Suffering and the self (with Jay Garfield)

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Oct 30, 2024

In a captivating conversation, Jay Garfield, Doris Silbert Professor in the Humanities and expert in Buddhist philosophy, dives into the nature of suffering and the self. He discusses whether overcoming craving and aversion can liberate us from suffering and how personal perception shapes our experiences. Garfield explores the concept of self as an illusion and the implications of interconnectedness in achieving true happiness. He also contrasts Buddhist ethics with Western perspectives, emphasizing compassion and community over self-centered pursuits.

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ANECDOTE

Shantideva's Analogy

Shantideva's analogy of covering the world in leather vs. wearing shoes illustrates two approaches to happiness.
Changing your internal responses is more effective than changing the whole world.

INSIGHT

No-Self

Buddhism rejects the self as an illusion.
We are a sequence of processes, persons but not selves.

INSIGHT

Mind and Self

Spencer Greenberg can imagine having another's body but not their mind, suggesting the mind is more central to identity.
Jay Garfield argues even desiring another's mind implies not equating oneself with one's mind.

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Read the full transcript here.

Why do we suffer? Would we still suffer if we got rid of all craving and aversion? Is pain the same thing as suffering? How is suffering connected to the concept of self? Should people in horrible situations attempt to remove themselves from those environments or try to improve their plights in any way; or should they merely free themselves from suffering by releasing their "craving" for well-being and their "aversion" to misery? Why would the dissolution of the self free someone from suffering? Are we identical to our bodies and/or minds? Is attention the same thing as the self? Is the concept of "no-self" analytical or empirical? How does "flow" differ from distraction? Is it irrational to pursue our own happiness without regard for others? How and where do Buddhist ethics overlap with the ethics taught by (e.g.) Abrahamic religions? What are the roles of meditators in Buddhist monasteries? What do Buddhists believe about god(s)? What do they believe about reincarnation? Is reincarnation different from rebirth? What is the role of the Buddha himself in Buddhism? Can these concepts be understood and/or experienced without meditating or studying Buddhist texts?

Jay L. Garfield is Doris Silbert Professor in the Humanities and Professor of Philosophy and Buddhist Studies at Smith College, Visiting Professor of Buddhist philosophy at Harvard Divinity School, Professor of Philosophy at Melbourne University, and Adjunct Professor of Philosophy at the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies. Garfield’s research addresses topics in the foundations of cognitive science and the philosophy of mind; metaphysics; the history of modern Indian philosophy; topics in ethics, epistemology, and the philosophy of logic; the philosophy of the Scottish enlightenment methodology in cross-cultural interpretation; and topics in Buddhist philosophy, particularly Indo-Tibetan Madhyamaka and Yogācāra. He is the author or editor of over 30 books and over 200 articles, chapters, and reviews. A few of his most recent books include How to Lose Yourself: An Ancient Guide to Letting Go (with Maria Heim and Robert Sharf 2024), Losing Ourselves: Learning to Live without a Self (2022), and Knowing Illusion: Bringing a Tibetan Debate into Contemporary Discourse (with the Yakherds 2021), and Buddhist Ethics: A Philosophical Exploration (2021). Learn more about him at his website, jaygarfield.org.

Staff

Spencer Greenberg — Host / Director
Josh Castle — Producer
Ryan Kessler — Audio Engineer
Uri Bram — Factotum
WeAmplify — Transcriptionists

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