Expert: Bodhicitta - 12/13/2004

Question
I understand that the Mind is what migrates from one sentient form to another, picking up karmic additives along the way that move it closer to, or farther from , Buddhahood.

What is the origin of this mind?  It sounds very much like the Christian concept of a soul. Is it derivitave of something else, and therefore empty?  And don't many of the early Buddhist suttas say that there is no soul?

Answer
Hi George
Nothing migrates, there is no coming or going. Buddhism doesnt have the idea of reincarnation with a solid body,
and a bird like soul flying from body to body.

Buddhism is a tradition of meditation and working with experience.

we experience thoughts, scenery, sounds, smells, touch, memories etc all this is some sort of experience in our awareness. this is also our experience when we dream. buddhism starts by working directly with our awareness using meditation. ideas and frameworks and thoery dont help. if you wish to understand then you need to enter into a path of working with awareness and meditation.
so find a teacher, learn meditation and find out for yourself. this was the message of the buddha.

there is nothing much to be said in conceptual terms of what truth is. the early suttras say that there were
questions the buddha refused to answer. he also said that his path was one of come and see.

references to "soul" in translation of early sutras are very ambiguous if taken out of context. soul is a western word loaded with meaning and maybe difficult to relate to
outside the frame work of the tradition. it is posible that
soul is a bad translation for atman and anatman .

Good luck
Bodhicitta