Expert: Justin Choo - 7/25/2007

Question
QUESTION: Could you please tell me how can you explain the self and selflessness? What is mind? Where is it? Inside the brain or outside of it?

ANSWER: Hi Sugandi,

It would help me to better answer you if I know your environmental background.  You see, a person from a Western Christian society will have a very different mind-set compared with an Asian.  It is much easier to explain to an Asian mind-set than a Western one.  

<<Could you please.....explain the self and selflessness?>>
We take this physical body as our possession.  It is natural to believe that this is true.  In reality if this body belongs to me, then I should be able to control it completely.  But the sad truth is that I cannot fully control this body; given time this body will age and disintegrate.  We are all very fearful of death because we believe that this body is ours.  This attitude towards clinging to our body is what we call clinging to "self".  There are actually two distinct components in a living person.  One is the physical body; the other is the mind.  An analogy of the computer sytem may give a clearer picture.  The physical body is like the computer hardware.  Mind is like the power supplied by electricity to run the computer.  When the hardware has broken down, the electric energy still exists; and if you replace the old computer with a new one, plug it in, the system comes to life again!  The old computer is not important, it is not self.  In that sense it is "selflessness".  Our existence is a continuous process; when one body disintegrates, the life-energy or mind passes on and seeks rebirth in another form. In Buddhist concepts, you will find such terms like mind, consciousness, thought processes, energy and life-force.  We use them in different context, and sometimes synonimously.


<<What is mind? Where is it? Inside the brain or outside of it?>>
Brain:  The piece of grey matter encased in the skull.
Mind:   The invisible consciousness that activates the brain to think.

An analogy by using computer terminology:
Brain: the hardware
Mind: the electrical current
Consciousness: the software (operating system)
Brain + mind + consciousness =  A functioning computer system


Our consciousness or etheric energy through the medium of the brain, enables us to think and feel.  Brain without this consciousness is just like a person in a coma.  Consciousness without a functioning brain means the being is clinically dead.

I must admit that I am just using my knowledge and understanding of Buddhism (whatever much or little I may have) to share my views with you.  This means that there is always the danger of ending up with arguments and disagreements.  So always bear in mind that there should be space for "agreeing to disagree".

Once someone asked, "What is a person?"
Answer: "Body and mind."

"Then what is body?"
Answer: "Without mind."

"And what is mind?"
Answer: "Without body."

"Then 'without mind' plus 'without body' equals 'body and mind'!"
Answer: "Oh! Never mind!!"

Smile from justinchoo :-)   


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you very much Justinchoo. I am sorry that I didn't introduce myself at first. I am Sri Lankan Buddhist. Theravada. In these days I am studying Buddhism further. Hence, I read a few books and those are the questions came to my mind when I read those books. Your answer is very clear and I got the idea.

Now I have another question. What is this dependent co-arising? I have no idea. Could you please explain to me?
ANSWER: Hi Sugandi,

Welcome back.  Dependent co-arising or dependent origination is a very deep and profound teaching of the Buddha.  It can become very academic at times, unless one has deep knowledge of the Dhamma and is able to realize its meanings.  You can find many authoritative sources in the internet on "paticca samuppada" which is the Pali term. One good site is Wikipedia @    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paticca-samuppada

I could not have explained better than the above source.  So let it do justice if you would refer the above site.  I would like to quote a relevent passage though:

<<  Stated in another way, everything depends on everything else. For example, a human being's existence in any given moment is dependent on the condition of everything else in the world (and indeed the universe) at that moment but, conversely, the condition of everything in the world in that moment depend in an equally significant way on the character and condition of that human being. Everything in the universe is interconnected through the web of cause and effect so that the whole and the parts are mutually interdependent. The character and condition of entities at any given time are intimately connected with the character and condition of all other entities that superficially may appear to be unconnected or unrelated.

Because all things are thus conditioned and transient (anicca), they have no real independent identity (anatta) so do not truly ‘exist’, though to ordinary minds this appears to be the case. All phenomena are therefore fundamentally insubstantial and ‘empty’ (sunya).

Wise human beings, who ‘see things as they are’ (yatha-bhuta-ñana-dassana), renounce attachment and clinging, transform the energy of desire into awareness and understanding, and eventually transcend the conditioned realm of form becoming Buddhas or Arhats. >>

Hope this helps.

Smile from justinchoo:-)



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you very much. That web site you mentioned is very helpfull. When we are talking about this yatha-bhuta-nana-dassana, how can you explain this conditioned and unconditioned experiences. I know only conditioned state is divided into some more levels. There are two methods for that. One is six sense fields, the other one is name and form. Am I correct? Could you please explain to me about this?

Answer
Hi Sugandi,

This "yatha-bhuta-nana-dassana" concept is as translated "seeing things as they are".  Whatever thoughts arise they will cease in due course.  Whatever experiences arise they will cease in due course.  It's a never ending cycle of "appearing and disappearing".  

I am not into deep Buddhist scriptures, so I shall only try my best to explain in layman's language what I think I understand.  All our experiences are "conditioned experiences".  There is no such thing as "unconditioned experiences" as we exist in a conditioned world.  As far as "name and form" is concerned, it is "mind and matter".  "Matter" is form or body.  "Mind" in this classification is separated into four categories.  They are feeling, perception, mental formation, and consciousness.  The six sense fields are the five sense doors (ears, eyes, nose, mouth and touch) and consciousness.  If we can guard this "consiousness" at all times then we shall experience this "yatha-bhuta-nana-dassana".  We will then experience inner peace in the midst of this turmoil world.

Smile from justinchoo :-)

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