Selfless Persons
Imagery and Thought in Theravada Buddhism

This book explains anatta through cultural, historical and Theravada Buddhist tradition and context.

Steven Collins (Author)

9780521397261, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 29 November 1990

336 pages
22.9 x 15.3 x 1.9 cm, 0.455 kg

'In Selfless Persons, Steven Collins has produced a rare work; a book that, on the one hand, renders the fundamental tenets of Theravada Buddhism not only intelligible but interesting to the uninitiated, and on the other, is unlikely to disappoint the academic specialist, since Collins' approach lacks neither originality nor sound research. This is a valuable addition to the corpus of Buddhist commentary which the scholar of Buddhism or religious history would be unwise to ignore.' Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society

This book seeks to explain carefully and sympathetically the Buddhist doctrine of anatta ('not-self'), which denies the existence of any self, soul or enduring essence in man. The author relates this doctrine to its cultural and historical context, particularly to its Brahmanical background, and shows how the Theravada Buddhist tradition has constructed a philosophical and psychological account of personal identity and continuity on the apparently impossible basis of the denial of self.

Preface
Introduction
Part I. The Cultural and Social Setting of Buddhist Thought: 1. The origins of rebirth
2. Varieties of Buddhist discourse
Part II. The Doctrine of Not-Slef: 3. The denial of self as 'right view'
4. Views, attachment, and 'emptiness'
Part III. Personality and Rebirth: 5. The individual of 'conventional truth'
6. 'Neither the same nor different'
Part IV. Continuity: 7. Conditioning and consciousness
8. Momentariness and the bhavanga-mind
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Glossary and index of Pali and Sanskrit terms
General index.

Subject Areas: Buddhism [HRE]