Buddhist scholars suggest that the "Self" is an illusion and that awakening to the revelation of "No Self," leads to greater happiness and peace-of-mind. Just what are they talking about?
The idea of No-Self makes more sense to me if I put the idea in the context of the hemisphere hypothesis, the recognition that the two hemispheres of the human brain provide us with two, radically different ways of relating to life. The right hemisphere gives us direct experience in the moment. The left hemisphere creates virtual simulations of life including, importantly, our sense of self, our "ego."
I believe our ego - the story we tell about ourself - is the "Self" that Buddhists feel is illusory. We can be happier, therefore, if we spend less time caught up in the illusory stories about life and more time simply experiencing life.
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