Meditate but one hour upon the self’s nonexistence and you…
““Meditate but one hour upon the self’s nonexistence and you will feel yourself to be another man,” said a priest of the Japanese Kusha sect to a Western visitor. Without having frequented the Buddhist monasteries, how many times have I not lingered over the world’s unreality, and hence my own? I have not become another man for that, no, but there certainly has remained with me the feeling that my identity is entirely illusory, and that by losing it I have lost nothing, except something, except everything.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Contemplating non-self reveals identity as illusion, reducing attachment to self‑concept.
In simple terms: Self is illusion; losing it loses nothing.
Key Takeaway
Embrace impermanence, let go of rigid identity.
Themes
philosophy
existentialism
spirituality
Mood
reflective
introspective
Type
philosophical
spiritual
When to use this quote
- meditation
- personal reflection
- philosophical discussion
Key Concepts
nonduality
illusion
selflessness
Questions to Reflect On
- How does seeing self as illusion change daily choices?
- What comforts arise from a stable identity?
A Different Perspective
Identity may be useful socially, making its loss disorienting.