Buddhism Quote by Stephen Batchelor
““Gotama did for the self what Copernicus did for the earth: he put it in its rightful place, despite its continuing to appear just as it did before. Gotama no more rejected the existence of the self than Copernicus rejected the existence of the earth. Instead, rather than regarding it as a fixed, non-contingent point around which everything else turned, he recognized that each self was a fluid, contingent process just like everything else.””
About This Quote
The quote likens the Buddha’s insight into the self to Copernicus’s heliocentric model, emphasizing that the self is not a static entity but a dynamic, interdependent process.
In simple terms: Self is fluid, not fixed.
Key Takeaway
Self is a contingent process.
Themes
impermanence
interdependence
non-self
philosophical analogy
cosmology
Mood
contemplative
inquisitive
reverent
Type
philosophical
comparative
didactic
When to use this quote
- Meditation practice
- Philosophy lectures
- Comparative religion studies
- Mindfulness training
- Academic essays
Key Concepts
selfhood
Buddhist doctrine
scientific paradigm shift
ontological fluidity
Practical Applications
- Teaching Buddhist concepts
- Designing mindfulness curricula
Questions to Reflect On
- How does viewing the self as a process affect personal identity?
- What parallels exist between scientific revolutions and spiritual insights?
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