Chapter 8 egoless and immortal

egoless and immortal In ancient and modern China and abroad, when discussing life issues, it seems that there are two big theories that are more or less the same.One is anatta, and the other is immortality.At first glance, if there is a conflict, it should be selfless, but it should also be immortal.But discerning the reality is the same, it is because of no-self that it is immortal. Everyone thinks there is me, but no one can tell where I am.It is precisely because people before unknown ages invented and used the word "I" for the convenience or need of speaking.People in the future will use the name as a reality, and they will think that there is a self in the world.Just as it is said that it will rain, in fact, there is really a day where it does the work of raining.The French philosopher Descartes once said: "I think, therefore I am." In fact, saying that I am thinking is like saying that it is raining?I can only know my mind, but my mind is not me, just as my body is not me.If my body is me, then are my claws and hairs me?If it's not me with a claw and a hair, how can it be me with a thought?We should know that what we are in contact with in daily life is only "mine", not "I".

How to call "mine"?If you think about it carefully, everything that is "mine" is not "mine."Let’s talk about material life first, say that this dress is mine, how do I say this?The most important elements of a piece of clothing are material and style.But the material of this garment was not invented by me, nor was it manufactured by me. Long before I sewed this garment, the material of that garment existed long ago. It was woven by many manufacturers, sold in large quantities, and traveled all over the world.What does the material of that dress matter to me?As far as the style is concerned, it is not created by me. It is a fad in society at the moment, and I also sew according to it.The material and style of that dress are not up to me, how can I say that this dress is mine, what does the word "mine" refer to?It turned out that this piece of clothing was worn by me and used by me, and the ownership of that piece of clothing temporarily belonged to me, so it was said to be mine.Isn't that so?Trying to run into the leather shoe store, there are all kinds of leather shoes in the glass cabinet, the material is made, and the fancy design has nothing to do with me.After I pay a reasonable price and put a pair of leather shoes on my feet, it will be mine.In fact, one of me is missing. The materials in the textile factory and the leather shoes in the leather shoe factory are both popular and sold. Everything exists beyond the self, so what does it have to do with me?For the same reason, the quality and taste of cooking, the materials and samples of buildings, the tools and equipment for traveling, and everything that belongs to material life, all exist before me, detached and independent of me, and will not perish with me.You say it is "mine", how can it really be "mine"?There is such a thing outside, put you in it, but you say it is "mine", seriously, you are his.

Secondly, when it comes to group community life, such as my family, my school, my village, and my country, they are all mine, but they are not mine.As far as the family is concerned, it used to be a big family system, but now it is a small family system.There used to be polygamy, but now it is monogamous.In the past, it was the order of the parents and the words of the matchmaker, but now it is free love.All kinds of relationships between parents, brothers, mother-in-law, daughter-in-law and sister-in-law have changed now. Is it because of my opinion?Didn’t I have that kind of family before I was put in it, just like the pair of leather shoes for me to put on my feet first, I didn’t create that kind of family, so how can I say it’s mine?My family is not the same as yours, just like my leather shoes are like yours. They are all bought in shoe shops anyway, and it is not up to you and me to decide.Family organization and even all the organization of the school and the country, how can I be the master and design by me?They still exist before me, detached and independent of me, and do not end with me. There is already such a set outside, and I am filled in for no reason.So I was put on these leather shoes, and I was born into this family. Similarly, I belong to him and he does not belong to me.

Let's talk about inner spiritual life, like my hobbies, my beliefs, my thoughts, etc.I like music and theater, and I like to listen to Mei Lanfang's singing. Actually, why is this my hobby?First, I have a hobby of Mei Lanfang's singing, and put me in it. Mei Lanfang's singing is like a pair of shoes in a shoe shop. It is not due to my hobby, and it will not lack me. I don't have a hobby.I like Du Gongbu's poems, and I believe in Jesus Christ, all of which are average.The world first had a love for Du Gongbu's poems, and first there was a belief in Jesus Christ, and I was added.Not only can the teaching of Jesus not be said to be my belief, but it is also not easy to say that it is the belief of Jesus.If you analyze Jesus’ beliefs carefully, they actually existed before Jesus and they still exist after Jesus, and Jesus couldn’t say that those are just my beliefs.Strictly speaking, any one person's thought cannot be said to be "his" thought.Is there a person who will have his "my thoughts" alone?Therefore, strictly speaking, there is absolutely no real "my thought" in the world, so there is no "mine", and there is no "I".

Some people say that life is like a drama, and there is some truth in this.The script is ready-made, you just appear on the stage and play only one role in that play.The person who played the role changed, and the script was still staged as usual.When I was born in this world, all clothing, food, housing, family, country, society, art hobbies, religious beliefs, and philosophical thinking existed like a script, and I only picked one of them. The character participates in the performance, and after I leave the scene and replace it with another character, the script is still being performed.Where you perform on the spot, how can you seriously say that it is me?All your words and actions on the spot, singing, crying, mourning and fear, how can you seriously say that it is mine?Therefore, the outlook on life of acting is closer to the outlook on life of selflessness.

But how can we say immortality?All of this has been said above, all things that exist in the superego, are independent of me, and are not exhausted with me, are immortal.Therefore, if you participate in wearing leather shoes, you have not participated in an immortal life. Only those who participate in making leather shoes are more immortal. Participating in housing is worse than participating in building a house.Participating in listening to opera is not as good as participating in acting, let alone participating in screenwriting and composing.After all, life is different from acting, because life is both a playwright and a screenwriter and composer at the same time.One is selfless, the other is immortal.Most people believe that after death, the soul still exists, which is immortality.The ancient Chinese said that virtue and meritorious deeds are the three immortals, and all virtues and meritorious deeds become common to the community, exist independently beyond the ego, and have their objective development.We can also say that this is precisely the soul of the dead, in which it manifests itself by being attached to it.