Eastern Philosophy of Self

Buddhism originated with a man named Siddhartha Gautama, who left his life as an Indian prince in a palace behind to seek and understand the basic truths of life. Once he received answers to his questions from wise individuals throughout the world, he gained enlightenment, or nirvana, and was titled Buddha, or "Enlightened One". After Buddha's death, Buddhism spread and changed into different forms that reflected the differing opinions of Buddha's followers. Today, Theravada and Mahayana are the predominantly practiced types of Buddhism, but the concept of self is viewed differently by each type of Buddhist and is reflective of how opinions and culture have shaped these concepts into what they are today.

Though there are many differing beliefs held by Buddhists around the world, there are two primary views that inform Buddhist belief: interconnectedness and the lack of a self. Interconnectedness refers to the idea that everyone is part of a greater whole, and that each of us impacts and is impacted by the decisions of self and others. Buddhists believe that, because we are all a part of a greater whole, "the self" is an illusion and does not truly exist. Instead, we are all streams of consciousness that are so interconnected that there can be no true distinction or difference between us.

Whereas in Hinduism, the Atman, or human soul, is connected to the Brahman, Buddhists believe that our interconnectedness negates the existence of an individual self that can exist independently from the whole of which it is a part. To better understand this, imagine the three rivers connected to a lake mentioned previously. Buddhists posit that because the water from the lake flows and interconnects with the rivers, the water that flows within them is one ever-changing entity. Therefore, the rivers do not exist independently of the lake but are part of a water source that one cannot be distinguished into separate entities. Therefore, in the Buddhist faith, Atman does not exist at all.

Lesson Summary

Though the interpretation of "the self" (composed of one's personal identity, core philosophies, and overall consciousness) and its meaning varies by individual, Western and Eastern views of this concept are essentially opposites of one another. Western ideologies typically define "the self" as an individual entity separate from that of others. Eastern ideologies, or Oriental thought, posit that "the self" is an illusion, and that we are all interconnected.

In Hinduism, "the self" is described by the relationship between Brahman and Atman. Brahman is the soul of god, or universal power, while Atman is the human soul, or "the self" that is part of the Brahman. This connection between the human soul and the soul of god is described in famous Hindu text as "That art Thou". Buddhism posits that there is an interconnectedness between everything and everyone. These entities influence each other and exist as a greater whole. Our streams of consciousness are so interconnected that there can be no true distinction between us, meaning there is a lack of a self in the Buddhist faith.