“First of all, "no self" doesn't mean there is no self, haha. So the "no problem" is jumped at a little too fast I'm afraid. Especially in American culture where people tend to be materialistic philosophically. I don't mean running to the mall, but philosophically, you see?” PeopleFirstsMeanLittlesSelfProblemRunningCultureNo ProblemAmerican CultureMaterialisticMallsHaha Author:Robert Thurman
“The idea that somehow "no self, no problem"- I don't exist because I don't have a self- would be a mistaken understanding. However, the selflessness teaching is not that hard to understand. What it means is a type of self that people feel they have, like a fixed, unchanging identity. Either they know they have it, or for some, they feel they need to seek it, and possibly have an experience where they feel like they found something. That type of fixed, unchanging, essential self, or absolute self doesn't exist. That's what "no self" means.” PeopleKnowsNeedsFeelsMeanIdeasSelfHardProblemWould BeFoundUnderstandingTeachingIdentityTypeEssentialsAbsolutesFixedMistakenSelflessnessNo ProblemUnchanging Author:Robert Thurman
“The saying "no self, no problem" probably comes from Zen. In their cultures, where Buddhism is kind of taken for granted, as well as karma, causality, former and future life, and the possibility for becoming enlightened, then it's safe to skirt the danger of nihilism, which would be, I don't exist because Buddha said I have no self, and therefore I have no problem because I don't exist. That would be a bad misunderstanding. But in those cultures, it would not be as easy to have that understanding as it would be here in the west, where we really are nihilistic.” WellsKindSaidSelfProblemWould BeCultureEasyUnderstandingTakenDangerPossibilityBuddhismBecomingSafeWestKarmaFormerGrantedEnlightenedMisunderstandingNo ProblemNihilismSkirtsSaying NoTaken For GrantedCausalityFuture LifeBecoming Enlightened Author:Robert Thurman
“Struggling with the world and having the problem of you vs. the world is a really big problem. You're going to lose because the world is so much bigger than you, and longer lasting.” WorldProblemBigsLosesStruggleBiggerLastingBig Problems Author:Robert Thurman
“So that's the process of understanding, and through that process, if you have a deep realization of the selflessness in regard to your absolute self, then it releases your relational self to be happily interconnected with everything in a blissful way. Then you yourself have "no problem" in the sense of no suffering. You reach Nirvana.” IfsWaySelfProblemSufferingProcessUnderstandingAbsolutesRegardReleaseRealizationSelflessnessNo ProblemInterconnected Author:Robert Thurman
“However, because of your interconnectedness with all things, other beings still have a problem, and when you realize that you have no absolute self apart from things, you realize that essentially, you are all the other beings.” StillsSelfProblemRealizingAll ThingsAbsolutesInterconnectedness Author:Robert Thurman
“You feel so happy about that, that you feel loving towards these poor being who are suffering in their separateness, and their alienation Then have the problem of how to help them get free, because just by your knowing that they're essentially free, that doesn't free them. Just by your being blissful, it doesn't release them from their knot of separation and false self absolutization.” FeelsSelfHelpingProblemSufferingPoorKnowingSeparationReleaseAlienationKnotsSeparateness Author:Robert Thurman
“The problem has to be answered by means of art, because you can't blast them with bliss. Tat freaks them out even more. So instead, you have to have an artful way of approaching them. You do a dance for them, you get them to imagine being interconnected, and to imagine being free of their suffering, and not so self involved, through art that draws them out. Then you, and they, are all established in what's called a Buddha-verse, or Buddha-land” WayMeanArtSelfProblemSufferingImagineLandInvolvedDrawsArt IsBlissFreakVersesBlastBeing FreeInterconnected Author:Robert Thurman
“The problem in our society is the ego psychology and conventional wisdom about "look out for #1." That conventional wisdom thinks that "love your enemy" is to some a principle no one can ever live by.” ThinkingLooksProblemEnemyPrinciplesPsychologyLove YouEgoOur SocietyLive ByConventionalConventional WisdomLove Your Enemies Author:Robert Thurman
“People are afraid that if they let go of their anger and righteousness and wrath, and look at their own feelings-and even see the good in a bad person-they're going to lose the energy they need to do something about the problem. But actually you get more strength and energy by operating from a place of love and concern. You can be just as tough, but more effectively tough.” PeopleIfsLoveNeedsLooksPersonsFeelingsProblemEnergyLosesStrengthLetting GoLosingToughConcernAngerInner StrengthRighteousnessWrath Author:Robert Thurman
