Who am I? Who am I without past memory?

Question

Who am I? Am I my memory? For example, I am hindu. I am engineer. I am Rajput.

Who am I without past memory? Am I my past memory? I am engineer. I am hindu.

Buddha says we are emptiness. "Indian", "engineer" are mental concepts. Parts of your memory could be damaged in an accident and temporarily or permanently erased. That would affect your knowledge of yourself and other things. You might lose your mental concepts concerning our identity. A similar thing has happened to one of my bosses, due to being overstressed. He had a mental breakdown and completely forgot all his knowledge of engineering. — Marino Klisovich, Oct 25 '19 at 17:34

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Oct 23 '19 at 16:31

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I think that Theravada Buddhism teaches that there isn't a good answer to this question, that it's not a good question to ask.

See this description of Right View especially where it talks about "a thicket of views".

Also that things you might consider "self" (e.g. body, feelings, etc.) are impermanent -- and also (impermanent) is every put-together thing -- and so it's better not to view those as "self" ("self-views" are unsatisfactory or lead to suffering).

See also How is it wrong to believe that a self exists, or that it doesn't?

answered Oct 23 '19 at 16:31

ChrisW

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It is Not your experience.. – Oct 23 '19 at 16:38
Please who are you – Oct 23 '19 at 16:39
Is this not the question we are all asking, the answer to which is enlightenment? – Oct 23 '19 at 17:32
sabbe dhammā anattā – ChrisW Oct 24 '19 at 02:20

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Nov 02 '19 at 21:27

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The attachment, aversion, and ignorance is you. This ignorance could be gross (fetters) or subtle (anusaya)

answered Nov 02 '19 at 21:27

SarathW

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Nice bro but you explain these word – Nov 04 '19 at 05:30
The notion "I" is the ignorance and due to that, we have the grasping. (upadana)https://dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=35497 – SarathW Nov 04 '19 at 05:41

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Nov 03 '19 at 05:26

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I am nothing. Live in this moment . You are nothing

answered Nov 03 '19 at 05:26

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Right view: "And what is wrong view? 'There is nothing etc." I think that a statement like "I am nothing" is yet another self-view (like "I am everything", "I am eternal" etc.). I think the Buddha warned that literally any/every self-view (including "I am nothing") is unsatisfactory or leads to suffering. – ChrisW Nov 03 '19 at 07:51
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Nice bro .... you are right – Nov 03 '19 at 10:02

Who am I? Who am I without past memory?

3 Answers3