The Illusion of Self

How Buddhism’s teachings on self, suffering, and mindfulness can transform our everyday experience

Photo by Julia Volk on

The self that isn’t there

The notion of the self is one we cling to.But when you think about it, it’s a bit like planting a flag in the ground you’ve only trod on for the first time and claiming ownership.We tend to believe that the self is our unique story, it’s our identity, after all, and we‘re convinced it’s as solid as the ground we’re on.

But Buddhist philosophy, in its wisdom, holds up a mirror and shows us anatta — the absence of a fixed self.

The self, it says, is no more than a trick of the mind, a shadow we chase while the real substance slips through our fingers as if the shiny mirror has turned to magnesium before our eyes.

We identify with our labels, the ones we put on ourselves, and those given to us.We chase our tails, looking for happiness and trying to build a legacy in our attempt to kill death. But the bricks we try to build that legacy with are an illusion.