Dear tenphel,

I think a lot of what the Buddha taught only makes sense in practice.
So on a group discussion site like this we are always pointing toward experience without the benefit of a shared meditative experience.

So for me, I watch my mind and I can see a "self" but it is a self that I create. If I pay attention long enough this "self" that I create will fade away. It aries and ceases.

For me, the essence of the Buddha's message is ehipassiko, ie, come see for yourself. So I would suggest you sit and watch your citta(mind) and then you will know for sure whether or not you have a self. And then it won't matter what the texts or anyone else has to say because you will know it like you know the taste of honey.

Best Wishes,
Sumano

--- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, Gabriel Jaeger <lotsawanet@...> wrote:
>
> Dear Dhamma Friends,
>
> I was wondering if in the pali texts we find also nairatmya as a synonimous
> of annatta.
> Interesting is that as far as I know nairatmya would mean the "absence of
> self" or "selflessness".
> I was thinking how this two words were been used in the texts, if would be
> some major difference etc.
>
> I ask that because I have the feeling that the Buddha didn't conclude that
> there was no "self at all"...I think this would be one of the extremes of
> "existence" and "no-existence". He would just negate the conception of self
> existent at his time, so annatta.
>
> Is that right?
>
> Warm regards,
> tenphel
>
> On Sun, Apr 18, 2010 at 2:11 PM, Nina van Gorkom <vangorko@...> wrote:
>
> >
> >
> > Dear DC,
> > Thank you for your contribution. The sutta is in the beginning of
> > the Mahaavagga. It is a perfect explanation of anattaa.
> > Nina.
> > Op 16-apr-2010, om 20:20 heeft dcwijeratna het volgende geschreven:
> >
> >
> > > The definition of anatta is given in the anattalakkhanasutta, the
> > > second discourse of the Buddha. See Vinaya Mahavagga, I. B. Horner.
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>