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Daffodil Assembly 92
The teaching of non-self is the heart of the Buddha’s Dharma, completely opposed to the Brahmanic doctrine of the great self (Brahman) and the small self (Atman). When we contemplate the five aggregates—form, feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness—and the six sense bases—form, feelings, perceptions, mental formations, consciousness, and the world—we see that there is no fixed, separate self-entity. The Middle Way of the Buddha liberates us from the two extremes of “being” and “non-being,” helping us avoid both nihilism and eternalism.
After his enlightenment, the Buddha gave his first teaching to his five former friends, and only Kaundinya succeeded in understanding. The Discourse on the Characteristic of Non-Self presents a deeper insight into non-self, helping us “catch the snake in the right way” so that we do not fall into delusion and suffering. In daily life, sowing and protecting the seeds of culture in the family, school, and society is essential so that young people—especially Vietnamese children living overseas—can find their inner homeland, harmonizing their national identity with Western values.
