What is the concept of Anatta (non-self), how can our understanding of this concept direct us in our daily life?
Anatta or non-self is an essential tenet in Buddhism. It can be realised through insight. The concept of Anatta or non-self may be classified into two levels: At the lower level, Anatta or non-self can be understood through rational thinking and we can use such understanding in our moral development. If we remain mindful of non-self, it will help us to be free from craving, conceit, and the idea of self. In this way we can rid ourselves of attachments and become unselfish. At the higher level, Anatta or non-self is the truth of all that is, of all that exists. The truth of all that is not what we perceive through our ordinary senses unless we have attained enlightenment. When one attains full enlightenment, one’s attachment and craving absolutely stop. The following principles are essential to the application of the Anatta concept to our daily life: 1. Do nothing only for one’s own benefit or to satisfy only one’s own needs and wants. 2. Do everything to decrease one’s self-importance.
