There Is No Self: Seeing Connection in Everything

I recently learned a concept from Buddhism, that there is no “self.”
We are not really who we think we are.

We inherit ideas and habits from our parents and ancestors.
Our minds change when we talk with friends.
Our views of the world are shaped by society and culture.
We are an accumulation of experiences.

There is no fixed self. We are part of our parents, our friends, our culture, the music we listen to, the social media posts we consume, the books we read, the movies we see.

And it’s not just us, you can see everything in this way.
Thich Nhat Hanh sees a cloud in a sheet of paper.
The cloud becomes rain, the rain nourishes trees, and the trees become paper.
Quite beautiful, isn’t it?

That’s the meaning of the saying: “We are one, all is us.”
We are all connected.

Once you start to see things this way, you begin to grow sympathy.
Some people may be very different from you.
But maybe it’s because their “self” was shaped in a very different way, by family, culture, or what they’ve learned.

When you see things in this light, you realize it’s okay to be different.
You start to open your mind, and listen to the differences.
And in some ways, you may find that you are still connected.
Eventually, we are all part of this planet.

Breath in, see the thing.
Breath out, imagine how the thing was done.
Breath in, trace the production process of that thing.
Breath out, find the connection with you in that process.