Buddhists please answer?

Question

If there is no personal God, and if one can attain nirvana only as a result of the destruction of thirst (tanha) / desire, therefore the destruction of attachment, therefore the destruction of existence--from whence, do you suppose, did personality (or even the sense of personality) ever come? Exactly what is it, and where does it go when one ceases to exist?

Answer 1

Good answer, Vinslave. I would only suggest that before one falls too far to the extreme view of nihilism - or non-existence of these various things - consider how we apprehend them - because things do exist conventionally. We go places, we see things, etc. but the way in which we apprehend their existence is what needs to be corrected. In other words, things are collections of parts - desire for example is a good one. (For more interesting and in depth analysis you could check into the twelve links of dependent origination.) Don't destroy things - deconstruct them into constituent parts. A chair is not a chair. It's wood. It's screwed and glued together and called chair - but just because it's called chair doesn't mean it's ultimately able to perform a function as a thing to sit on. In other words, things aren't what they seem. I am not what I seem, you are not what you seem, etc. There is nothing at all "wrong" with personality and existence, it is how we apprehend these things that gives rise to our suffering as a result of contact with them. It doesn't mean lock yourself away and try and get enlightened - it means take an active role in reducing your "reaching out" for things outside of you to give you happiness, which are impermanent and momentary and also subject to the nature of reality, meaning everything is a collection of parts and pieces and processes and particles and everything, subject to analysis, is found to be in the same predicament. Lastly, point to your mind. It is not in your head, and it is not in your hand. It is not located in the body - it is not made up of anything in your body. Close your eyes and picture a book. Where is the book? In your head it might be on a table but it's not really on the table or in your head for that matter, so where is the image being seen? Just something to ponder.

Answer 2

From your question, I know you have made no genuine effort to understand Buddhism. All you did was pick a partial Buddhist idea, out of context, to attack it. Try reading a little more so that we can have a meaningful discussion on the topic. Perhaps start by understanding the ascetic aspects of your own religion first....Oh, you didn't know about that, well start reading buddy.

Answer 3

The "sense of personality" is a label attached to a heap of parts that is absent of inherent existence... it arises due to causes and conditions and changes and when it "ceases to exist" then it becomes something else...

_()_

Answer 4

it all depends on the society, because society is what makes us and have collective persona