A Foretaste of No-Self

Bernadette Roberts

The pattern of all transient experiences is to act as a foretaste of a permanent state that lies a step ahead. Thus, when we first come upon a silent mind - or any other type of silence – it is a new and unusual event, but one to which we imperceptibly adjust while the next step is being revealed. In this way, what appears transient in the beginning will gradually, in the end, become a permanent state. This explains why no two experiences are alike, and why they never repeat themselves. It also explains how life is a continual movement, and why the contemplative is one who is aware of this movement.

In retrospect, I understand why, at the time, a foretaste could not become a permanent state. The ground must first be prepared so there will be no rude awakenings or contrast between what appears and what is; and we come to this gradually by continually adjusting our lives in order to see deeper into what exists. Indeed, it takes a lot of living before no-self can become a permanent state.

The Experience of No-Self