Summary
Western Buddhists may relate to Roberts' experiential account of the realisation of no-self. Roberts had not realized that there was a spiritual conception of "no-self" because it was not part of her traditional contemplative framework. It was only after she had the experience that she decided to research the phenomenon in other spiritual traditions. She discusses her discovery of the Buddhist categorisation of the five Skandhas ("What is Self?", pp 114-117, 2005) where she states; "Together the five Skandhas constitute the true nature of self; their experience is the entire self-experience including the experience of the divine." (WIS p114-115) She believes Buddhism has hold of "a profound and difficult truth" which is in her opinion, that "no-self" is the falling away or cessation of the five Skandhas. (WIS pp. 115-16)
Read more about this topic: Bernadette Roberts
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