Illusions about the “self”

Most people are still very resistant to Buddha’s teaching of no-self. I think it may be helpful to elucidate on the meaning of Anatta by going through several very common illusions/misconceptions:

1. The illusion of ownership — It is common for us to say “my hand”, “my heart,” “my brain,” “my hormones,” “my consciousness,” etc. This is assuming that there is a separate entity called “me” who is the owner of these things. But such an owner is nowhere to be found. It is definitely not a scientific fact.

2. The illusion of control — Another very common illusion. It is common for people to say “I am not myself.” Perhaps the person is under the influence of alcohol or other substances. It is also common to explain teenage behavior by attributing the risky behaviors of teens to the surge of hormones. If someone is afflicted with cancer where the cancerous cells are multiplying out of control, the person may also say that such cancerous cells are not himself or herself, because such cells are out of his/her conscious control. But why are the cancerous cells not of oneself? They certainly originate from one’s own body. The boundary between self and not-self seems very artificial and arbitrary here.

3. The illusion of free will and originality — It is commonly recognized that the great men are products of their times. Newton is a product of his time…