THE TRUE SELF AND THE FABRICATED FALSE-IDENTITY

In many spiritual paths such as Daoism, Vedanta, Yoga, and Buddhism, the "fabricated false-identity" is often mentioned.

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In Vedanta & Yoga, Ahamkara is often translated as "ego" or "ego-consciousness", but it is actually more than that.

 

It is the fabricated "false identity",  consisting of:

• personal pride

• opinions from people around you

• societal expectations

• status in society

• family commitments

• position at work etc.

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And because of all these factors, people are enslaved to their "false-identity".

The purpose of Yoga is to dissolve this false sense of "self-identity".

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The Brahman mentioned in Vedanta & Yoga refers to the universal awareness, people in the West may consider it the Akasha Records.

The Atman is a copy of Brahman, when clothed in materialism, becomes a Jiva (Soul).

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One must be clear that the Buddha never taught the concept of "no-self" or "no-soul". Modern Buddhism has been teaching something that the Buddha himself did not teach. In fact, Anatta is correctly translated as "not-self" and not "no-self". The Pali word for "no-self" is Natthatta, and not Anatta.

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In the Sutta, when the Buddha is explaining Anatta, it is always as follow:

1. Nama-rupa is not Atman,

2. Vedana is not Atman,

3. Sanna is not Atman,

4. Sankhara is not Atman,

5. Vinnana is not Atman.

 

In short, the 5 Khanda are not Atta.

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The Buddha is telling us that none of the 5 Khanda is Atman, but he did not say that there is no Atman.

If there was no "Atman", the Buddha would have simply said "There is no Atman".

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​Moreover, the Buddha also taught:

Attadipa = Atta/Atman (Self) is our light:
Attasarana = Atta/Atman (Self) is our refuge.

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