---
title: 無我 Not-Self
description: "When one does not understand death, life can be very confusing. If our body really belonged to us, it would obey our com"
---

Not-Self

　　無 我

When one does not understand death, life can be very confusing. If our body really belonged to us, it would obey our commands. If we say, "Don't get old," or "I forbid you to get sick," does it obey us? No, it takes no notice. We only rent this house, not own it. If we think it belongs to us, we will suffer when we have to leave it. But in reality, there is no such thing as a permanent self, nothing solid or unchanging that we can hold on to.

　　當一個人不了解死亡時，生活會非常煩惱。如果我們的身體真的屬于我們，就會聽從我們的命令。如果我們說：「不可以變老。」或者說：「我不許你生病。」它會聽我們的嗎?不，它毫不聽從，我們只是租這棟房子，而不是擁有它。如果我們認為它是屬于我們的，當我們必須離開時就會感到痛苦了。而事實上，根本沒有一個永恆的自我，沒有一樣堅固、不變的東西是我們可以掌握得住的。

Buddha made a distinction between ultimate truth and conventional truth. The idea of a self is merely a concept, a convention-American, Thai, teacher, student, all are conventions. Ultimately no one exists, only earth, fire, water, and air-elements that have combined temporarily. We call the body a person, my self, but ultimately there is no me, there is only anatta, not-self. To understand not-self, you have to meditate. If you only intellectualize, your head will explode. Once you understand not-self in your heart, the burden of life will be lifted. Your family life, your work, everything will be much easier. When you see beyond self, you no longer cling to happiness, and when you no longer cling to happiness, you can begin to be truly happy.

　　佛陀對勝義的真理和世俗的真理做了區分。「我」的觀念只是一種概念、一種約定俗成的。如同：美國人、泰國人、老師、學生，都是約定俗成的。根本沒有「人」的存在，有的只是地、水、火、風──暫時組合的元素罷了!我們將這個身體叫做一個人、自己，而事實上根本沒有「我」，只有「無我」。要了解無我，你就得禪坐，如果你光用思考的話，你的頭會爆炸的。一旦你打從心中領悟到無我，生命的重擔就會解除，你的家庭生活、工作，每一件事都將會輕松多了。當你超越了自我，就不會再執著于快樂。而當你不再執著于快樂時，你才能開始真正的快樂。