Understanding the Buddhist teaching of non-self

There are Buddhists who are caught in the notion of non-self. This is a shame, because the Buddha taught impermanence and non-self to help us overcome all notions, including the notion of a separate self. But it does not help if you are caught in the notion of non-self.

There are always some people who are ready to embrace a doctrine, a notion, a dogma, and they miss the real teaching. A monk sitting under a tree was asked by a lady passing by, "Venerable, did you see a lady pass here? He said, "No, I did not see a lady go by. I saw a combination of bones and flesh, and the five elements."

This is ridiculous. The monk was caught in the notion of non-self. You can imagine how disappointed the Buddha is when he has a student like that, a student who is caught in the Buddha's teaching of impermanence and non-self. The teaching of impermanence and non-self only aims to show us everything is connected to everything else, the teaching of interbeing. Without this, the other can not be. One wave is made of all other waves. One electron is made of all other electrons. Nuclear physicists of our time are beginning to speak in this language.

In India, during the sixth century, so many monks and laypeople were caught in the idea of non-self that there was a strong reaction on the part of those who understood Buddhism better. They created a school of Buddhism that taught there was a self. In the beginning, it looked like they were teaching just the opposite of what the Buddha said, but in fact they were more intelligent than the others...They realized that even when you accept the teaching and the practice of non-self and impermanence, you are still a person.

--Thich Naht Hanh