The ideas we have about who we are ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The ideas we have about who we are, are bound up with our feelings towards those around us. The sense of being a solid autonomous self comes and goes. Sometimes - if we feel angry or jealous or embarassed for example - it can be very strong. At other times, when we feel safe and relaxed, it can be very weak. When the mind has been calmed through meditation the sense of being an isolated self can disappear altogether.

One of the most important skills for the meditator to develop is that of observation. By observing how the sense of who we are changes according to causes and conditions, we can learn profound lessons about the meaning not-self.

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