Originally Posted by Terumoto

To most people: Don't read what I have written, dont read it at all. Not even a tiny bit of it. Just skip it, please.

I'll try to explain my standpoint.

OK. So you are Alex, a rapper living on the Gold Coast, going through the journey of life, who wants to leave a legacy, have kids, and learn as much as possible.

Isn't that a bit shallow? Does that really describe you, as who you truly feel you are? Is that vague description what makes you up as a person? Of course not. What you just told me actually means nothing. Thats not who you are. When I asked you who you were, what you told me was your name, your occupation, and your place of abode. WHO ARE YOU? I could nitpick at every answer you gave me, I could say "thats not who you are, what you've told me is your opinion on certain subjects" or "thats not who you are, what you've told me is your memory of what has made up your life up to this point." You could never tell me who you actually are. Do you even know who you are?

My "self," the same as everyone else's, is made up of thoughts, emotions, and memories. Nothing more. This self is a perception that we create. It can change, and is always changing. What if you hit your head and got Amnesia? Lost every memory. Didn't know your name, didn't know where you were, what you were doing, or wtf was going on... And I came along and said "who are you?" What would you say? You dont know? You are still the same person, but you are nothing like what you consider yourself now.

The self is an illusion, it is dynamic. What is behind the self, that is the true nature of who you are. Without the self, you are nothing. Nothing. Would that make you sad? What if you lost your self through amnesia. Would you feel sad? Would you miss your old self? You wouldn't. You wouldn't even know, it wouldn't bother you one bit. You would just continue to exist.

But you might say (actually you definitely will say -_- lmao) "wtf thats stupid, idiots get amnesia, the chance of that happening is so slim. What you are saying is illogical, because the self is there, I dont have amnesia, so right now there isnt a problem. I am who I am and im fine with that, its not an illusion to me." Well thats all very well and good, and true. What are the chances of you magically losing your sense of ego and self? Slim to none.

But this "nothing" that is left after the self is stripped. What about that? Your self might not magically be stripped from you, but through hard work and discipline, maybe one day you could lose your self and your ego and become nothing. Why would you want to become nothing? Because nothing is great.

Think of how much suffering your self and ego are causing you without you even knowing it. You want to become successful, you want to become rich, you are not those things so its making you suffer. You want to leave a legacy, think of how much you will suffer if you end up not being as successful as you had planned. When you're not having sex, you want to have sex, then you have sex, but after it its not long before you want it again. If someone insults you, your ego is hurt, if someone degrades you your pride is shattered. All these things you want, and all these things you dont want are causing you to suffer. Want is desire, desire is longing, and longing is suffering. The self is a troublesome thing.

Why would you want to become "nothing," so to speak, to lose your self and your ego? Well, its obvious. Without those things, you would be content. You wouldnt want anything, you would just exist. That is true happiness. You probably can't even comprehend what it would be like. It is, complete comfort, like when you are wearing a comfortable pair of pants or shoes it feels like they arent there, they don't bother you at all. Imagine being comfortable with everything, nothing bothers you at all. Nothing is a virtue or a curse, nothing is an advantage or a disadvantage, which reminds me of a story I heard.

There was once an old farmer, who lost his horse. Everyone in town came to his house and said "Oh, we're so sorry you lost your horse. Thats terrible." The farmer said "Maybe." The next day his horse returned with seven other wild horses, and everyone in town came to his house and said "We are so happy for you! Isn't it wonderful you have eight horses now?" He said "maybe." The next day his son was trying to tame one of the wild horses, but was thrown off and broke his leg. Everyone in town came to the farmers house and said "We are so sorry about your son breaking his leg, it was such bad luck." He replied "maybe." The next day conscription officers came to the town, looking for suitable people to recruit to fight in the war. They didn't recruit the farmers son because he had a broken leg. Everyone in town came to his house and said "Isn't it lucky your son didn't have to go and fight in the war because of his broken leg?" ... "Maybe," replied the farmer.

You see what I mean? It's this atittude, this way of existence. It includes, but is not limited to, all the things I have mentioned. Your mind is like a mirror. Nothing is retained or kept, but nothing is refused. You can see things so clearly with an empty mind. You would see things exactly as they are.

One of the (great) sayings of one particular man who reached this state of being was something like "Before it, my ears heard whatever they wanted to hear, my eyes saw whatever they wanted to see, my feet moved wherever they wanted to go, and my mind thought whatever it wanted to think. After it, my ears heard whatever they wanted to hear, my eyes saw whatever they wanted to see, my feet moved wherever they wanted to go, and my mind thought whatever it wanted to think." That probably makes no sense to anyone, but I think its fucking great. The guy was obviously so wise. What he's saying is that before he obtained enlightenment, he was as undisciplined as the rest of us, only doing what he wanted, without any self-control. He witnessed events as an observer, and after the events he remembered them and thought about them, and said "well yes, those events had quite an impression on me." After he obtained enlightenment, he just existed. Instead of witnessing events as an observer, it was as if he, the observer, was merely observing life from a particular point of view.

It's like saying that there is no difference between the knower and the known or the thinker and the thought, as opposed to the common belief that the knower and the known or the thinker and the thought are two different things. Your mind, if you have one, is not in your head. Your head is in your mind.

If you asked me who I was, I honestly wouldn't be able to give you a proper answer.

If you asked me where I was going, I would say I was going to bed now.