The Buddhist View on the "Self"

Eastern philosophies are based on the Truth of Interconnectedness.  Interconnectedness implies “sharing life” with others through relationships and with the environment.

Buddhism adds to this “sharing life” the Truth of change or Impermanence.

Impermanence and Interconnectedness are the essence of the Buddha’s teaching about the Self: there is no personal self that is fixed in time or separate from others. 

No Permanent Separate Self - constitutes the core meaning of  the Buddha’s teaching of Anatta.

Anatta was the Buddha’s insight that created a shift from the prevailing view of “soul”.  Literally, Anatta means No (fixed) Soul. This was also translated as “No Permanent Separate Self”, but some lazy scholars use shortcut of “No Self”, creating confusion.

The life of the individual

In Buddhism, the individual is the integration of Body & Mind.

In Hinduism, the individual is the integration of Body & Soul.

While the “Mind” is a dynamic mental energy that can be enriched, expanded and fashioned, the “Soul” is fixed since birth (and cannot be changed). This led the Buddha to consider the concept of Soul as a mental prison for those who are suffering. The concept of soul is fixed and personal; it does not include sharing of life or dependency (connectedness with others) - and leads to the illusion of a fixed property of person.

Buddhism views the Self as a dynamic energy of motivations and awareness.  Awareness of one’s life and motivations - defines one’s actions (and hence one’s responsibility for the consequences of actions).  Actions fashion the self, creating a stream of tendencies (karma).

The dynamism of True-Self

Obviously, one’s perception of own life and motivations at childhood differs than when becoming adult.  This implies dynamism of Self and its growth with developing circumstances and higher goals. 

The view of self-development is perhaps similar to what psychology offers in Maslow’s view of levels of needs of the individual.  What psychology calls the stage of self-realisation (or transcendence) is similar to the Buddhist teaching of seeking the highest state of life, enlightenment to the truth, transcending the limitation of the ego-self.

Buddhist literature employs the term “TrueSelf” for perceiving one’s life based on the truth of belonging to humanity, transcending all limitations and revealing the state of enlightenment (or inherent Buddhanature).

In practical terms, the TrueSelf manifests in broadmindedness, flexibility and capacity for transforming hardships and living a harmonious meaningful life - helping others do the same.