Consciousness Quote by Joanna Macy
““Yet, even focusing on this present life, disciples often queried the Buddha as to who is responsible for the habits, sufferings, and pleasures we experience. In reply, he refused to say that they are caused by a past actor with whom we have no more connection. One cannot categorically separate the “I” who experiences the result from the “I” who set it in motion; for they are not discontinuous. Yet neither are they the same. One cannot say that “one and the same person both acts and experiences the result,” for the person is different, altered. There is a continuity, but it is not the continuity of an agent as a distinct and enduring being. The continuity resides in the acts themselves that condition consciousness and feelings in dependent co-arising. It inheres in the reflexive dynamics of action, shaping that which brought it forth.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Great Turning, 1999
The Buddha teaches that the self is a continuum of actions, not a fixed actor, linking present experience to ongoing conditioned processes.
In simple terms: Self is a flow of actions, not a static entity.
Key Takeaway
Recognize actions shape identity.
Themes
impermanence
interdependence
self
action
Mood
contemplative
serene
Type
philosophical
spiritual
When to use this quote
- mindfulness practice
- behavior change
- therapy
- ethical decision‑making
Key Concepts
Buddhist philosophy
psychology
causality
Questions to Reflect On
- How do your actions define you?
- Can you observe habits without judgment?
A Different Perspective
Hard to grasp non‑self concept intellectually.
