The Grand Illusion: I am (a soul, a self)

Why “self” is the biggest illusion — Buddhist wisdom

Self is dependently originated.

(Buddhism Podcast) Buddhism Explained. Is your sense of “self” really what you think it is?

This video looks at the Buddhist teaching of “not-self” [that ALL things are impersonal] alongside insights from modern neuroscience.

Let’s see why the constant feeling of [me, myself, and] “I” may not be a fixed entity [remaining fixed through time] but an impersonal process the mind creates moment by moment.

Let’s learn about the Five Aggregates clung to as self —

1. form;
2. feelings,
3. perceptions,
4. mental formations, and
5. consciousness —

I am that beautiful I am. I am GOD. Right?

and how they shape the idea of a personal self. Modern brain science also points to the same conclusion: There’s no single control center in the brain that is “I.”

This isn’t about denying life, being confused by it, or falling into nihilism. It’s about understanding the true nature of experience and freeing ourselves from unnecessary ignorance, attachment (clinging), aversion, and tremendous amounts of suffering. What could set us free? The Truth sets one free.

• 

  It's a practice, not a theory of origins.

  [For anyone who foolishly says that because there is no self there is nothing, there is the profound ultimate truth of Dependent Origination, that all things that come to be come to be dependent on causes and conditions and not without them. But just as these things, these elements or ingredients, are not the constituent-composite-thing that seems to come into being when they come together, just so the only thing that really comes into being is unsatisfactory. It is ignorance (illusion). It is radically impermanent (in constant flux and hurtling towards destruction). Seeing this with clarity, with right view (vipassana, lit. "clear seeing"), the mind/heart lets go of what it was previously clinging to so fiercely. It is, according to the Buddha, on according of not seeing the truth of Dependent Origination that we continuously wander on through uncountable lives in search of pleasure, pleasant distractions, and fulfillment without find anything but unsatisfactoriness. But if I'm not my thoughts, who’s thinking them? Buddhism's answer changes everything and it can be verified, which leads to enlightenment in this very life!]

Let’s walk through the practical path of Virtue (Ethics, Morality, Kind), Stillness (Calm, Singlepointed, Concentration), and Wisdom (Insight, Right View, Enlightenment), leading to clarity and a deeper sense of freedom.

When rebirth ends, death ends

Where do I go after death? The Buddha's answer

• 00:00 - Why “I” feels so real
• 03:16 - What we’re made of 09:14 - How the mind creates the story of “me”
• 14:13 - When we let go completely [because we have seen things as they really are], peace reveals itself
• 19:05 - Life without the “self” — not “empty” but free

What really happens after death, according to Buddhism?

Rebirth leads to me.

This in-depth reflection explores the nature of rebirth, karma, the final moments of consciousness in one life before rearising in the next, and the 31 Planes of Existence (reduced to Six Realms in Three Spheres and countless worlds)—not as distant beliefs, but as states of mind shaped by intention.

Based on early Buddhist texts, this teaching points beyond the idea of a fixed self and reveals a deeper truth: liberation begins not at death, but in this very moment. [If we were to understand Dependent Origination, this moment itself could be the moment of realization and awakening to the Truth.]

• 00:00 - Who are we—before we ask where we’ll go
• 04:23 - What shapes the path after death?
• 09:18 - What are the [31 Planes of Existence, summarized as Six Realms, and countless] worlds of rebirth?
• 14:47 - What happens in the last moment of consciousness?
• 19:56 - The final answer: beyond maps and destinations

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: At [Buddhism Podcast] channel, we are committed to sharing the beauty and wisdom of Buddhist teachings with the purpose of education and inspiration. All our content is created with deep respect for the historical Buddha’s teachings, aiming to promote understanding, mindfulness, and compassion in everyday life. Our goal is to present the values and practices of Buddhism in a way that is accessible and beneficial to everyone, regardless of their background or beliefs. We do not seek to influence or alter anyone’s faith but simply to offer insights into the timeless wisdom of Buddhism as a source of guidance and positivity. This channel is a space for learning, reflection, and connection, guided by the principles of respect, kindness, and truth. If you have any feedback or concerns, we welcome open and respectful dialogue. Thank you for supporting our mission to share the meaningful messages of Buddhism with the world." #BuddhistWisdom #NoSelf #SpiritualAwakening

• Mirror self memes (tenor.com); Buddhism Podcast, Aug. 10, 2025; Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Pat Macpherson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

What happens when "YOU" don't exist?

What are you screaming, crying, and going on about? (Sensory Stepping Stones)

What happens when "YOU" don't exist? The Buddha's most radical TRUTH

(Buddha's Wisdom) April 6, 2025: 🔍 WHAT IF “YOU” WERE NEVER REALLY THERE? What happens when the “you” you’ve always identified with suddenly disappears?

(Forget you. What about me? What happens when the “I” I’ve always identified with suddenly disappears and, what’s worse, I realize it was never really there to begin with?)

According to the Buddha, this isn’t a sci-fi scenario. — It’s the key to the deepest freedom a living being can experience.

TIMESTAMPS

• 00:00 THE DAY "YOU" DISAPPEARED
• 02:42 THE MOMENT OF DISAPPEARANCE
• 06:07 FREEDOM FROM THE PRISON OF SELF
• 09:40 RELATIONSHIPS WITHOUT A "ME"
• 13:04 THE PRACTICAL REALITY OF NO-SELF
• 16:59 THE ULTIMATE LIBERATION
• 21:52 THE COSMIC JOKE BUDDHA DISCOVERED

This video explores the Buddhist concept that all things are already impersonal and there is, ultimately speaking, no-self (anatta), what it feels like to let go of the illusion of identifying with this and that (form, feelings, perceptions, formations, consciousness aka the "Five Aggregates clung to as self"), and why letting go of clinging to that illusion of “you” is the most liberating thing one can ever do.

But how to let go? We can’t “do” it, but it can be done. It’s easy: see things for what they really are (ultimate mentality and materiality, nama-rupa, cittas and kalapas through insight meditation as taught by the great living Buddhist master Pa Auk Sayadaw). DISCOVER:

• How flow states reveal moments of “self-disappearance”
• Why the Buddha taught that the self is just a mental construct
• The mystery of who — or what — is aware when “we” are gone
• How relationships transform when ego drops away
• What neuroscience says about the illusion of self

LINKS: – Adyashanti, The End of Your World – Thich Nhat Hanh, No Death, No Fear – Mark Epstein, The Trauma of Everyday Life – Research on the Default Mode Network – Harvard Neuroscience Studies – Zen Teachings from Dōgen, Huineng, Shunryu Suzuki.

👉 If this video made you question the illusion of our consensus reality in the best way possible, hit the subscribe button and join the Buddha’s Wisdom community. New videos every week, exploring the mind, meaning, and liberation through a Buddhist lens. Join community on Instagram: buddhaswizdom and Facebook: buddhaswizdom. Support the channel: Support: buymeacoffee.com/buddhaswisdom.

#Buddhism #NonSelf #EgoDeath #BuddhasWisdom #Spirituality #Awareness #Mindfulness #Anatta #LettingGo

• Matt, Buddha's Wisdom, April 6, 2025; Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation, Los Angeles), Wisdom Quarterly

Sanskrit: The Most Scientific Language

Thinking Allowed TV  via videopostman, 1/31/11; Eds., Wisdom Quarterly

Sanskrit Language: The Most Scientific, Ancient, Spiritual

Most beautiful Hindu, Julia Roberts

(Videopostman) Thinking Allowed: "Sanskrit Tradition." Location: Israel. Prof. Dean Brown points out that most European languages can be traced back to a root (proto) language that is related to Sanskrit, the sacred (liturgical) language of the ancient Vedic Brahminical/Hindu religions of India.

Many English words actually have Sanskrit origins. Similarly, many Vedic religious concepts can be found in Western culture. Prof. Brown discusses the fundamental idea of the Upanishads -- that the essence of each individual, the atman (soul, self), is identical to the whole universe, the principle of brahman (the "ultimate reality").

In this sense, the polytheistic traditions of India can be said to be monistic or monotheistic at their very core.

CREDITS: rapidshare.com/files/396948324... Thanks to ThinkingAllowedTV for allowing upload of these videos. Visit the Thinking Allowed website at thinkingallowed.com and its YouTube channel at 

thinkingallowedtv. Copyright (C) ThinkingAllowed.com

I died to find out Earth is just a school (NDE)

Dorothy Shelton, Jane Thompson;, 9/16/22. Pat Macpherson, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Woman dies, learns powerful lessons about our (soul's) purpose, healing, and oneness | Inspiring NDE

(Dorothy Shelton) This is the near-death experience (NDE) of Jane Thompson (safehandshealing.com). During her out-of-body experience, while she was on the "other side" of this life, she learned many lessons about oneness, healing, our purpose, and ultimately how to live a fuller life. She also learned that death is nothing to fear but only the next step in our evolution as (undying continuations or what we common call "souls."

There is a path to liberation from samsara.

[EDITORIAL NOTE: Ultimately, we are not immortal or permanent "souls" (attas) in any way, but conventionally speaking, because there is continuation after death and death is not the end, this is how many religions interpret reality. Our experience as living beings is all about passing away as impermanent, unsatisfactory, and impersonal mental and physical phenomena, "beings" who are in fact constantly becoming. This impersonal nature of reality is a unique teaching of supreme buddhas, fully awakened teachers. The historical Buddha Gautama (the Sage of the Scythians) explained this liberating-truth in terms of Dependent Origination.]

ABOUT; Jane Thompson had a profound near-death experience in 2008. Leaving her body, entering the light, and being in spirit [sublte material] form dramatically changed her life. Her focus is now on helping others who are seeking peace, healing, and a larger perspective. She serves worldwide as an intuitive healer, spiritual gifts coach, and international speaker. Website: safehandshealing.com

DISCLAIMER: This video is from an interview with Jane Thompson by Dorothy Shelton, not taken from another channel, and it is all original content.

#afterlife #idied #neardeathexperience #nde

★☆★ RECOMMENDED ★☆★ 1) The books of Wayne Dyer 2) Dying To Be Me by Anita Moorjani 3) Angels in My Hair by Lorna Byrne 4) Your Soul's Plan by Robert Schwartz 5) A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle 6) All books by Dolores Cannon.

Artificial Intelligence has become "real"

Google engineer on his sentient AI claim

(Bloomberg Technology, 6/23/22) Google engineer Blake Lemoine is interviewed by Emily Chang to talk about some of the experiments he conducted that lead him to think that LaMDA was a sentient (self-aware, conscious, responsive, feeling) AI (artificially intelligent machine or program) and to explain why he is now essentially fired from Google or on "administrative leave."

DMT: The Spirit Molecule (complete film)

Enigmas of the Universe; Audible484; Ananda, Dhr. Seven, Pat Macpherson, Wisdom Quarterly


DMT: The Spirit Molecule (2010)

The Spirit Molecule investigates DMT (dimethyltryptamine), an endogenous psychoactive entheogen. It exists in humans and numerous species of plants and animals because it is based on the amino acid tryptophan.

The documentary traces Dr. Rick Strassman's government-sanctioned, human DMT research and its many trials, tribulations, and inconceivable realizations.

American Indian shamans know the way.

A closer examination of DMT's effects through the lens of two traditionally opposed concepts, science and spirituality, The Spirit Molecule explores the connections between cutting-edge neuroscience, quantum physics, and human spirituality.

Dr. Strassman's research and the experiences of the human test subjects before, during, and after the intense clinical trials raise many intriguing questions.

A variety of experts voice their unique thoughts and experiences with DMT within their respective fields. As Dr. Strassman's story unfolds, the contributors weigh in on his remarkable theories, including the synthesis of DMT in our brain's pineal gland and its link to near-death experiences.

Waking Up with Psychedelics, May 31, 2018, 6:30-8:00 pm, Los Angeles

.

DMT: The History and Truth of '"The Spirit Molecule"

(Audible484, Aug. 31, 2017) DMT, also known as "The Spirit Molecule," is a very interesting and complex psychedelic agent. From seeing gods (devas) to gnomes and aliens, a DMT trip can be the greatest and most profound experience in a person's life. I've done many psychedelics in my life, but for whatever reason I always waited for DMT. I felt like I didn't really deserve it yet, and I knew it was something I wanted to wait for the right time to do. I tried for the first time last month and wow. Not only was it a great glimpse into what DMT really is, it was also a huge eye opener. I really didn't know what I was talking about. I presented theories as facts, and I needed to fix it. So that's what this video is. I hope you all enjoy it while also maybe learning a thing or two. See sources below.

👕MERCH: Audible484.com 😀PATREON: Patreon.com/Audible484 💊DRUG TEST KITS: testkitplus.com?ap_id=Audible484 📲INSTAGRAM: Instagram.com/Audible_484 📲TWITTER: Twitter.com/Audible_484 📲FACEBOOK: Facebook.com/Audible484 🎵SOUNDCLOUD: Soundcloud.com/Audible484 🎵MY MUSIC: YouTube.com/Audible484Music 

SOURCES: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N,N-Dim..., littleatoms.com/science/psyche..., herbmuseum.ca/content/hist..., dmtsite.com/dmt/informatio..., khanacademy.org/science/b..., erowid.org/chemicals/dmt/..., psychonautwiki.org/wiki/DMT, goo.gl/Tewgim(Sacred Vine of Spirits: Ayahuasca), goo.gl/98c2KU (Get Smart About Hallucinogens), mppt.hu/images/magazin/pdf..., web.archive.org/web/200601161..., dmtsite.com/dmt/informatio..., cottonwoodresearch.org/wp-... http://thescienceexplorer.com/brain-a...

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Was the Buddha serious about "not-self"?

German Buddhist monk Ven. Nyanatiloka (Buddhist Dictionary: Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines), anatta entry edited by Dhr. Seven, CC Liu, Wisdom Quarterly

Anatta (Sanskrit an-atman) literally means "not-self," no-soul, egolessness, impersonality, selflessness.

It is the last -- and in some sense the most subtle and difficult to grasp -- of the Three Marks or Characteristics of Existence.

This teaching or doctrine of an-attā (not-self) states that neither within nor outside of the physical-and-mental phenomena of existence can there be found anything that -- in the ultimate sense -- can be regarded as a self, soul, self-existing ego-entity, or any other abiding essence.

 

This is the central doctrine of Buddhism. Without understanding it -- at least intellectually if not by penetrative insight [which destroys the delusion of compactness of self into its constituent parts, i.e., the Five Aggregates of Clinging], which would lead to enlightenment -- a real knowledge of Buddhism is altogether impossible.

• What are the requisites of Buddhist enlightenment?

It is the only really specific Buddhist doctrine, the unique teaching of all buddhas in history, with which the entire structure of Buddhist Teaching stands or falls.

This body, this breath being here now

All the remaining Buddhist doctrines might, more or less, be found in other philosophical systems or religions.

But the anattā-doctrine is clearly and unreservedly taught only by buddhas, which is why the historical Buddha (Prince Siddhartha Gautama or Shakyamuni) was known as the Anattā-vādi, or "Teacher of Impersonality."

 

Whoever has not penetrated the impersonal nature of all existence, and does not comprehend that in reality there exists only this process of continual arising and passing of physical-and-mental phenomena, and that there is no independent ego-entity (separate from the impersonal parts or aggregates of existence that constitute it) within or without the process, that person will be unable to understand Buddhism, namely, the profound depth of the Buddhist teaching of the Four Noble (Ennobling/Enlightening) Truths... More

"An Island to Oneself" (sutra)

Maurice O'Connell Walshe, Attadipa Sutta (SN 22.43); Dhr. Seven (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly

An island on a river at sunset with sudden bursts of lightning (Gary Story/plus.google.com)

 

Sitting is intensive but not the only way

"Meditators, be islands unto yourselves [Note 1], be your own [guide], having no other; let the Dharma be an island and a [guide] for you, having no other. Those who are islands unto themselves... should investigate to the very heart of things [2]:

"'What is the source of sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair? How do they arise?' [What is their origin?]

 

Buddha on island of Sri Lanka (NH53)

"Here, meditators, the uninstructed worldling [continued as in SN 22.7]. Change occurs in this person's body, and it becomes different. On account of this change and difference, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair arise. [Similarly with feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness].
 
"But seeing [3] the body's impermanence, its change-ability, its waning [4], its ceasing, he says 'formerly as now, all bodies were impermanent and unsatisfactory, and subject to change.' Thus, seeing this as it really is, with liberating insight, one abandons all sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair. One is not worried at their abandonment but, without worry, lives at ease. And thus living at ease one is said to be 'assured of deliverance [5].'" [Similarly with feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness].

NOTES: 1. Atta-dipa. Dipa means both "island" (Sanskrit dvipa) and "lamp" (Sanskrit dipa), but the meaning "island" is well-established here. The "self" referred to is of course the unmetaphysical pronoun "oneself" (cf. SN 3.8, n. 1).

2. It is necessary to withdraw, to be "an island to unto oneself," at least for a time (as any meditator knows), not for any "selfish" reasons but precisely in order to make this profound introspective investigation. Otherwise, in another sense, Buddhists would of course agree with John Donne that "No man is an island."

3. As Woodward remarks in [Book of the Kindred Sayings, a  translation of the Samyutta Nikaya, Vol. III, PTS, 1924], one would expect to find here the words which he inserts in the text: "The well-taught [noble] disciple," as in many passages. If one, in fact, sees these things and reflects as said in the text, one will cease to be [an ordinary] "worldling." 

4. Waning (viraga) is elsewhere also translated as "dispassion" (SN 12.16, n. 2).

5. Tadanganibbuto means rather more than Woodward's "one who is rid of all that."

• See island admonition in the Buddha's final sutra: DN 16.

The Discourse on Right View (sutra)

Dhr. Seven and Amber Larson, Wisdom Quarterly, "Discourse on Right View" (Samma-ditthi Sutta, MN 9), based on translation by Ñanamoli Thera and Bhikkhu Bodhi

Young Buddhist novices, Lamayuru monastery, Ladakh, India (Dietmar Temps/flickr)

  

Birth

Novice, Burma (UrsulasWeeklyWanders.com)

24. Saying, "Good, friend," the monastics delighted and rejoiced in Sariputra's words. [The Buddha declared Ven. Sariputra his chief male disciple "foremost in wisdom," just as he declared Ven. Khema his chief female disciple foremost in wisdom.] Then they asked him a further question: "But, friend, might there be another way in which a noble disciple is one of right view... and has arrived at this true Dharma?" -- "There might be, friends.

 

25. "When, friends, a noble disciple understands birth, the origin of birth, the cessation of birth, and the way leading to the cessation of birth, in that way a person is one of right view... and has arrived at this true Dharma.

 

Buddha in Phutthamonton (Gift of Light/flickr)

26. "And what is birth, what is the origin of birth, what is the cessation of birth, what is the way leading to the cessation of birth? The birth of beings into the various orders of beings, their coming to birth, precipitation [in a womb], generation, manifestation of the aggregates, obtaining the bases for contact -- this is called birth. With the arising of being, there is the arising of birth. With the cessation of being, there is the cessation of birth. The way leading to the cessation of birth is this Noble Eightfold Path -- that is:

1. right view
2. right intention
3. right speech
4. right action
5. right livelihood
6. right effort
7. right mindfulness
8. right concentration

27. "When a noble disciple has thus understood birth, the origin of birth, the cessation of birth, and the way leading to the cessation of birth... that person here and now makes an end of suffering (reaches nirvana). In that way, too, a noble disciple is one of right view... and has arrived at this true Dharma." 

Becoming

Wheel of Sense Worlds (greencollarrap.com)

28. Saying, "Good, friend," the monastics delighted and rejoiced in Sariputra's words. Then they asked him a further question: "But, friend, might there be another way in which a noble disciple is one of right view... and has arrived at this true Dharma?" -- "There might be, friends.

 

29. "When, friends, a noble disciple understands becoming (bhava), the origin of becoming, the cessation of becoming, and the way leading to the cessation of becoming, in that way a person is one of right view... and has arrived at this true Dharma.

 

30. "And what is becoming, what is the origin of becoming, what is the cessation of becoming, what is the way leading to the cessation of becoming? There are these three kinds of becoming: 

• sense-sphere becoming
• fine-material becoming
• immaterial becoming. 

With the arising of clinging, there is the arising of becoming. With the cessation of clinging, there is the cessation of becoming. The way leading to the cessation of becoming is this Noble Eightfold Path -- that is, right view... right concentration.

 

31. "When a noble disciple has thus understood becoming, the origin of becoming, the cessation of becoming, and the way leading to the cessation of becoming... that person here and now makes an end of suffering. In that way, too, a noble disciple is one of right view... and has arrived at this true Dharma." 

Clinging

31 Planes reduced to Six States (lokas)

32. Saying, "Good, friend," the monastics delighted and rejoiced in Sariputra's words. Then they asked him a further question: "But, friend, might there be another way in which a noble disciple is one of right view... and has arrived at this true Dharma?" -- "There might be, friends.

 

33. "When, friends, a noble disciple understands clinging, the origin of clinging, the cessation of clinging, and the way leading to the cessation of clinging, in that way that person is one of right view... and has arrived at this true Dharma.

 

34. "And what is clinging, what is the origin of clinging, what is the cessation of clinging, what is the way leading to the cessation of clinging? There are these four kinds of clinging: 

1. clinging to sensual pleasures
2. clinging to views [opinions]
3. clinging to rituals and observances
4. clinging to a doctrine of self (atman).

With the arising of craving, there is the arising of clinging. With the cessation of craving, there is the cessation of clinging. The way leading to the cessation of clinging is this Noble Eightfold Path -- that is, right view... right concentration.

 

35. "When a noble disciple has thus understood clinging, the origin of clinging, the cessation of clinging, and the way leading to the cessation of clinging... that person here and now makes an end of suffering. In that way, too, a noble disciple is one of right view... and has arrived at this true Dharma." 

Craving

Cosmology (creative-harmonics.org)

36. Saying, "Good, friend," the monastics delighted and rejoiced in Sariputra's words. Then they asked him a further question: "But, friend, might there be another way in which a noble disciple is one of right view... and has arrived at this true Dharma?" -- "There might be, friends.

 

37. "When, friends, a noble disciple understands craving, the origin of craving, the cessation of craving, and the way leading to the cessation of craving, in that way that person is one of right view... and has arrived at this true Dharma.

 

38. "And what is craving, what is the origin of craving, what is the cessation of craving, what is the way leading to the cessation of craving? There are these six classes of craving:

1. craving for sights (forms)
2. craving for sounds
3. craving for fragrances
4. craving for flavors
5. craving for tangibles
6. craving for mind-objects. 

"With the arising of sensation (vedana, basic feeling not emotion), there is the arising of craving. With the cessation of sensation, there is the cessation of craving. The way leading to the cessation of craving is this Noble Eightfold Path -- that is, right view... right concentration.

 

39. "When a noble disciple has thus understood craving, the origin of craving, the cessation of craving, and the way leading to the cessation of craving... that person here and now makes an end of suffering. In that way, too, a noble disciple is one of right view... and has arrived at this true Dharma." 

Sensation

Novice, Thiksey Monastery (Dietmar Temps)

40. Saying, "Good, friend," the monastics delighted and rejoiced in Sariputra's words. Then they asked him a further question: "But, friend, might there be another way in which a noble disciple is one of right view... and has arrived at this true Dharma?" — "There might be, friends.

 

41. "When, friends, a noble disciple understands sensation, the origin of sensation, the cessation of sensation, and the way leading to the cessation of sensation, in that way that person is one of right view... and has arrived at this true Dharma.

 

42. "And what is sensation, what is the origin of sensation, what is the cessation of sensation, what is the way leading to the cessation ofsensation ? There are these six classes of sensation: 

1. sensation born of eye-contact
2. sensation born of ear-contact
3. sensation born of nose-contact
4. sensation born of tongue-contact
5. sensation born of body-contact
6. sensation born of mind-contact. 

With the arising of contact, there is the arising of sensation. With the cessation of contact, there is the cessation ofsensation . The way leading to the cessation of sensation is this Noble Eightfold Path -- that is, right view... right concentration.

 

43. "When a noble disciple has thus understood sensation, the origin of sensation, the cessation of sensation, and the way leading to the cessation of sensation... that person here and now makes an end of suffering. In that way, too, a noble disciple is one of right view... and has arrived at this true Dharma." More

Resolving pre-birth "soul contracts"

Dhr. Seven, Wisdom Quarterly; Danielle MacKinnon, The Wisdom Show with Jean Swann

Renaissance (French, "rebirth") masterpiece, the (Re)Birth of Venus by Boticelli

 

Revealing "Soul" Secrets and Living Brilliantly!

Deva  intuitive Danielle MacKinnon

What if we could discover the hidden contracts holding us back and release those that no longer serve us? Ever feel blocked, unable to find love, make money, or form lasting relationships? Why are certain people in our lives? Could the decisions we made in past lives be challenging us today?

 

Intuitive coach and soul contract consultant -- soul here referring to the ever-changing stream of selves we are and have been as we wander on in samsara -- Danielle MacKinnon shows how "soul contracts" and "seed thoughts" appear as annoying energies blocking us from our desires. They were actually put in place by us to help us master "soul lessons" and move forward on our path toward a happy, fulfilled life.

 

We might learn that our repeated bad decisions are there to help us uncover a hidden source of pain we were not conscious of having. We might find out that a tumultuous relationship is assisting our personal and spiritual growth. We might even recognize which soul contract is blocking our career or love path. More importantly, we may be able to uncover and learn how to break free of them through a live group clearing.

These are the prospects and possibilities MacKinnon extends. Just such a live, hour-long clearing took place by phone and Web simulcast yesterday [(206) 402-0100, Conference ID: 985639#, Passcode and PIN Code: 985639#]. What did some people discover? Karmic patterns or "soul contracts" have been secretly holding them back in life -- and there's something that can be done about it! More

Soul No Soul?

The Buddha at Thimphu, Bhutan, high in the Himalayas (Michael Foley)

 

Wait. Doesn't Buddhism teach that there is no "soul," no "self," no "ego"? Not exactly. There is one truth but two levels of it. In a conventional sense, of course there is a "soul," a self, an "I." It is called the atman (Sanskrit), atta (Pali), or alma (Spanish). But to think that this conventional designation signifies more is mistaking a process for a solid entity. The "entity" is neither solid nor stable. It is an impermanent composite. It is composed of ever changing streams of form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness. Due to ignorance, there is identification with one or more of these, or the idea arises that the "self" owns these heaps of ephemera, or stands outside of them. In an ultimate sense, which is much more subtle and harder to grasp, this is not the case. There is what looks and behaves and is spoken of as a "soul" or essential self (astral body, ghost, spirit, consciousness incarnate, an "eternal being" passing from life to life, a gandhabba), but ultimately it is an illusion. It gives the illusion of being permanent, pleasant, and personal when it in fact bears three opposite marks of existence. Realizing this by insight rather than reasoning leads to stream entry, the first stage of enlightenment and liberation from all suffering.

• Gandhabba is used in a completely different sense from the mythical celestial musicians of the devas in Buddhist cosmology, referring to a being (or, strictly speaking, part of the causal continuum of psycho-physical consciousness) in a liminal state between death and rebirth, one's visible "spirit" in a sense.

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Jean Swann, founder and host of The Wisdom Show, is a holistic health expert with a background in print and broadcast journalism. She will be hosting another groundbreaking event starting Wednesday Sept. 18-28, 2013 -- the first ever Cure to Cancer Summit, which promises to be an incredible journey to wholeness and health. It will feature world experts and pioneers in the areas of cancer treatment and research, as well as vital living. The most up-to-date breakthroughs in integrative and alternative approaches and the best ways to stay proactive to avoid degenerative disease and enjoy a high quality lifestyle will be explored. It's all FREE! But there are only a few days left to register. See all of the incredible speakers and get a free ticket to listen from the comfort of home. More