Identity Disorder - The Me - Atta

The Watercooler
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I hope, I’m not wrong in interpreted Buddha teaching.
I, me is delusion, and how to treat this personality or the last personality in human ? Maybe psychiatrist can help ?

Buddha told us to help our self by follow 8 noble path. How to use 8 noble path to treat the last personality ? Perhaps Bhikkhus, teachers and friends can give a right view.

My own practise :

  1. Teach the mind to see I as he, in every moment.
  2. Aware all body activities. Look at that activity as his activity.
  3. Aware of feeling, perceptions and mind objects arise and letting go.
  4. If possible aware of breath (sitting position).
  5. Sitting comtemplation, watch breath in out and watch the mind at
    the same time.

The counting method of breath help me to calm down and focus the mind, but it seems not helpful to eliminate “I,me”.

Please some enlightenments, Bhikkus, Teachears and Friends.

Sadhu

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Sounds about right to me. :slight_smile: But this forum is for discussion of the texts and isn’t really meant for practice questions. So, in that vain, I’ll point out that the last few steps in the Ānāpānasati Sutta are:

“[13] He trains himself, ‘I will breathe in focusing on inconstancy.’ He trains himself, ‘I will breathe out focusing on inconstancy.’ [14] He trains himself, ‘I will breathe in focusing on dispassion [or: fading].’ He trains himself, ‘I will breathe out focusing on dispassion.’ [15] He trains himself, ‘I will breathe in focusing on cessation.’ He trains himself, ‘I will breathe out focusing on cessation.’ [16] He trains himself, ‘I will breathe in focusing on relinquishing.’ He trains himself, ‘I will breathe out focusing on relinquishing.’

So, per the suttas, there’s more to mindfulness of breathing than just counting. Hope that helps!

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Thank you Bhikkhu. Better I delete it.
I’m sorry

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Oh no worries, just letting you know what to expect is all. :blush: Welcome to the forum!

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The sutta’s teach: Reverend Ānanda, the notion “I am” occurs because of grasping, not by not grasping. ‘Grasping what? The notion “I am” occurs because of grasping form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness, not by not grasping.

The Buddha does not describe asmi mana, the notion ‘I am’, the Me-notion as the truth of the cause of suffering but craving for sensual pleasures, existence and non-existence. The cessation of those same cravings is the cessation of suffering.

I think it expresses we must focus on these 3 cravings as the cause not on asmi mana as the cause. We must see those cravings within ourselves while they arise, let go of them, not feed them, weaken them.

We cannot really force a Me-less or egolessness upon ourselves while the mind is still passionate and grasping.

I do not believe the Buddha teaches that we must first of all uproot the ego or Me-conceit and then we become dispassionate and realise the truth of the cessation of suffering.

If we focus to much on identity we can get trapped in views like: there is no self, i see not-self with self etc. (MN2)

I am not a teacher nor enlightend but i think one must not make such a big of an issue of this Me or ego-conceit, accept it as a result of cravings and grapsing, and focus on the 3 cravings.
Ignorance is…not seeing that those cravings are the truth of the cause of suffering.

I personally think that ego or Me conceit does not cause those cravings but it is like a katalyst. Once ego-conceit arise because of cravings and grasping, it fuels the cravings even more.

I think one cannot really abandon I or me conceit without the cessation of craving (see sutta above)

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Nicely said :lotus:, @Green

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Sorry, i am shocked by your reaction. You even liked it. Are you not yourself (your real atta) today? :grinning:

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Don’t be surprise when you receive compliments for your wholesome deed.
I honestly compliment what you nicely said (of course the reverse is also true) :smiley:

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The teaching is to see mind and body (5 aggregates) as not self. Making a “he” into the picture is also employing a “self/being/soul” picture, just dissociating identity. It makes suffering worse, not eradicate it. How? One might abandon morality, saying, it’s not me who do unwholesome deeds, it’s he. Whereas the clinging to the sense of self is still there.

See conditionality instead. This exist, that exist, this cease, that cease. On each of the 5 aggregates. See that they all arise and cease due to conditions. There’s no magical soul behind the conditionality.

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