Friday, February 8, 2008

Self 5

Self 5

Me, myself, I.

I've been thinking of the nature of identity this week, strangely enough. In Buddhist terms, the thing we call 'self' is an illusion, delusory. Just because it's a delusion, though, doesn't make it wrong. The thing we think of as ourselves is the thing that strives for enlightenment, so pretending it's not there is just as much a deception as assuming that the reality we see - and are - is some kind of fixed truth. Self is a more sophisticated concept than it appears, it seems; but only when we try to put it into words.

I am here, this is my self.

2 comments:

urban vegan said...

Ego--can't live with it. Can't live without it.

Arwen said...

Isn't that the truth! Me, I've been on much better terms with mine since I decided that it was part of being incarnated, and pretty much necessary if I was going to be part of the world.

Of course, that's assuming I don't suddenly get enlightened and leave it behind, but that's a pretty safe assumption ;)