Drawing on the first transcontinental flight across the US, by Calbraith Rodgers in the "Vin Fiz," Bodhipaksa explains the Buddhist teaching of anatta (non-self or not-self). This reading is from Bodhipaksa's book, Living as a River. A list of online outlets selling Living as a River can be found here: http://livingasariver.com/buy
The psycho-physical body (panca-skandha), consisting of form, feeling, perception, discrimination, and consciousness is not our true self. By analogy our body is like the Vin Fiz - and we could say, Rodgers is the true self. Rodgers would err to think of himself as wings, or struts, or a motor. He is none of these although he relies on them. In the Catusparisat Sutra, with regard to the psycho-physical, the Buddha says, "all this is not mine, I am not this, it is not the self (atma).
mujaku 2 weeks ago