First, make sure you read all of the Module 3 materials, then watch the video above. Please note that the Module 3 Readings/Viewings represent a more formal understanding of the Buddhist conception of the self. The above video is meant to illuminate this Buddhist idea in a more immediate, theory-free manner.
Second, what is meant by “having no head?” Of course, this is not meant literally, so what does this concept point to, and how is it related to the question of finding “the self?” How is it related to concept of annata in Buddhism?
Next, contrast the concept of anatta with the Western understanding of identity. In other words, how is the Eastern idea of anatta similar to/different from the Western idea of self (where self is understood in terms of a singular soul or a brain and its functions)?
Finally, let’s try to imagine how the Eastern and Western concepts of the self translate to understanding what happens when we die. Here, you might reference Tibetan Buddhist understanding of death (Tibetian Book of the Dead) and compare it to a Christian concept of death. In examining these views, is it possible to say which one is correct?
If it not possible, then is our understanding of death more narrative in character (i.e., like adopting one story or another, perhaps for aesthetic or psychological reasons)? Is it humbling and perhaps a little frightening to think that our conception of death is only narrative in character rather than objective/provable?
Incorporate at least one quote from the readings into your post. Be sure to include citation.
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