Lion's Roar

HOW FREEDOM FEELS

WHAT IS OUR VISCERAL, embodied experience of nonself? Rather than using conceptual analysis, how do we feel nonself? How does it feel different from our usual experience of self?

When we focus on our felt experience, we discover that self is claustrophobic, like a dark dungeon or a caged bird. The experience of nonself is like taking off a tight shoe, a breath of fresh air, the shrrrr of the wind in the pine trees, the wide-open ocean. Going beyond intellect and philosophy, we can know these experiences for ourselves, in heart, body, and mind.

The teaching of , or nonself, is considered the most liberating tenet of the Buddhist teachings. Describing how we’re bound, fettered, and limited by the sense of ourselves as separate and self-existing, this

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Lion's Roar

Lion's Roar5 min read
I Take Refuge in the Dharma
THE SECOND DHARMA JEWEL is the Buddha’s teachings—teachings that free us from suffering and enable us to find happiness and fulfillment. These teachings include precepts that guide us to live ethically, meditation methods that cultivate mindfulness,
Lion's Roar4 min read
How to Practice Mindful Breathing for Anxiety
WHEN I WAS TWELVE years old, I experienced a near drowning at a public swimming pool. I’d been to the pool many times, but since I’d never had swimming lessons, I always stayed in the shallow end. One bright and sunny day, my best friend convinced me
Lion's Roar5 min read
The Hula Sutra
IN THE MIDDLE of the Pacific, 2,500 miles away from the nearest continent, lies a chain of islands called Hawaii. The weather is mild and sunny with trade winds that often keep the humidity in check. Fragrant flowers and salty sea air embrace you. Co

Related