Is there a Self, is there not, or is there something in-between?

Question

Noble Silence is an acceptable answer... :-)

Some wonderful answers. All have integrity.

Cosmic Voyager. As ever yours is mindblowing. :-)

Be well, All.

Answer 1

The cosmic ocean loves to be tickled by it's many ripples.
The ripples love to tickle the cosmic ocean.
Here we have unity. *CosmicUnity*

Answer 2

I always thought my self was my preferences, memory and thoughts. It seems it may be further back then that. I have preferences, thoughts and memory, but I've decided that I'm not those things but an awareness of those things. Awareness and life are those elusives that make us believe in something besides a mechanical universe, as even the mind seems to be mechanical, much like a computer. The awareness seems to only observe and listen or not listen to the various thoughts and questions that come to mind and decide which questons to send back into the brain for answers. It OK's the body to pursue a course of action, but the whole thought process seems to be mechanical. They show now that, if we don't give attention to pain it can't be felt. Hm. It hurts because we allow ourselves to concentrate on it. If you view yourself as in the thoughts or being thoughts then you are not in control again. Here's a good control site. Show you that you can control your feelings by your thoughts from the first sentence.

Answer 3

Self is requisite conditions of such. Where there is form there is contact. Where there is contact there arises feeling. Where there is feeling there is clinging. Where there is clinging then there...there is Self.

This then is the requisite conditions of the arising of the Self.

Where there is dispassion for these conditions, then there is dispassion for this Self. Where there is dispassion for the Self, then there is Non Self.

When there is Non Self there is Liberation from Self. When there is thus Liberation there is freedom from suffering.

Yes, there is a Self, there is a cause for the arising of Self, there is a method to be free of Self and this method will allow Liberation from Self. There is no in-between, there is only the method.

What then is this method..? The method is dispassion. It is this dispassion which is named Non Self.

Therefore become the Observer and practise this method of Liberation from suffering.

A Buddhist...

Answer 4

SB 4.23.15 P Maharaja Prthu' s Going Back Home
When the spiritual spark, which is described as one ten-thousandth part of the tip of a hair, is forced into material existence, that spark is covered by gross and subtle material elements. The material body is composed of five gross elements--earth, water, fire, air and ether--and three subtle elements--mind, intelligence and ego. When one attains liberation, he is freed from these material coverings. Indeed, success in yoga involves getting free from these material coverings and entering into spiritual existence. Lord Buddha's teachings of nirvana are based on this principle. Lord Buddha instructed his followers to give up these material coverings by means of meditation and yoga. Lord Buddha did not give any information about the soul, but if one follows his instructions strictly, he will ultimately become free from the material coverings and attain nirvana.
When a living entity gives up the material coverings, he remains a spirit soul. This spirit soul must enter into the spiritual sky to merge into the Brahman effulgence. Unfortunately, unless the living entity has information of the spiritual world and the Vaikunthas, there is a 99.9 percent chance of his falling down again into material existence. There is, however, a small chance of being promoted to a spiritual planet from the Brahman effulgence, or the brahmajyoti. This brahmajyoti is considered by impersonalists to be without variety, and the Buddhists consider it to be void. In either case, whether one accepts the spiritual sky as being without variety or void, there is none of the spiritual bliss which is enjoyed in the spiritual planets, the Vaikunthas or Krsnaloka. In the absence of varieties of enjoyment, the spirit soul gradually feels an attraction to enjoy a life of bliss, and not having any information of Krsnaloka or Vaikunthaloka, he naturally falls down to material activities in order to enjoy material varieties.

Answer 5

Noble Silence lol

Answer 6

It is a very hard question because you won't get the answer easily. Why is like that ? I would like to ask you a question.
Do you still feel angry to others ? If, your answer is "yes", you perhaps do not know the answer. If, your answer is "no". You would know the answer of what is self. And there is a self or not. The way to stop your anger is to search for the experience of understanding of self, not self or in between.

Answer 7

Yes, my Cosmic brother, I believe that there are an infinite number of 'selves', at our end of the Tree of Life these are fully individuated, singular, selves, and at the core of the Tree there is 'One Self' comprising 'All That Is/Was/Ever Will Be'.

In between there are an infinitude of 'agglomerations' ( for want of a better word ) of composite 'selves', from two individuated entities combined, right up to the 'One'.

I further believe that we are constantly interacting ( dharma ) with all of these selves, all of the time, both here, and in all the other countless realms of experience.

Which is why we, who may seem to be remote in 'time' and 'space', are brothers ( and sisters too, but that's another story ). :-)))

{{{{{{{{{{{{Cosmic Self Love Leads to One Love}}}}}}}}}}}

Answer 8

Anything in between is what is considered the balance. The balance is what everyone seeks for. When focused too much on self, you are self-centered. Aside of being selfless, you need to have values on yourself and have a little bit of selfishness to make it balanced.
I'd consider myself being something in between.

Answer 9

When I really enjoy licking icecream or having sex,
there is no self. I cant recognize my"self"

There is only pure pleasure .

The real pleasure or exctasy can happen only when there is no self or recognition of self.

When you are in real horror or fear , you cant recognize your"self".The same is love and sadness.

Self is merely the recognition of ego experiencing something.

When I am in love , I can recognize my"self" being in love, but this is not love, only recognition.

You can name anything , that s the function of self.

But real experience is beyond self
.

Answer 10

I do not think there is any distinction between the physical and the personality. The self is a product of the wet-ware.