The Most Important Teaching of Buddhism

One of the most important Buddhist teachings is theA classic question that is question in the discussion
concept of no-self. Buddhists insist that there is noabout the nature of the self has is: If there is no self,
permanent identity that endures from one moment towhat is it that is reborn? The classic answer to this
the next. They distill this concept into a single phrase:question is the stream of consciousness itself. When a
no-self. Anatta in Pali. What do they mean when theydeath occurs in this world and the bundles of
say that there is no self?aggregates that make up the personality begin to
In traditional Buddhism it means that there is simply noexhaust themselves, the last moment of
permanent identity that endures from one moment toconsciousness gives rise to another moment of
the next. If there is no permanent identity, what is thatconsciousness elsewhere that begins to take form as
makes this phenomena that we associate with oura new personality. It is neither the same nor different
physical and cognitive presence in this world. Thefrom the personality that was present before, it is
answer to this question in classic Buddhist doctrine issimply the causal connection that leads from one
the five aggregates. They are five things leading frommoment to the next.
material form up to the aggregate of consciousness.Because of the causal continuity between moment it is
These five aggregates are only momentary, but theypossible to say that I am the same person from one
group together in bundles to give us the illusion ofmoment to the next. However, when we look closely
some kind of permanence, like the flow of a river or ato our personalities we realize that it changes at every
candle flame. Buddhists think of the personality as if itmoment and the idea that one moment is the same as
were simply a constant flow, a stream of phenomenaanother is nothing but an illusion.
that transforms from one moment to the next.