being’s manifestation in a new body.” (Buddhaghosa, Visuddhimagga )

First Approximation One’s individual karma survives the death of the self, and provides the basis for the emergence of a new personality. What is reborn is a cluster of dispositions or tendencies that constituted the character of the formerly living person. The person has ceased to exist with death, but his or her character persists and becomes integrated with a new psycho-physical person.

"There is rebirth of character, but no transmigration of a self. Thy thought-forms reappear, but there is no ego-entity transferred. The stanza uttered by a teacher is reborn in the scholar who repeats the words” ~ Buddha, The Gospel