What good would be the end of suffering if it meant total annihilation? Only people who hate themselves or hate all experience would go for it.

"If the aggregates were what you are, then — because nibbāna is the ending of the aggregates — that would mean that when you attain nibbāna you would be annihilated. The Buddha, however, denied that nibbāna was annihilation. At the same time, what good would be the end of suffering if it meant total annihilation? Only people who hate themselves or hate all experience would go for it."

~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "Selves & Not-self: The Buddhist Teaching on Anattā"

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Two dangers whenever talking about awakening: impossibility and complacency

Fortunately we don’t all have to join in some enlightened society in order to be enlightened. It’s an individual quest. You focus on doing good where you can — both inside and out — and that becomes your strength.

You bring the mind to balance with a sense of well-being, a sense of completeness.