/lit/ - Literature

>>13166512
>>13166632
He also doesn't make the claim that there is a self, since both "there is a self" and "there is no self" are metaphysical statements dependent on preparations/fabrications. In Nirvana there is no fabrication of the idea "self" or "no self." He taught anatta, which means not-self, so that the practitioner could see what is definitely not-self (namely the Five Aggregates).

ātmety api prajñapitam anātmety api deśitam |
“Self” is just a designation, and even “not-self” is just a teaching.
buddhair nātmā na cānātmā kaścid ity api deśitam ||
The Buddha taught that there’s not even such a thing as self nor not-self.
nivṛttam abhidhātavyaṃ nivṛttaś cittagocaraḥ |
What is nameable has ceased, the scope of consciousness (or thought?) has ceased
anutpannāniruddhā hi nirvāṇam iva dharmatā ||
For the nature of extinguishment (nirvāṇa) is like the cessation of what has never arisen.
- Nagarjuna