Two of the most important doctrines in Buddhism, which are at the root of most Buddhist teachings, are those of anatta, or no self, and dependent origination or pañicca-samuppàda. Because most of us are coming to these doctrines from a Western point of view, which is influenced by the Platonic notion that humans have an ontological being other than our bodies, and that there is some kind of permanence in the universe in terms of the transcendent, these can be a difficult concept to grasp.

So for this question, I would like you to try and come up with some kind of analogy, story or explanation to explain the concept of anatta to someone younger than yourself. In other words, if you have kids, how would you describe this concept to them?

sources:

Smith, Huston.

The World's Religions: Completely Revised and Updated Edition of The Religions of Man .
50th Anniversary ed. New York:HarperCollins, 2009.

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Reid, T. R. Confucius Lives Next Door: What Living in the East Teaches Us About Living in the West .

Reprint ed. New York: Vintage Books , 2000.

Print. ISBN - 13: 978 - 0679777601. Eteraz, Ali.

Children of the Dust: The Portrait of a Muslim as a Young Man .

Reprint ed. New York: HarperOne , 2011.

Print. ISBN - 1 3 :978-0061626852

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