More Praise for UNTANGLING SELF “Olendzki has done it again In this volume he manages to make difficult teachings accessible, but without losing the challenge posed to us by the Buddhist understanding of the self His style is even a bit deceptive, writing about profound matters in a nearly conversational voice This book is essential to all of us who continue to puzzle over the Buddhist formulation of the self.” — PAUL FULTON, coauthor and coeditor of Mindfulness and Psychotherapy “A rare gem Wise and deeply rooted in the original Buddhist texts, Untangling Self is accessible and compelling, a roadmap for release from personal and societal suffering and a guide to a deeper understanding of mindfulness.” — SUSAN M POLLAK, MTS, EdD, President of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy “Olendzki’s perspective on Buddhist teachings carries the freshness of science and the fragrance of the Pali tradition His voice is natural, enabling the words to reach in and touch the reader, offering both challenge and inspiration.” — GREGORY KRAMER, meditation teacher and author of Insight Dialogue “Brilliant! A breathtakingly clear synthesis of a vast body of early Buddhist teachings It is the work of a Buddhist scholar and meditation practitioner who has the credibility and courage to challenge modern myths about Buddhism in light of the radical teachings of the Buddha You will want to read it over and over to absorb the no-nonsense wisdom and liberating insights it offers for our lives and times.” — Christopher Germer, author of The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion Untangling Self invites us to see nonself, interdependence, and mindfulness as rational, real-world solutions to the human condition of suffering In psychologically rich essays that equally probe traditional Buddhist thought and contemporary issues, Andrew Olendzki helps us to make use of ancient Buddhist thought in our day-to-day life His writing is sophisticated and engaged, filled with memorable imagery and insight drawn from decades of study, reflection, and meditation on Buddhist teachings Seasoned Buddhist readers and anyone interested in the intellectual heart of Buddhism will find this collection of fascinating essays rewarding “Finely crafted essays effortlessly combine penetrating analyses of key ideas of early Buddhism with practical advice on how to apply them By challenging core assumptions about who we think we are, Untangling Self opens the door to a radically new way of living in this world.” — Stephen Batchelor, author of After Buddhism ANDREW OLENDZKI was trained in Buddhist Studies at Lancaster University in England, as well as at Harvard and the University of Sri Lanka Olendzki is the former executive director of the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) and the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies (BCBS) in Barre, Massachusetts, and former executive editor of Insight Journal Andrew lives in Amherst, Massachusetts Contents Introduction: The Challenge of Nonself Understanding the Buddha The Radical Buddha A Modest Awakening The Other Dukkha A Protestant Buddhism Mindfulness and Meditation Finding the Center Mind Like a Mirror Bait and Switch Growing Pains Nonself I Think I Am Castles Made of Sand Simple Awareness Waking Up Understanding Ourselves Mind Comes First The First Person Ten Billion Moments Blinded by Views The Interdependence of Experience Pinch Yourself A Perfect Storm The Buddha’s Smile Music of the Mind Healing or Harming? Pleasure and Pain Deeper Health Turning the Corner A Tree Called Steadfast Shining a Light Rethinking Buddhism The Mindfulness Wedge Walking the Talk Cherish the Nuns Helping the World Conclusion: The Promise of Nonself Acknowledgments Notes Index About the Author Publisher’s Acknowledgment The publisher gratefully acknowledges the generous contribution of the Hershey Family Foundation toward the publication of this book Introduction: The Challenge of Nonself Tangled within, tangled without; People are tangled in tangles And so I ask you, Gotama — “Who can untangle this tangle?” A wise one of stable virtue, Developing mind and wisdom, A prudent and ardent person — They can untangle this tangle.1 The scientific enterprise has looked closely at the world around us for several centuries now, using ever-more-powerful tools and interpretive models to so, and it has a lot of things pretty well figured out Profound mysteries remain at the frontiers of knowledge, of course, and perhaps one of the things we have learned is that such unknowns may always exist But there is not much in the midsection of the universe we inhabit, between the very smallest and very largest levels of scale, about which we not have a pretty good working knowledge Yet for all this impressive accumulation, we know very little about the knowers of this knowledge That is to say, we still not know ourselves very well It has been both easier and more useful to look outward rather than inward, for the material world is quite obedient to natural laws and learning to exploit these laws has been rewarded with many practical advantages But the time has come to turn our instruments on ourselves in earnest in an effort to understand the greatest mystery of all Who are we? What is the self? What is this phenomenon that stands in the center of everything trying to understand it all? We are fortunate to live in a time when so much is being learned about the mind and the brain, when consciousness itself is a favored topic of focused investigation, and when experimental tools and techniques for investigating the subject are evolving so dramatically Hardly a week goes by without a significant new insight into the mind emerging from researchers and theorists around the globe Under the influence of dramatic advances in the modern understanding of mind, brain, and behavior, we are witnessing a systematic deconstruction of the idea of the self as an essential entity It is being redefined as a bundle of socially influenced narratives and behavioral patterns that has emerged gradually during early development and undergoes continual modification as experience unfolds This is familiar territory for Buddhists, who have been making a similar point for some time now The reason the self causes difficulty is that it is simultaneously so intuitively obvious and such a confused idea Buddhists consider it a folk belief, a superstition, a conceptual reflex, a linguistic habit, a mistaken assumption, a fuzzy idea, a mirage This is why the Buddha stayed away from it as much as possible, even remaining silent when pressed upon the subject To say the self does not exist is as problematic as saying it does exist, because the whole notion of self is flawed to the bone So much so, in fact, that the burden of proof to explain what they mean by it should be upon those who anger and, 93–94 attitude and, 94–95, 100 of the body, 33, 46, 67–68 collective practice, 94 corporate enthusiasm and concerns re, 98, 99 disengagement from secular practice, 99 effectiveness, 97–100 as equanimity, 32, 75, 94, 99 establishing, 46–47 of feeling, 68 foundations of, 67–69 of harmful acts, 94–95 of mental states, 68–69; unwholesome states, 31–33, 33–34, 72 military enthusiasm and concerns re, 98, 99 of mind, 68 paying attention and, 34, 72, 98, 99–100 transformative power, 33–34, 57, 89, 93 unskillful/skillful means re, 34–35, 35–36, 38 of unwholesome states, 31–33, 33–34, 72 and wisdom, 97 See also investigating experience; paying attention Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, mirror image of the mind, 28–31 misbehavior by teachers, 101–3 mistaken views, 22 monks: seniority over nuns, 104–6 moral health See morality morality (ethical behavior), 86–87 teacher misbehavior, 101–3 wisdom and, 101, 102 See also integrity music of the mind/experience, 76–79 N Nagasena and King Menander, 100 Nagasena and King Milinda, 115–16 Nandaka, 117 neurons, 78 nirvana, 14, 62 See also awakening no-self See nonself nonattachment, 74 See also equanimity nonself (no-self), 12–13, 39–50, 121–22 insight into, 3–4, vs soul, 125–26 See also Buddhist teachings of nonself not returning anger, 92, 95 noticing See paying attention notion of self, arguments for, 39–40, 112–13; refutations of, 41–42, 112–17 Buddhist teachings of nonself vs., 109, 111 dismantling, 3–4, See also abandoning the self See also projection of the self; sense of self nuns: monk’s seniority over, 104–6 O objective truth, 44 See also scientific approach to self observing, 122–23 See also investigating experience Olivelle, Patrick, 17 operating system See economic model…of the world ordination: of the Sakyan princes, 103–4 of women, 104 others: communication with, 58–59 empathy for, 19 “looking after others…,” 62–63 respect for the views of, 23 sensitivity to, 17 suffering of, 17–20 suffering that we cause others, 18, 19–20 ownership: and suffering, 115 ownership argument, 39–40, 113, 114–15 P pain, 81–84 of the Buddha in his final days, 82 feeling of See feeling tones resisting, 13 suffering vs., 82 Pajapati, 104 paññā See wisdom parinirvana See passing away of the Buddha passing away of the Buddha, 14, 15–16, 48 the path: middle path, 12, 126 walking, 50, 103 Path of Purification (Buddhaghosa), 78 patience, 72, 108, 122 patience, kindness, and equanimity, 93, 94 paying attention, 32, 60, 72, 73 to the breath, 46–47, 59–60, 67–68 to emotional responses, 68–69 to feeling tones, 68, 93 meaning/importance as created by, 43, 44 and mindfulness, 34, 72, 98, 99–100 to sensations, 33, 36, 46–47, 67–68, 93 to thoughts, 93 training conditions for, 35–36 turning away from the suffering of others, 18 to unwholesome states, 32–33, 34, 57, 72 See also investigating experience; mindfulness peacefulness, 26, 28, 49 perception(s), 5–6, 7, 29, 59 mindfulness practice associated with, 68 sense of self as based on, 40 See also thoughts; views performance art as compelling, 59 phenomena See dhammas phenomenological perspective on the world and self, 117–19 physical health, 84 pinch on the arm, 67–70 pleasure, 81–84 feeling of See feeling tones happiness vs., 82 poisons, three See greed, hatred, and delusion polluted water pool image of the mind, 28–31 popular culture See contemporary/popular culture positive emotions, 30–31 postmodern world view, 22 practice (Buddhist): the Buddha’s practices, 12 of the four noble truths, 20, 106–8 goal, 82 growing pains in, 34–38 for householders, 21–22 inquiring into the meaning of the Dhamma, 22–23 mettā practice, 83 threefold practice, 8, 72–73, 100–3 preferences, 75 prejudices, 75 projection of the self, 117–19, 120–21, 122 as an interactive yet unnecessary process, 123–24 reversing the process, 121–23 proliferation of the mind, 45, 47 Protestant Buddhism, 20–23 psychological stress during meditation, 34–35, 35–36 pubbaṅgama, 54–55 Q quality of mind-moments, 61–62 R racism See caste Radha, 42 radical figure of the Buddha, 11–14 radical well-being (deep sukha), 13, 83–84 discovering, 14, 16 rebirth, 62, 115–16 recognizing views as just views, 63–66 refutations of arguments for the notion of self, 41–42, 112–17 relaxation See calming the mind renunciation by the Buddha, 11–12, 19 resisting, 13 See also grasping resolving differences of opinion, 65–66 respect for the views of others, 23 responses: conditioned See dispositions events of grasping/clinging/resisting as the self, 118–19, 120–21 See also emotional responses responsibility argument, 40, 113, 116–17 restlessness, 26, 26–27, 30 reversing the projection of the self, 121–23 right view, 54 righteous anger, 94 rūpa See materiality (form) S Sakka and King Koravya, 90–91 Sakyan princes: ordination of, 103–4 samādhi, 73 See also meditation samatha, 25–28 sand castles image, 42–45 sankhāra See formations saññā See perception(s) Sati, 116 Satipatthana Sutta See Discourse on the Establishment of Mindfulness scientific approach to self, 4–5, 6, 7–8 second foundation of mindfulness, 68 second noble truth, 18–19, 20, 43, 107 seduction of selfhood, 103 self (the self): abandoning, 41–42, 43–44, 122–23, 124 Buddhist teachings on, 2, 3–4, 5–8, changing ourselves, 89, 108, 116 desirousness, 75 as events of grasping/clinging/resisting, 118–19, 120–21 first-person perspective, 5, 8, 57–60 grasping and, 120 identity imperative replacement, 126 insight into, 3–4, 8, 124 as an invention of greed, hatred, and delusion, 118–19 karma vs., 116 “Looking after oneself…,” 62–63 as no-self See nonself notion of See notion of self projection process See projection of the self scientific approach to, 4–5, 6, 7–8 sense of See sense of self unsuitability of “self,” 112 as a view, 5–6, 41, 64–65 See also experience; nonself self attitude See sense of self The Self Illusion (Hood), 3–4 self-knowledge as lacking, selfhood See sense of self selfless love, 76 sensations: paying attention to, 33, 36, 46–47, 67–68, 93 See also feeling tones sense desire See desire sense objects, 46 sense of self (selfhood/self attitude): as autonomous, 87 as based on greed and hatred, 87 as based on the aggregates, 39–41 seduction, 103 and suffering, 42 as a view, 5–6, 41, 64–65 See also notion of self; projection of the self senses filled to capacity, 123 sensitivity to others See compassion sensory organs, 46 sharing experience, 58–59 Shramana movement/thinkers, 21, 112–13 sīla, 73 simplicity of awareness, 47 six modes of consciousness, 46 skillful means re meditation/mindfulness, 35–36, 38 sloth See sluggishness sluggishness (sloth/torpor), 26, 26–27, 30 smile of the Buddha, 14, 74–76 societal transformation template, 106–8 Socrates, 7–8 sorrow, 81, 83 soul: nonself vs., 125–26 sound of a lute, 76–77, 78 sounds: listening to, 47, 78–79 spirituality, Buddhist, 58 See also experience sports as compelling, 59 Steadfast (fig tree), 90–92 study of Buddhist texts, 22, 23 study of consciousness, 2, 4–5, 77 subject and object, 123–24 suffering (dukkha/dissatisfaction), 81–84, 122 acknowledging, 106–7 alleviating, 20 attitude and, 43–44 cause/causes of, 13, 18, 43, 64–65, 107 cessation of, 20, 107 deep, 83–84 eliminating, 13 emotional dukkha, 82–83 formations and, 82–83 of others, 17–20 ownership and, 115 vs pain, 82 self attitude and, 42 sorrow, 81, 83 that we cause others, 18, 19–20 See also four noble truths sukha See well-being survival argument, 113, 115–16 T taking experience personally, 65, 66, 69 teachers: Burmese teachers, 21–22 the Dhamma as teacher, 103 differing views, 64 judging, 102 misbehavior, 101–3 teachings of the Buddha, 12–14 access to, 22–23 See also Buddhist teachings…; and and other specific topics tendencies, latent/underlying See dispositions Theravada Buddhism, 21–22 thinking, 45, 46, 53 See also thoughts third foundation of mindfulness, 68–69 third noble truth, 20, 107 thoughts, 46 paying attention to, 93 See also perception(s); views three poisons See greed, hatred, and delusion threefold practice, 8, 72–73, 100–3 torpor See sluggishness training conditions for paying attention, 35–36 transformation, 108 of the Buddha, 16–17q of character See changing ourselves template for world transformation, 106–8 transformative power of mindfulness, 33–34, 57, 89, 93 transience See impermanence transitivity of consciousness, 123–24 triggering objects/incidents for unwholesome states, 71 truth: meaning (importance), 43, 44 See also experience objective truth, 44 See also scientific approach to self See also four noble truths turning away from the suffering of others, 18 U underlying tendencies See dispositions understanding See knowledge unskillful means re meditation/mindfulness, 34–35, 35–36 unwholesome states, 35, 62–63 conditions for the arising of, 70–72 mindfulness of, 31–33, 33–34, 72 paying attention to, 32–33, 34, 57, 72 triggering objects/incidents, 71 See also delusion; harmful emotions; hindrances Upali, 103–4 V Vajira, 111q, 120–21q value, 44 See also ethical value; meaning (importance) vedanā See feeling tones (of pleasure/pain) verbs vs nouns for Buddhist teachings of nonself, 111–12 views, 93 mistaken, 22 postmodern world view, 22 recognizing as just views, 63–66 respect for others’, 23 right view, 54 self/sense of self as a view, 5–6, 41, 64–65 viññāna, 52–53 See also consciousness/awareness virtual world, 126 volition, 53, 72 volitional responses See intention(s) vow to benefit all sentient beings, 20 W walking meditation, 59–60 walking the path, 50, 103 wandering mind, 36, 37 well-being (sukha), 81–84, 122–23 awakening and, 48 deep/radical, 13, 83–84; discovering, 14, 16 emotional sukha, 82–83 formations and, 82–83 See also happiness what’s harmful: knowing, See also abandoning what’s harmful; harmful acts; harmful emotions “Who can untangle this tangle?,” wholesome states, 13, 30–31, 35, 62–63 See also beneficial emotions; mindfulness wisdom, 8, 9, 13, 50, 88–89, 95 mindfulness and, 97 and morality, 101, 102 practice of, 73 See also insight; integrity, meditation, and wisdom wise mind, 37, 37–38 witnessing See observing women: awakening as for, 104 the Buddha’s regard for, 12 ordination of, 104 the world, 44 as arising and passing away, 117–18 economic model/operating system, 44–45, 87–88, 99 fig tree image of, 90–92 global dilemma, 8–9, 13 See also economic model…, above; transformation template, below humans as part of, 2–3 insight into, 13, 117–18; postmodern world view, 22 transformation template, 106–8 as virtual, 126 See also contemporary/popular culture; dhammas (phenomena) world transformation template, 106–8 world view, postmodern, 22 Y yogic practices of the Buddha, 12 About the Author ANDREW OLENDZKI is a Buddhist scholar, teacher, and writer living in Amherst, Massachusetts Trained at Lancaster University (UK), the University of Sri Lanka (Perediniya), and Harvard, he was the first executive director at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, and went on to lead and teach at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies for twenty-five years He has also taught at numerous New England colleges (including Amherst, Brandeis, Connecticut, Hampshire, Harvard, Lesley, Montserrat, and Smith colleges), spent two years at the Mind & Life Institute heading up their Mapping the Mind project, and has been a longtime member of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy Andrew has contributed chapters to many books on Buddhist psychology, writes regularly for Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, and is the author of Unlimiting Mind: The Radically Experiential Psychology of Buddhism (Wisdom, 2010) He is currently creating and teaching a number of online courses as the senior scholar of the Integrated Dharma Institute What to Read Next from Wisdom Publications Unlimiting Mind The Radically Experiential Psychology of Buddhism Andrew Olendzki “This book has the power to change how you see yourself and the world It’s a remarkable read for anyone interested in the human condition.” — Christopher K Germer, author of The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion In the Buddha’s Words An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon Bhikkhu Bodhi Foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama “It will rapidly become the sourcebook of choice for both neophyte and serious student alike.” — Buddhadharma Buddhism One Teacher, Many Traditions His Holiness the Dalai Lama with Thubten Chodron Foreword by Bhante Gunaratana “This book will reward those who study it carefully with a deep and wide understanding of the way these traditions have mapped their respective visions of the path to enlightenment.” — Bhikkhu Bodhi, translator of In the Buddha’s Words MindScience An East-West Dialogue His Holiness the Dalai Lama with Herbert Benson, Robert Thurman, Howard Gardner, Daniel Goleman “A lively and interesting description of the dynamic interaction between Buddhism and mainstream science Full of pearls.” — Lion’s Roar Psychoanalysis and Buddhism An Unfolding Dialogue Edited by Jeremy Safran “An extraordinary book Safran deserves much praise.” — Mark Epstein, MD, author of Thoughts without a Thinker About Wisdom Publications Wisdom Publications is the leading publisher of classic and contemporary Buddhist books and practical works on mindfulness To learn more about us or to explore our other books, please visit our website at wisdompubs.org or contact us at the address below Wisdom Publications 199 Elm Street Somerville, MA 02144 USA We are a 501(c)(3) organization, and donations in support of our mission are tax deductible Wisdom Publications is affiliated with the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT) Wisdom Publications 199 Elm Street Somerville, MA 02144 USA wisdompubs.org © 2016 Andrew Olendzki All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photography, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system or technologies now known or later developed, without permission in writing from the publisher Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Olendzki, Andrew, author Title: Untangling self : a Buddhist investigation of who we really are / Andrew Olendzki Description: Somerville, MA : Wisdom Publications, 2016 | Includes bibliographical references and index Identifiers: LCCN 2016011995 (print) | LCCN 2016040683 (ebook) | ISBN 9781614293002 (pbk : alk paper) | ISBN 1614293007 (pbk.) | ISBN 9781614293217 () | ISBN 161429321X () Subjects: LCSH: Buddhism — Psychology | Buddhist ethics Classification: LCC BQ4570.P76 O45 2016 (print) | LCC BQ4570.P76 (ebook) | DDC 294.3/422 — dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016011995 ISBN 978-1-61429-300-2 ebook ISBN 978-1-61429-321-7 20 19 18 17 16 54321 Cover design by Philip Pascuzzo Interior design by Gopa & Ted2, Inc Set in Garamond Premier Pro 11.6/15.8 ... so habitually does in many situations I suggest that when we say we are mindful of aversion, for example, what we really mean is that we are aware of aversion, or that we are giving our attention... change that is so fundamental to the natural order It is radically empowering to say that suffering is caused by human maladaptation to the way things are, and that it can thus be eliminated by. .. a psychological adjustment — by evolving our understanding and learning to respond differently If we can accomplish this, as the Buddha did, then we are capable of attaining a state of radical