[Xmca-l] Re: Identity through "experiential texts": Poems and Worksof Art??

[Annalisa Aguilar]

Hi,


I would like to recommend Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own. Or even, Orlando. If the connection of self and gender is something worth your examination.


Not to deter discourse that derives from Buddhist practice, but in Vedic thought, self is considered all that is here. That there is no separation, and the world is an infinite appearance of dependencies, a concept that Buddhists have borrowed, if I am not mistaken.


However, in Vedic thought, as I understand, the self is inclusive of everything, appearances, changing moments, etc. because everything here is you. It is a question of understanding the truth of that assertion, of clearing away the obstructions that allow you see that for yourself.


So the infinite dependencies are not what "makes" the self, but the self includes these appearing infinite dependencies. Like the movie characters of the movie are dependent upon the movie screen.


One problem that is also warranted in this discussion is the difference between mind and self. We usually make the mistake of that which changes to be the true self and then we are dismayed when the change occurs. This has an appearance of becoming. So we consider the equation to be mind = self and self = mind. But this isn't the case. It's just an appearance. That is why Buddhists can say there is no self. If one takes the mind to be the self, they are correct.


Vedantins also say mind is not the self. However, we also say the self is the mind, and the sky, and the ocean, and my coffee and pastry, and this post, too. But that's probably more than you bargained for. :)


Kind regards,


Annalisa