The Spiritual Practice of No-Self 無己

Chuang Tzu instructs us on how dissolving the "I" brings about true spiritual freedom.

---

In the last two posts, we uncovered Chuang Tzu’s essential insight: true spiritual freedom begins with self-forgetfulness. That means seeing through the undesirable social realities imposed on us, as naturally given situations, like the cycle of day and night.

From his perspective, the root of human suffering lies in our ego-driven, self-centered way of engaging with the world.

Transcending this predicament requires more than good intentions and logical thinking, and it demands a fundamental shift in how we feel, think, and act. Authentic transformation only comes to us when we dare to embrace the challenge of change.

In this post, we delve into Chuang Tzu’s realm of “no-self” 無己, as a spiritual practice, examining how dissolving the ego leads to unity with the natural order and a wholly new way of life.

Understanding Chuang Tzu’s theory of Tao is a challenge in itself. For his messages, hidden in the parables and conversations, question every assumption and unravel familiar patterns. Yet in doing so, they help us shatter the mental barriers that keep us from deeper insight and enlightenment.

No-self, or self-forgetfulness, reminds us to become aware of our conditioned beliefs and habitual reactions. It reveals the undercurrents of human behavior, illuminates the intricate and complex webs of cultural meaning, and empowers us to navigate life with greater clarity.

---

The perfect person has no self; the spiritual person has no achievement; the true sage has no name. 至人無己，神人無功，聖人無名。

Chuang Tzu, "The Happy Excursion 逍遙遊" 

Does life have a meaning? If so, can we be sure to trace its source? In other words, are we confident that the specific meaning we are dedicated to is defined by ourselves?

This inquiry into life’s meaning is deeply disturbing because it asks us to observe and talk to ourselves.

We begin by confronting those deeply held beliefs and convictions to see if they align with us. We reflect on our actions and pursuits to examine whether they represent our own thoughts instead of living in an illusion projected by external influences.

This process is challenging because it requires us to investigate our relationship with the world. Our identifications with this or that particular perspective may reveal an external influence on the mind. Our opinions and ways of doing things may be influenced by societal impact. In this sense, we are not truly ourselves. Our inner voice is dimmed.

To try to make our everyday life grounded in something tangible and reliable, we can easily subject ourselves to the demands of the circumstances. While we search for a seemingly solid reason to make our life “meaningful,” we identify with popular opinions, conventions, and orthodox ways of doing things.

We feel rewarded and exalted when our identifications are validated by society. We don’t realize that with more external approval, we’ve become deeply entrenched in interacting with the world in a subjective and self-centered manner.

Someone said to you, “Your perspective is more convincing than others. Very helpful and easy to understand.” And you feel great about that compliment. You think you own your perspective.

You are reading an analysis of an election between two parties. The author states that Party A has performed better than Party B over the past four years. “I can buy that. It’s true. From my own experience, Party A is a much better choice for the country.” So, your political views get validated. Again, you are identifying with what’s being projected to you. That projection feeds your ego-driven actions and self-centered take on things.

This type of identification occurs all the time. We don’t realize that as we put on more layers of validation, we unconsciously deviate from the essence of the true SELF within, the self unshackled by external layers, the self without being brainwashed by filtered reality.

With the loss of the SELF, all we see, speak, and act is based on a problematic foundation shaped by external influences and our unconscious identifications with them.

In this sense, Chuang Tzu’s idea of self-forgetfulness becomes a reminder to delve into the predicament of our existence. Are we able to observe what’s going on in our minds? Can we dissect the meaning of our actions and pursuits? Is it possible for us to restructure our relationship with the world by discovering a new self?

From Chuang Tzu’s perspective, one fundamental cause of human conflicts, struggle, and suffering is the inclination to cling to our ego and human-centric way of doing things. We take it for granted that our experience and knowledge can give us the qualifications to judge others and perceive the world through a subjective lens. We have become accustomed to this existing mode of action in the world.

Have we gone too far to change the human condition?