1. How Can Buddhists be So Happy if Self is but an Illusion?
my reading of the east, in general, including buddhism, in particular, sees
no threat to either personal identity or personal development (including a
blissful afterlife)
the denial of a self as an immortal soul does not necessarily (or even
ordinarily) entail a lack of continuity for one's personal identity
instead, it is the rejection of a synchronic substantival identity in favor of a
diachronic processive identity, not terribly different, as i've always received
it, from hartshorne's nonstrict identity or from the characteristically
buddhist middle way of neither self nor no-self
for the buddhist, ultimate reality, albeit impersonal, is still friendly and
justice via karma remains in play - karma, in fact, is one element that helps
provide continuity of personal identity
in short, the practical implications of the monist account, in general, and
even buddhist account, in particular, needn't be considered that much
different from the perspective we take in our everyday phenomenal
experience (and this is true for much of buddhist teaching which,
characteristically, first encounters reality in everyday experience, then
prescinds from any uncritical engagement of same, only to return to
ordinary reality with renewed clarity of vision and purity of purpose
in fact, the buddha truly honors the unfathomable depth dimensions of both
ultimate reality and of our personhood, maintaining a respectful silence
regarding much of their character (even while affirming unitary being)
authentic buddhist practitioners are some of the happiest and most
peaceful humans alive (consistent w/many neuroscientific studies)
the nondual has epistemic and ontological meanings but also refers to
phenomenal experiences, which, as 'realizations,' don't necessarily entail
metaphysical conclusions but rather convey vague sensibilities of deep
solidarity leading to profound compassion
1