Most religions believe in the existence of the “soul”. A person is said to have a “soul” which is permanent. This “soul” is called the “self”; i.e. a living person must have a “soul” inside the body which defines the “self”. When he dies, the body cannot function anymore simply because the “soul” has left the body; i.e. the body cannot be regarded as the “self” without the “soul”. The “soul” may go to Heaven, Hell, or possess another body in the form of a human or animal. This “soul” is believed to be permanent and unchanging.
Buddhist doctrine of Anatta is often translated as “non-self”. It doesn’t mean there is no “soul” or no “self”, but the real “self” is not the body and not inside the body. The real “self” is actually somewhere else, and it is remotely controlling the body which is simply an Avatar; it can be in the form of a deva, human, ghost, animal, or Hell being. When a living being dies, there is no “soul” coming out of the body. The real “self” can instantly switch the remote control to target another body. The real “self” is not permanent and not unchanging. When the Buddha or an Arahant enters parinibbana or nibbana-after-death, the real “self” ceases to possess another body; i.e. there is no more rebirth. In this case, the real “self” is transformed and it escapes the cycle of rebirth or Samsara; instead of the habit of switching his remote control automatically (like being dictated by some Natural laws, or like an iron bar which keeps being attracted to a magnet). No birth means no subsequent suffering of ageing, sickness, death, association with the disliked, separation from beloved ones, and not getting what one wants. A wise person would prefer non-existence instead of existence.
In the Buddhist doctrine of Anatta, everything in this world is empty of “self”. The real “self” is beyond this world, but the Five Aggregates of Clinging (body, feelings, perceptions, volition, and consciousness) give a person a false sense of existence. We opine something exists when there is signalling on the Five Aggregates of Clinging; we opine something doesn’t exist when there is no signalling on the Five Aggregates of Clinging. In other words, we indirectly think our Five Aggregates of Clinging are perfect which make us perfectly capable to judge whether something exists or not exist. If we accept the fact that we are not perfect, then we should accept at least the possibility that there is something beyond fathomable if we still have the Five Aggregates of Clinging; i.e. we still regard the body as the “self” or assume the “self” is inside the body. If we totally rely on the Five Aggregates of Clinging as our information input, we can never fathom the real “self”.
“Does the Buddha exist after death? Does the Buddha not exist after death? Does the Buddha both exist and not exist after death? Does the Buddha neither exist nor not exist after death?” This is one of the few questions which the Buddha refuses to answer. The Buddha does not regard the Five Aggregates of Clinging as the “self”. Existence or non-existence as defined by living beings who regard the Five Aggregates of Clinging as the “self” are not adequate to describe the real “self”. It is incorrect to say the “self” exists or does not exist. The correct answer is simply impossible to describe with words, but it can only be experienced or realized when one attains Nibbana; i.e. perfection of virtue, equanimity and wisdom through abandonment of greed, hatred and delusion. This is a state when an Enlightened one (or Arahant) is completely quenched and cool, with totally no desire, neither for sensual pleasures, existence nor non-existence. This is the cessation of all suffering, after walking the path leading to Nibbana (which is the Noble Eightfold Path). Some people may think this is a crazy idea simply because they cannot understand it; just like people who think the idea of Schrödinger’s cat is crazy. ( In quantum theory, quantum particles can exist in a superposition of states at the same time and collapse down to a single state upon interaction with other particles. In the thought experiment, a hypothetical cat may be considered simultaneously both alive and dead. Yet, when one looks in the box, one sees the cat either alive or dead, not both alive and dead.)
Buddhist wisdom is about “purification of beings, for overcoming sorrow and lamentation, for the cessation of physical and mental pain, for attainment of the Noble Paths, and for the realization of Nibbana.” – Digha Nikaya 22. An Arahant has no more fear, anger, grief, lamentation, despair, pain, or any form of suffering. He has perfect Buddhist wisdom. If a person still has any of the above suffering, can he be regarded as a wise person who has perfect wisdom? Realization of Anatta leads to the loss of “pride or conceit”. The conceit of “I am” is the fact that for the unenlightened man, all experience and action must necessarily appear phenomenologically as happening to or originating from an “I”. When a Buddhist gets more enlightened, this happening to or originating in an “I” is less. The final attainment of Enlightenment is the disappearance of this automatic but illusory “I”.
“It is said that the world is empty, the world is empty, lord. In what respect is it said that the world is empty?” The Buddha replied: “Insofar as it is empty of a self or of anything pertaining to a self: Thus it is said, Ananda, that the world is empty. And what is empty of a self or of anything pertaining to a self? The eye is empty of a self or of anything pertaining to a self. Forms… Eye-consciousness… Eye-contact is empty of a self or of anything pertaining to a self.” – Samyutta Nikaya 35.85. The world is not really empty; it is simply empty of a self. The eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind are not really the self because one does not cease to exist when he loses any of these organs. Similarly, the Five Aggregates of Clinging are not the real self. The arising and passing away of signalling in these elements create a false sense of a “self”. Everything arises due to conditions and passes away when the conditions change; there is nothing to do with a “self” nor wishes of someone. When one no longer latches onto any idea of “my self,” one sees phenomena within and without simply as examples of signalling arising and passing away, he will develop a sense of disenchantment with everything in the world, thus abandoning any clinging associated with them. He will have no wish to gain nor fear of losing, wish for fame nor fear of disgrace, wish for praise nor fear of blame, wish for success nor fear of failure, wish for pleasure nor fear of pain, wish for association nor fear of separation, etc.
Seeing Anatta or non-self is supposed to be a positive view if one has the Right View. Developing a sense of disenchantment with everything in the world, thus abandoning any clinging associated with them, leads to liberation and freedom. The body is not the self, and the self is not inside the body. Thus, the body and everything tangible/intangible associated with this body and name cease to be burdens of the real self, i.e. these things are all dispensable or can be let go. Knowing one has nothing to lose means knowing one can never lose, i.e. undefeatable. He will have no fear of doing anything, or not doing anything; it is just a matter of deciding to do or not to do, but never motivated by obligation or guilt. Knowing one has nothing to gain means one will have no greed (because the empty self cannot take whatever gain in this lifetime or into the next). He will do things for the benefits of manifold selflessly but not with excessive ambition.
One who has a self, or regards the self as inside the body, cannot possibly be selfless. Consciously or unconsciously, he will protect the “self” (including “I”, “Mine”, “Myself”, “My Family”, “My Religion”, “My Race”, “My Country”), for selfish reasons.
Imagine assembling a number of electrical and mechanical parts to make a robot possessing extremely advanced Artificial Intelligent. This robot can move and think like a human. Does he have a “self” or “soul”? So, it is possible to move and think like a human although one doesn’t have a “soul”. If the robot is disassembled, he will cease to move and think like a human. Are we not like robots? We may think we are different, but we may be wrong. We are probably like robots with no “soul”. Everyone is just an Avatar.
RESILIENT KID 