“Written to a brotherly friend”Nagarjuna’s letter to Maharajah Gautamputr (16)/H.E.Tongkhor rinpoche

English excerpts From H.E.Tongkhor rinpoche this morning’s dharma class“Written to a brotherly friend”Nagarjuna’s letter to Maharajah Gautamputr Series (16) on June 29,2025

This morning, delving into the intricate nature of self and emptiness! We explored Verse 49 from Letter to a Friend*, where Master Nagarjuna powerfully teaches that **FORM IS NOT THE SELF**, nor does the self in any way **POSSES* form, or *DWELL* within it. This crucial point highlights that we don’t own our physical bodies or sensations in the way we might think; we can’t simply summon pleasant feelings at will or prevent unpleasant ones.

This profound understanding extends to all *five aggregates**, revealing their inherent emptiness and the fact that they, too, do not **dwell* in the self. If the self were to dwell in the aggregates, or vice versa, the singular concept of “self” would dissolve into a multiplicity, becoming omnipresent and unobstructable – a notion clearly at odds with our experience.

We then beautifully correlated this with Chandrakirti’s Entering the Middle Way, which further illuminated the point: if the self were identical to the aggregates, it would, by their very multiplicity, also be multiple. Yet, the true nature of self transcends such substantiality.

Grasping these teachings helps us untangle the misconception of a fixed, independent self and moves us closer to liberation from suffering. It was a truly productive session that deepened our understanding of the path.

THE FIVE AGGREGATES:

Form: The physical body and all material things.
Feeling: Pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral sensations.
Perception: Recognition and labeling of experiences.
Mental Formations: Volitional actions, thoughts, and intentions.
Consciousness: Basic awareness of objects.

\#Buddhism \#NoSelf \#Emptiness \#BuddhistPhilosophy \#Meditation \#Wisdom \#Dharma