Expert: Justin Choo - 4/19/2008

Question
I'm very interested in Buddhism. I really like the idea of craving and clinging being the cause of continued suffering. Liberation puzzles me however. This has to do with the notion of I, me and myself. Since the Buddha taught anatta, how can 'I' reach liberation. Especially when you would need several lifetimes. How can the continuing stream of conscientiousness be 'mine' so 'I' can attain freedom from suffering. Especially when 'I' am merely a process.

I wish you happiness

Answer
Hi Chris,

Thank you for asking me.

First to clarify for you that "liberation" does not take several lifetimes, but countless lifetimes.  In fact it takes aeons, which simply means incalculable periods!! I take the liberty to assume that you are a Caucasian being brought up in a Christian society.  Given that, it is most difficult to understand the Buddhist concepts of anatta and rebirth.  You are used to the belief in a permanent soul, and this alone is the greatest impediment to understand many of the Buddha's teachings.

The Buddhist concept of "no self" is not to be literally translated as such. The Pali term is "Anatta".  What the Buddha meant was that there was no permanent, unchanging self.  There is no permanent unchanging soul.  There is no permanent unchanging "I".  In order to understand this concept, we need to know the Buddha's revelation of what constitute a person.  A person is comprised of matter (physical body) and mind.  We know that this physical body will perish one day.  It is not a permanent entity.  The mind is also not a permanent unchanging entity.  The mind is always in a state of flux.  There are thought moments continuously going on in the mind.  This is the consciousness or energy that gives the mind its substance.   The energy of the mind is just like the electric current flowing continuously, but no two moments are the same.
The existence of a person is the results of the energy of the mind taking existence in this physical body. The nature of life-form that this mind energy affixes to, will depend on the nature of the accumulated "kammic" store-house which the being had generated throughout its numerous life existences. If the kammic storehouse has a greater portion of evil and unwholesome kammic energy, this mental energy will seek a rebirth in the appropriate existence such that the evil and unwholesome energies will actualize in that life, causing agony and suffering for the being.  Likewise, wholesome kammic energy will seek out a happy rebirth.  Often, the kammic energy is a mixture of both good and bad strains.

Having said that, the clinging and craving that you are talking about create the impetus for the successive recurrance of rebirths.
This phenomenon of rebirth is a very unique one.  As pointed out, the consciousness is like an electric current.  This current lights up different bulbs.  This current is not the same at any one moment, it travels or in a flux.  As for the bulbs, it is quite obvious that they are different bulbs.  However the light that the different bulbs emit is neither the same nor different because it comes from the same source, the electric current.  The different bulbs are just like our different bodies in the cycle of rebirths.  The Buddha expressed the rebirth process as "neither exactly the same nor totally different" ("Na ca so, na ca anno", in Pali) (Pronounce: "Nar cha so, nar cha un-yo").  To cut off this vicious cycle, the mind has to completely erase any trace of craving and clinging.  Once this is achieved, the mind is liberated; no more rebirth, no more death.

I hope this doesn't further confuse you instead of putting you in a better light!  The best way to understand the Buddha's teachings is to continue to study his teachings, take time to analyze, and have untiring patience.  Given time, you will gradually understand.

Take care.

Smile from justinchoo :-)