Don, this piece really resonated with me. The image of the wave as a metaphor for our ever-changing selves is both beautiful and humbling. It makes me wonder, if we are constantly in flux, what is it that truly defines our identity? Is it our memories, our values, or something else entirely?
That's the critical question right there, Alexander. If we are not the same from moment to moment (and all you have to do is look at a ten- or twenty-year-old picture of yourself to see the proof of that), then who could we possibly BE? Keep asking! 💚💚
More of this conversation please! The separate self. Identity. Are we hear to develop a healthy one, or release it altogether? Is developing a healthy one a step along the way toward releasing it? Or is the self our greatest gift, which we should cherish and preserve? What do our different wisdom traditions say about this?
All those prompts; are you trying to get me to write an essay, Kelly?! 😆
I think maybe I just will!
The other day I shared someone’s comment, “I’m not a Buddhist, I’m just me.” A Reader asked me why I agreed with the statement . I think my response to her addresses identity, if in an indirect way, and you might enjoy reading it. I’ll put the link here:
My first time listening instead of reading and it was so soothing and thought-provoking - thank you Don! You have such a talent for making counterintuitive concepts seem simple and easy to grasp. And it's so interesting how hearing the author's voice adds a whole extra dimension to the piece.
Thank you so much, Kate! The first time you listen, and I left a couple of stumbles in my recording. But I guess it just makes me sound human. At least, that was my excuse when I didn't feel like recording it all over again haha!
I really appreciate this, Kate. It's extra flattering coming from someone who's writing I admire so much. 🙏💚
I was actually glad to hear the stumbles, because I was thinking about recording my next piece myself but was dreading to think how many attempts I'd have to make to get it perfect! And yours demonstrated that it doesn't need to be perfectly stumble-free to be enjoyable to listen to.
Sometimes I remind myself; it's not a book-on-tape, it's more like a live listening room, where of course you would here little corrections or throat clearings (I try not to have those!), etc.
Yes, it's maddening to get almost all the way through a recording and then make a mistake. And I don't have the technical skill (or desire) to learn to edit a recording.
So please—be human! I look forward to hearing your voice, Kate!
I have thought about what Einstein said about energy being neither created nor destroyed could be a Buddhist sentiment,especially since we are energy at rest. Do you have any thoughts about that ?
"Enlightenment is when the wave realizes it is the ocean" - Thich Nhat Hanh
You've done a great job illustrating the concept of no self. I think it is one of the hardest concepts for people to understand and accept. Truthfully, I think I still struggle with accepting the concept. Or rather, I have a hard time applying the concept consistently.
Yes, me too, and that’s because as a concept it is really useless. It can’t be just an idea that we have to take on faith, or somehow understand intellectually (though that’s a start). Our entire being as we know it has been formed around self as an independent entity, so naturally the idea of seeing our wider and more scientifically accurate existence as a part of a larger whole is pretty darn difficult to remember on a more consistent basis.
I try to counter that fact by meditating daily, by reading lots of literature on the subject, and probably most importantly, by consciously questioning and looking more deeply at what “self” really means. It’s a slow process, but for me, one that has absolutely changed my being and my way of seeing.
Here's the key for me, thank you very much! "take a little time to contemplate, to look at things from a larger perspective." We're very much like the waves, our energy coming from wind (Spirit) blowing over the surface. When we speak of being on the same wavelength, there's more to that than what we might hear the first time. Waves come and go and return again. And why is it we call moving our hands back and forth or up and down, waving? They say the origin of hand waving is a salute, so I salute you, Sir, for this good post this morning. 👋
Thank you so much. I love this post. I am not by a body of water now, but I close my eyes and imagine the waves and remind myself that it is energy that moves the waves. To be grateful for this life, but understand its impermanence.
Thank you for that, Richard. I was just writing something similar in my journal. If you forget about “self” for a minute and think of the body and the space and air around it as a single entity, then you see how they swirl and blend and move back-and-forth as a unit.
The fact that everything is temporary is a truth which I understand but am also resisting at the moment; impermanence makes me very sad at times as I want some things to last forever. Perhaps the only thing that stays is love... ❤
I understand, Grace, and thank you for saying this. It's good for me to be reminded that a lot of the Buddhist/mindfulness principles, on their own, can sound either conceptual-but-not-real, or worse, too "heroic" I guess I would call it. Like, where am I supposed to get the courage to accept that I am nothing? How is "emptiness" supposed to comfort me? What fun is transformation if I don't get to remember anything, if I lose my "self"?
All I can say is, wanting to know the absolute truth about reality DOES take courage, a willingness to face the fear, the sadness, but on the other side of it is a place that is NOT lonely at all, because when you truly grasp at your core that you are actually much much MORE than you thought you were, you are ALL (the nothing part is just another word for everything haha), then you feel bonded with everything and not ever alone, even after this earthly manifestation is through.
But I would encourage you, not to accept anything that doesn't feel right, but rather the opposite; to reject it, because "not feeling right" is not a part of real awareness. I'd say reject whatever makes you feel sad (not the sadness itself though, because that's a part of you) and go at things from another angle—just looking within and not worrying too much about what others say mindfulness or reality is.
Thank you so much for reading and for being here, Grace. I truly appreciate it. 🙏💚
What a beautiful post - it made my day! And made me a poem, drafted and shared on my own Substack. Hours of delight - Thank you Don, on so very many levels!
This is not-much-played with, pretty much 3 hours of pleasure, poured onto the page. I felt like I wanted to share it ‘raw’, since really your essay contains all the wisdom - I didn’t feel the need to hide my rawness or try to polish it up. So a growth-gift, as well!
What you're describing is akin to the Five Skandhas in the Heart Sutra, the five 'heaps' of things we usually think of as solid but which are actually ever changing, "empty." I find it to be such a liberating teaching to remember that we are all constantly in flux and the entire world and all its elements are as well. Thank you for the reminder!
Thank you so much, Maia. I’m looking forward to reading that myself! Thich Nhat Hanh references the translation in some of his books so I’m happy you linked it here so I can finally read it. 🙏💚
Lovely post Don. Water has always served as a powerful metaphor for impermanence and change for me. Water is constantly moving, even if we don't see it moving on the surface, still waters are shifting below the surface.
Thanks, Don! I recently went on meditation retreat and the number one thing that kept coming up for me was the idea and feeling -- and most importantly, the acceptance -- of impermanence. It was the catalyst for some really deep insights for me during the retreat. I also love the teaching that we are not simply the waves, but the water itself. To me, that's the closest I can get to a concept of a higher power. Some kind of all encompassing oneness, like the dao, or metta, or simply energy.
korick, I can really relate to what you’re saying. One hopes that when the Ultimate Source is finally realized, it will feel like some cathartic or euphoric experience, one from which you can never go back. But I honestly believe that the experience of truth can vary from personality to personality.
One thing I know, though, is that the understanding can continue to deepen and to be experienced in new ways as one continues to practice mindful awareness. The other day I was walking in the woods. On one side of the path was an oak sapling and on the other a maple. I held a branch in each hand and asked, “Who are you?” “What is it about you that knows how to produce your individual leaves in order to collect sun and rain and produce oxygen?” What is it in you that knows to root deeply into this very same ground, each of you different but both with that same knowledge?” And me. My body knows so many things that “I” don’t . How to grow fingers and toes, how to digest my food.
And I felt viscerally that the source of all that knowledge, the trees’ knowledge and the human’s knowledge, was one. Now I have that memory to hold onto. Any time I’m feeling uninspired I can close my eyes and envision my two hands holding the two branches, one from each side of the path, and I can imagine “the ultimate” as a current that runs from one, through me, and to the other.
Phew! I think I’ll save this response to my journal. Thanks for inspiring me this morning, korick!
Well put, Karl, and a very good point; when we know we’re all “the water” no single “wave” can go on believing they are better than any other. Thank you so much! 🙏💚
Don, this piece really resonated with me. The image of the wave as a metaphor for our ever-changing selves is both beautiful and humbling. It makes me wonder, if we are constantly in flux, what is it that truly defines our identity? Is it our memories, our values, or something else entirely?
That's the critical question right there, Alexander. If we are not the same from moment to moment (and all you have to do is look at a ten- or twenty-year-old picture of yourself to see the proof of that), then who could we possibly BE? Keep asking! 💚💚
More of this conversation please! The separate self. Identity. Are we hear to develop a healthy one, or release it altogether? Is developing a healthy one a step along the way toward releasing it? Or is the self our greatest gift, which we should cherish and preserve? What do our different wisdom traditions say about this?
All those prompts; are you trying to get me to write an essay, Kelly?! 😆
I think maybe I just will!
The other day I shared someone’s comment, “I’m not a Buddhist, I’m just me.” A Reader asked me why I agreed with the statement . I think my response to her addresses identity, if in an indirect way, and you might enjoy reading it. I’ll put the link here:
https://substack.com/profile/179553778-don-boivin/note/c-70254641?r=2ywgky&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action
I can't wait to read it! And you're right, I did enjoy that discussion in the Note, and commented there. :)
My first time listening instead of reading and it was so soothing and thought-provoking - thank you Don! You have such a talent for making counterintuitive concepts seem simple and easy to grasp. And it's so interesting how hearing the author's voice adds a whole extra dimension to the piece.
Thank you so much, Kate! The first time you listen, and I left a couple of stumbles in my recording. But I guess it just makes me sound human. At least, that was my excuse when I didn't feel like recording it all over again haha!
I really appreciate this, Kate. It's extra flattering coming from someone who's writing I admire so much. 🙏💚
My pleasure!
I was actually glad to hear the stumbles, because I was thinking about recording my next piece myself but was dreading to think how many attempts I'd have to make to get it perfect! And yours demonstrated that it doesn't need to be perfectly stumble-free to be enjoyable to listen to.
Sometimes I remind myself; it's not a book-on-tape, it's more like a live listening room, where of course you would here little corrections or throat clearings (I try not to have those!), etc.
Yes, it's maddening to get almost all the way through a recording and then make a mistake. And I don't have the technical skill (or desire) to learn to edit a recording.
So please—be human! I look forward to hearing your voice, Kate!
I have thought about what Einstein said about energy being neither created nor destroyed could be a Buddhist sentiment,especially since we are energy at rest. Do you have any thoughts about that ?
"Enlightenment is when the wave realizes it is the ocean" - Thich Nhat Hanh
You've done a great job illustrating the concept of no self. I think it is one of the hardest concepts for people to understand and accept. Truthfully, I think I still struggle with accepting the concept. Or rather, I have a hard time applying the concept consistently.
Yes, me too, and that’s because as a concept it is really useless. It can’t be just an idea that we have to take on faith, or somehow understand intellectually (though that’s a start). Our entire being as we know it has been formed around self as an independent entity, so naturally the idea of seeing our wider and more scientifically accurate existence as a part of a larger whole is pretty darn difficult to remember on a more consistent basis.
I try to counter that fact by meditating daily, by reading lots of literature on the subject, and probably most importantly, by consciously questioning and looking more deeply at what “self” really means. It’s a slow process, but for me, one that has absolutely changed my being and my way of seeing.
Thank you so much for reading and commenting! 🙏💚
Here's the key for me, thank you very much! "take a little time to contemplate, to look at things from a larger perspective." We're very much like the waves, our energy coming from wind (Spirit) blowing over the surface. When we speak of being on the same wavelength, there's more to that than what we might hear the first time. Waves come and go and return again. And why is it we call moving our hands back and forth or up and down, waving? They say the origin of hand waving is a salute, so I salute you, Sir, for this good post this morning. 👋
Thank you so very much, my friend, Gary!! 🙏💚
Thank you so much. I love this post. I am not by a body of water now, but I close my eyes and imagine the waves and remind myself that it is energy that moves the waves. To be grateful for this life, but understand its impermanence.
Thank you, Corie. I love that you're closing your eyes right now and imagining the waves!
We are all waves moved by wind, . a silent breath that coax us to an fro.
Thank you for that, Richard. I was just writing something similar in my journal. If you forget about “self” for a minute and think of the body and the space and air around it as a single entity, then you see how they swirl and blend and move back-and-forth as a unit.
The fact that everything is temporary is a truth which I understand but am also resisting at the moment; impermanence makes me very sad at times as I want some things to last forever. Perhaps the only thing that stays is love... ❤
I understand, Grace, and thank you for saying this. It's good for me to be reminded that a lot of the Buddhist/mindfulness principles, on their own, can sound either conceptual-but-not-real, or worse, too "heroic" I guess I would call it. Like, where am I supposed to get the courage to accept that I am nothing? How is "emptiness" supposed to comfort me? What fun is transformation if I don't get to remember anything, if I lose my "self"?
All I can say is, wanting to know the absolute truth about reality DOES take courage, a willingness to face the fear, the sadness, but on the other side of it is a place that is NOT lonely at all, because when you truly grasp at your core that you are actually much much MORE than you thought you were, you are ALL (the nothing part is just another word for everything haha), then you feel bonded with everything and not ever alone, even after this earthly manifestation is through.
But I would encourage you, not to accept anything that doesn't feel right, but rather the opposite; to reject it, because "not feeling right" is not a part of real awareness. I'd say reject whatever makes you feel sad (not the sadness itself though, because that's a part of you) and go at things from another angle—just looking within and not worrying too much about what others say mindfulness or reality is.
Thank you so much for reading and for being here, Grace. I truly appreciate it. 🙏💚
I appreciate this Don, thank you 🩵
Lovely. As usual. Don.
Thank you, Frank! 🙏
What a beautiful post - it made my day! And made me a poem, drafted and shared on my own Substack. Hours of delight - Thank you Don, on so very many levels!
Well now, I’m just gonna have to go have a look at that poem!
Thank you so much, Elizabeth 🙏💚
This is not-much-played with, pretty much 3 hours of pleasure, poured onto the page. I felt like I wanted to share it ‘raw’, since really your essay contains all the wisdom - I didn’t feel the need to hide my rawness or try to polish it up. So a growth-gift, as well!
The thrill of creation is the best part, then, almost as a bonus, you get to share it with others. 💚 I think your home is fantastic, Elizabeth!
Beautifully written and read, Don. Your new mic is working great, and your voice comes through crisp and calm. I couldn't agree more with the content!
Thank you, my friend! 🙏💚
Thanks, Don. Realizing that people are constantly changing including us is a great way to get past some concerns that we carry.
Thanks, Rod, and thank you for checking in!
Beautiful, Don!
Readers with an interest in traditional Buddhism might enjoy Thich Nhat Hanh's translation of the Heart Sutra: https://plumvillage.org/about/thich-nhat-hanh/letters/thich-nhat-hanh-new-heart-sutra-translation
What you're describing is akin to the Five Skandhas in the Heart Sutra, the five 'heaps' of things we usually think of as solid but which are actually ever changing, "empty." I find it to be such a liberating teaching to remember that we are all constantly in flux and the entire world and all its elements are as well. Thank you for the reminder!
Thank you so much, Maia. I’m looking forward to reading that myself! Thich Nhat Hanh references the translation in some of his books so I’m happy you linked it here so I can finally read it. 🙏💚
Lovely post Don. Water has always served as a powerful metaphor for impermanence and change for me. Water is constantly moving, even if we don't see it moving on the surface, still waters are shifting below the surface.
Thanks, Pamela! 🙏💚
Thanks, Don! I recently went on meditation retreat and the number one thing that kept coming up for me was the idea and feeling -- and most importantly, the acceptance -- of impermanence. It was the catalyst for some really deep insights for me during the retreat. I also love the teaching that we are not simply the waves, but the water itself. To me, that's the closest I can get to a concept of a higher power. Some kind of all encompassing oneness, like the dao, or metta, or simply energy.
korick, I can really relate to what you’re saying. One hopes that when the Ultimate Source is finally realized, it will feel like some cathartic or euphoric experience, one from which you can never go back. But I honestly believe that the experience of truth can vary from personality to personality.
One thing I know, though, is that the understanding can continue to deepen and to be experienced in new ways as one continues to practice mindful awareness. The other day I was walking in the woods. On one side of the path was an oak sapling and on the other a maple. I held a branch in each hand and asked, “Who are you?” “What is it about you that knows how to produce your individual leaves in order to collect sun and rain and produce oxygen?” What is it in you that knows to root deeply into this very same ground, each of you different but both with that same knowledge?” And me. My body knows so many things that “I” don’t . How to grow fingers and toes, how to digest my food.
And I felt viscerally that the source of all that knowledge, the trees’ knowledge and the human’s knowledge, was one. Now I have that memory to hold onto. Any time I’m feeling uninspired I can close my eyes and envision my two hands holding the two branches, one from each side of the path, and I can imagine “the ultimate” as a current that runs from one, through me, and to the other.
Phew! I think I’ll save this response to my journal. Thanks for inspiring me this morning, korick!
Don; What a great analogy to consider "the interplay of humans and societies".
Waves do speak wisely & they don't argue; as no single wave in the lake has authority. There by all waves have a chance in the lake of life.
Well put, Karl, and a very good point; when we know we’re all “the water” no single “wave” can go on believing they are better than any other. Thank you so much! 🙏💚