Did the Buddha Really Teach That There Is No Self?

About this episode

Thanissaro Bhikkhu discusses the Buddhist concept of not-self and its implications with James Shaheen.

Thanissaro Bhikkhu is an American Theravada Buddhist monk trained in the Thai forest tradition. He currently serves as abbot of the Metta Forest Monastery in San Diego County and is a frequent contributor to Tricycle. Over the years, he has written extensively on the Buddhist concept of not-self, including the many misperceptions that have arisen about this teaching over the centuries. In this episode of Tricycle Talks, Tricycle’s editor-in-chief, James Shaheen, sits down with Thanissaro Bhikkhu to discuss why the Buddha refused to answer when he was asked whether there was a self, what it means to consider not-self as a strategy rather than an ontological truth, why perceptions of self and not-self are types of karma or activity, and why all views and perceptions are eventually discarded on the path to awakening.

People in this episode

Host: James Shaheen

Guest: Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Topics covered

• Buddhism
• not-self
• self
• awakening
• karma
• philosophy

Keywords

• Buddha
• not-self
• self
• karma
• awakening
• Buddhism
• philosophy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Tricycle: The Buddhist Review

Places: Metta Forest Monastery, San Diego County

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