How can there be no-self when there seems to be a self?

[LXNDR]

@tuvok

Isn’t experience exactly the thing that gives you confidence in the path and practice?

Suttas say that the result of proper meditation is calming of the mind and great pleasure / joy among other things. If you start getting this, even in modest amounts - you know that you are on right path. If you practice for some time and don’t get any of this, it’s a sign: either the path is broken or you are doing something wrong and it’s time to try to practice differently.

i can apply this argument to your case as well - doesn’t your success in being able to empirically ascertain veracity of one aspect of the Teaching give you enough reasons to trust in veracity of its other aspects?

i specifically emphasized the phrase in your post to show that it’s the person who’s at fault when something doesn’t work or seems false as long as there’re numerous statements to the contrary in the suttas, it’s not the suttas which is fishy, i.e. it’s not that rebirth is a fantasy, it’s that your faith in the Buddha and his Dhamma is deficient

i acknowledge limits to my cognitive and perceptual abilities and for things i can’t verify on my own i go by faith (following the rule of thumb indicated in the first sentence of my response), exactly as encouraged in the suttas

[quote=“tuvok, post:81, topic:5041”]
Suffering is a problem in this life, especially that I don’t accept the rebirth, at least as described in the mainstream Buddhism. What @Brother_Joe described in this topic has much more sense, although I’m not sure to what extent it can be compatible with the suttas, I would have to investigate it. [/quote]

Brother_Joe in his idiosyncratic interpretation of the Dhamma espouses quite heretical views in that they contradict and aren’t supported by the EBT

sure the EBT may misrepresent the Teaching of the historical Buddha, but they’re are the ONLY EARLY known source thereof and so it’s them and only them which a sincere Buddhist’s views and practice unavoidably must be true to

but why would you want to investigate the accuracy of Brother_Joe’s views against the suttas when your own views are in overt disagreement with them?

[quote=“tuvok, post:81, topic:5041”]
Of course. He did advertise it as a way to end suffering in this life. And if that is possible, isn’t it a great news?[/quote]

this sounds like a copout

he also advertised the doctrine of rebirth, whos news is just as great, isn’t it?

so provided you came to the Dhamma in order to alleviate or eradicate suffering and considering that you don’t believe in rebirth, your response still doesn’t give an answer why suicide isn’t a better way to escape suffering, because it can be done at any moment and is sure, as without rebirth this would be the ultimate end