Hi Bruce,
op 30-01-2005 07:48 schreef Bruce Burrill op brburl@...:
Basically, I am debating on BeliefNet with a

> strident aatmanvaadin

N: Yes, that is of all times. If one does not carefully study the whole
Tipitaka one may read all texts with wrong view.
Indeed what you quote here one should not forget.
B: On of the texts that I rather like is S iii 144:

>
> <b>Bhikkhu, there is no form that is permanent, stable, eternal, not
> subject to change, and that will remain the same just like eternity itself,
> There is no feeling .. no perception … no volitional formations … no
> consciousness not subject to change, and that will remain the same just
> like eternity itself.

N: The same people will also misunderstand Dhammapada XII, Attavagga, vs 15:
Attaana.m ce piya.m jañña... or verse 160:attaa hi attano naatho, self is
the refuge of self, which merely means: being one's own refuge, thus, not
being dependent on others.
They do not understand that attano is used in the reflexive sense.
There is no problem if one understands this rightly, looks at the context.
And if one does not forget what the Buddha repeated all the time about the
five khandhas, elements, aayatanas which are non-self.
Nina.