My Limit

People often talk about what kind of person they are, what they will do, how their past should have been for the sake of their future, and compare themselves to others, but it's difficult to truly understand the limits of "myself."

What are the limits of "myself"?

From the moment I came into the world until I return to where I came from, is this body that I live with throughout my life truly "me," or is there something else that constitutes "me"? It's impossible to know.

If this body that came into the world is "me," then there would have been no "me" before this body existed. And when this body dies, will "me" naturally cease to exist? The world's interpretation leans heavily in this direction.

I can't know what happened before I was born, and I can't know what happens after I die, so perhaps the limits of "myself" are only this far?

However, my thoughts are different.

If "I" was hidden somewhere before this body came into existence, and then "I" came into being after this body appeared, and therefore this body is called "me," then even if this body dies, it would still undeniably be "me." But when breathing stops and the body cools and becomes a corpse, the name that represented me until then is no longer used to refer to the corpse; it simply becomes the corpse of someone, just a mere body. Even those closest to me avoid me.

Therefore, this body cannot represent me.

So, what then is the unchanging "me"?

It's impossible to know. If this body is not me, then what is me?

Some say that the spirit is me, but then what is this body? Or, some say that the combination of spirit and body is what constitutes the self, but if that were the case, then the moment the spirit leaves the body, the self would cease to exist.

However, in the reality we live in, we often experience that even after the spirit and body separate, the self does not completely disappear.

That is, even after my body and spirit are separated, there can still be a name that represents me, the designation of "so-and-so."

But that doesn't mean that the name itself is the self.

Or, some say that the body before my birth is me, the current body is me, and the future body is also the unchanging me, so it's impossible to know what the true self is.

Each person claims their own argument is correct, but it's not easy to say which "self" is the true self.

So, is this topic inherently without limits?

It doesn't seem so.

First, we need to find out what "self" truly is to understand these limits.

Since everyone's claims are different, I leave it to you to judge whether I am unable to reach a conclusion because I doubt these limits, or whether I have my own conclusion but am not expressing it.

I simply leave this question of not knowing the limits of the self, seeking an answer from someone in the future.

What are my limits?

My existence and non-existence are all me.

The past, the future, and the present are all 'me'.

Even if I am nothing, and empty, it is still not not-me.

Neither being born nor ceasing to exist is not due to me.

People of the world, if you seek the path of life and death,

Awaken your 'true self' in the silent mountain under the louminous moon.

Confucius's disciple Zilu asked Confucius about death. Confucius countered, "How can you know about death if you don't know about life?"

This doesn't mean Confucius didn't know about life, but rather that Zilu, who didn't understand life, was trying to understand death, and Confucius was pointing this out.

In other words, he was saying, "Why ask about death when you don't even understand life, which is the basis for comparison?" The meaning is that if you understand your own life, you will naturally understand death.

Although Zilu was questioned for asking about death without understanding life, Zilu also seems to have questioned "my limits."

Another disciple of Confucius, Yan Hui, sat all day like a foolish person, but Confucius said of him, "Those who diligently learn are also like this."

Furthermore, Yan Hui said, "Who was Emperor Shun, who reached the highest level of the Way, and who am I?"

Confucius and Yan Hui not only understood life, but also tried to explain what "I" is, even going back thousands of years.

Buddah interpreted "I" as “In the heavens above and on the earth below, only the true self is supreme.” He meant that "I" is something that can never be given up,

so one should be self-reliant.

I offer this to help you in your future studies.

"What are my limits?"

If you understand yourself, you can understand your limits, and you can understand the principles of the material world around you.

<Announcement to the Baekdoosan Mountain tribe> written by Master Bongwoo Taehoon Kwon>

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