Anam Thubten - No Self, No Problem: Awakening to Our True Nature

Anam Thubten goes to the heart of the matter in this easy-to-read yet profound book written in an accessible contemporary style.

Mandala Magazine

The author, through discussions on meditation, inner contentment or detachment, awareness, acceptance, compassion, ultimate awakening, and transcendent wisdom, enables us to realize and grasp that all the wealth is within us and in our control.

East and West Series

In lucid, accessible language, [Anam Thubten] guides the reader to the realization of this infinite possibility.

Eastern Horizon

He is both familiar with and sensitive to the psychological difficulties that can complicate spiritual practice. He approaches the core feature of Buddhist philosophy, No-Self, in a direct, humorous, no-nonsense way that is softened by tender and compassionate insights.... Accessible and contemporary, [Thubten] frequently uses lively imagery to underline his points.... Provides not only a clear, engaging introduction to the Buddhist path, but also inspiration and salutary warnings for more experienced practitioners.

The Middle Way

ABOUT THE BOOK

We can realize the highest truth in each moment when we learn to see through the illusion of the self. Anam Thubten, in remarkably easy-to-understand language, provides teachings for doing exactly that, based on the wisdom of the Buddhist traditions. He illuminates the path of going beyond the misconceptions of the ego to experience the reality of our true nature, which is already enlightened. He communicates with clarity, humor, and refreshing honesty, lighting the way to a life full of love, compassion, and true satisfaction.

ANAM THUBTEN grew up in Tibet and undertook Buddhist training in the Nyingma tradition at an early age. He has been teaching in the West since the 1990s and is the spiritual adviser and Dharma teacher for the Dharmata Foundation.

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No Self, No Problem

Awakening to Our True Nature

Anam Thubten

Edited by Sharon Roe

SHAMBHALA

Boston & London

2013

Shambhala Publications, Inc.

Horticultural Hall

300 Massachusetts Avenue

Boston, Massachusetts 02115

www.shambhala.com

2009 by Anam Thubten

Cover photo by Hollandse Hoogte/Wildcard Images, UK

Author photo by Ben Sherwyn

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

Thubten, Anam.

No self, no problem: awakening to our true nature / Anam Thubten; edited by Sharon Roe.

pages cm

eISBN 978-1-55939-921-0

ISBN 978-1-55939-404-8 (pbk.)

1. Religious lifeBuddhism. I. Roe, Sharon (Sharon J.) II. Title.

BQ5410.T58 2013

294.34dc23

2012048992

Sky is free.

Ocean is blissful.

Trees are divine.

Rocks are enlightened.

So are we.

Who is still searching...

for what?

Anam Thubten

Contents

I MET ANAM THUBTEN shortly after he returned to the San Francisco Bay Area. At that time students were invited into his living room on Saturday mornings for a short meditation practice followed by a talk. The talks were always spectacular, startling, and devoted to the most essential truths based on Rinpoches personal experience of walking the spiritual path. They cut through layers of speculation, dissecting and challenging every fixed thought, every belief held as sacred truth. Rinpoches target is always the heart of the matter, which he clarifies in simple words accessible to Western thinkers who may not have any knowledge of, or commitment to, Buddhism. As the group of students grew, Rinpoches living room became very crowded. Sometimes students even sat out on the porch. Through the generosity of many benefactors, a historic chapel in the charming town of Point Richmond, California, was purchased. This book, based on talks given in Berkeley and Point Richmond, California, reflects Rinpoches profound knowledge and insight into the human condition. He speaks with clarity, humor, and ruthless honesty and shares his spiritual journey openly and honestly.

It has been an honor and a delight to work with and to present now to a wider audience the teachings of this authentic, simple, and devoted man who has dedicated his life to expressing in words and actions profound messages of authentic wisdom and compassion.

Sharon Roe

CHAPTER ONE

Our True Identity

W E IDENTIFY with our body made out of flesh, bones, and other components and therefore we believe that we are material, substantial, and concrete. This understanding has become so embedded in our belief system that we rarely question it. The results of that are the inevitable conditions of old age, sickness, and death. We acquire these conditions simply out of believing that we are this physical body. We always pay a high price when we believe in false ideas. This perception is not just held individually; it is held dearly by the collective mind of society and has been for many generations. That is why it is so strongly entrenched in our psyche. Our normal, everyday perception of each other is governed by this false identity and then strengthened and enforced by the language we use.

At a very early age we are indoctrinated into this notion of self as the body. For example when we see a small child we say, He is beautiful. I love his hair. She has the cutest eyes. Through thoughts and comments such as these we are planting the seeds of this mistaken identity. Of course there is nothing wrong with giving compliments. It is much better than criticism. However, it is still a form of misconception. The truth is that, independent of any characteristics, a child is inherently beautiful the moment she is born. So we are all beautiful.

We are living in an age when people are disconnected from their true identity and this false perception is validated from every angle. Everyone is craving a perfect body and seeking it in others. For example, when you go to the grocery store you see magazines displaying pictures of men and women in a perfect and idealized youthful form. It is very difficult to resist these messages. They come from everywhere, all aspects of society, and they validate this sense of mistaken identity. They validate the sense that this body is who we really are. Given the tendency to establish a perfect idealized standard, many people suffer from pride, narcissism, arrogance, shame, guilt, and self-hatred because of their relationship with their body and their ability or inability to reflect this perfect standard.

Every morning when we wake up and look into the mirror there is a voice in our mind that is constantly judging us and others according to this standard. Have you ever noticed that? Our mind is always judging: Oh, another wrinkle. She is too fat. He is strange looking. She is beautiful. He is handsome. These judgments not only create a stumbling block on our spiritual path, they also create clouds of negativity in our consciousness and keep us firmly chained in the prison of duality.