What is the nature of the self?

Answer 1

We as humans are made up of 5 Parts or Skandhas (Kandhas to some depending on the translation from Pali). One is physical and the other 4 are mental. They are
1. Form which makes up the body and the 5 senses.
2. Sensation or feeling. Sensing whether something is pleasant, unpleasant or neutral.
3. Perception sometimes called cognisance. Recognizing something as an object with some form eg; a bell which rings, a tree which grows.
4. Mental Formations sometimes called Volition. This is where we form ideas, habits, opinions, compulsions and decisions.
5. Consciousness. The end result of the use and acts of perception. in effect consciousness arises from perception.

These Skandhas are forever in a state of change, it is their nature. We are always changing our minds about some issue or other, our bodies are in constant change due to the effects of aging, we change our habits and so on. Because of this changing nature it can be seen then that to base happiness on any of our Skandhas is foolish as whatever we base our happiness on is forever changing and so our state of happiness will also change. This is the basis of clinging and also the basis for unhappiness. To stop being unhappy therefore we must stop this clinging to our Skandhas.

This then is the basis for the First Noble Truth. It is our clinging natures which is the basis of our unhappiness and therefore it is this which is the basis of our suffering. To free ourselves of this clinging nature we must not ascociate with our Skandhas, we must develope the concept of freeing ourselves from them.

Consider if we cling to the idea of money to make us happy and we lose the money then we become unhappy, if we develop the concept that we'll use our money for other's benefit and not for ourselves however, when we lose our money then we'll not feel unhappy at all as we'll have lost our need for it. This is the concept of "Not me" which can be misinterpretted. It is not a total disregard for the material world...the Lord Buddha was very practical when it came to living with the Dharma as a devotee. Instead we are to become unconcerned for ourselves and altruistic concerning others....our Skandhas are not the real "Us", our real consciousness must be released by freeing it from our Skandhas and their clinging natures. We should recognise our Skandhas and understand their impermanent and selfish natures. Becoming "Not them" if you will and becoming not selfish is the basis of this concept.

I hope I've helped you understand a difficult concept.

Peace from a Buddhist.

Answer 2

check out the book 10 theories on human nature for a philosophical perspective on this. goes over plato aristotle kant sartre (existentialism) confucious hinduism etc. good book.

i take the existential view saying that we are a product of our surroundings and there is no major stagnant widespread nature of man although some linguists can argue otherwise.

Answer 3

abstract, concept, construct.

It is not tangible : It's what you THINK you are based on feedback that OTHERS gave you. If you were raised in one society, a nerd would be someone with a very high self-esteem; in another society, he would be considered a wimp (maybe because he cannot bring down a bird in flight using a primitive sling shot).

Answer 4

Whose self? Yours or mine?
My self is selfish.. not as in self-like or like a self, but selfish..
oh nevermind. Good night!

Answer 5

self- human, sinful, needy. Created in 3 --- self: body (human), spirit (propensity for sin), soul (need for God)....that is the "nature" of self.

Answer 6

Every person is the sum of their consciousness created by their physical body. That's all.

Its enough, though.

Answer 7

Scientifically: Death. Organic material is a temporary subset of inorganic material.

-Aztec276

Answer 8

God nature