We live in a society where everyone has the want and need for identity. They feel like they need to know everything about themselves, from: who they are, what they are majoring in, and what job profession they are going to be in. Not only do they do need to know but others will soon want to as well. These outsiders will continue to pester and pressure them until they are receive a distinct answer. Even though they may think they have found “self” that is not necessary the case. According to Robert Thurman, a TIbetan Buddhist monk, wrote in “Wisdom”, that “solid self-sense is only an illusion” (448). The idea of it is false and people should stop searching for the non existent self and learn to accept it. With his Buddhist philosophy, he discovered
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You’re being too intelligent to be stuck inside one frozen mask of personality! You’ve opened up your wisdom, and you’ve realized that “knowing who you are” is the trap—an impossible self- objectification. (443)
When you are not sure about something, you are willingly to try new things. While realizing that “[no one] knows who [they] really are”, you are more open to change. This new thought process only happens when one reaches selflessness. Selflessness is an arduous process to achieve. It can often lead to the thought of “absolute nothingness” (442). It is very important to understand that you are still worth something and that you are still someone when are at the state of selflessness. Thurman compares selflessness to an analogy: It’s as if your hand represents the universe and you fingers represent all beings. each of your fingers can wiggle on its own, each can operate independently, just a each being has its own identity. And yet your fingers are part of you hand. If your hand did not exist, your fingers would not exist. You are one of many, many fingers on the hand that is all life. …show more content…
But according to Thurman self is a false representation. He explains that “none of us knows who we really are” (443). According to psychologist, Dr. Larry Scherwitz, that if people have a lot of “I, me, my, and mine” in their speech, they will have more stress. This shows how the obsession with self is a negative affect. Everyone should accept the fact that they can never find self. The acceptance will soon lead to the start of “selflessness”. The words “selflessness” “voidness” and “emptiness” might sound scary to many people but they have to know it does not mean that they disconnected from the world. Getting to nirvana “is not a state of disconnection from the world”. Because “there is no way to become removed from yourself or from other beings” (444). The world and you need each other to function, similar to Thurman’s analogy with the hand and the fingers. After they have received the enlightenment and reached nirvana, they are able care for others and help transcend to nirvana. Through the views of the “declared major” student, Leslie Bell’s patient, Alicia, and the undergraduates of the elite universities, we can see how important it is to be uncertain than be certain. We are able to witness the problems that arises and the length it takes solve it. Once someone overcomes the need to find self and know that it can never be reached or found, selflessness is reached. While it is stated that
You’re being too intelligent to be stuck inside one frozen mask of personality! You’ve opened up your wisdom, and you’ve realized that “knowing who you are” is the trap—an impossible self- objectification. (443)
When you are not sure about something, you are willingly to try new things. While realizing that “[no one] knows who [they] really are”, you are more open to change. This new thought process only happens when one reaches selflessness. Selflessness is an arduous process to achieve. It can often lead to the thought of “absolute nothingness” (442). It is very important to understand that you are still worth something and that you are still someone when are at the state of selflessness. Thurman compares selflessness to an analogy: It’s as if your hand represents the universe and you fingers represent all beings. each of your fingers can wiggle on its own, each can operate independently, just a each being has its own identity. And yet your fingers are part of you hand. If your hand did not exist, your fingers would not exist. You are one of many, many fingers on the hand that is all life. …show more content…
But according to Thurman self is a false representation. He explains that “none of us knows who we really are” (443). According to psychologist, Dr. Larry Scherwitz, that if people have a lot of “I, me, my, and mine” in their speech, they will have more stress. This shows how the obsession with self is a negative affect. Everyone should accept the fact that they can never find self. The acceptance will soon lead to the start of “selflessness”. The words “selflessness” “voidness” and “emptiness” might sound scary to many people but they have to know it does not mean that they disconnected from the world. Getting to nirvana “is not a state of disconnection from the world”. Because “there is no way to become removed from yourself or from other beings” (444). The world and you need each other to function, similar to Thurman’s analogy with the hand and the fingers. After they have received the enlightenment and reached nirvana, they are able care for others and help transcend to nirvana. Through the views of the “declared major” student, Leslie Bell’s patient, Alicia, and the undergraduates of the elite universities, we can see how important it is to be uncertain than be certain. We are able to witness the problems that arises and the length it takes solve it. Once someone overcomes the need to find self and know that it can never be reached or found, selflessness is reached. While it is stated that