Self-development is the gradual and systematic eradication of self-importance, the major obstacle on the spiritual path. Ultimately there is no self. When speaking in conventional terms, however, the Buddha often referred to 'self'. He taught that each of us could be said to have three selves:- 1) physical body self - developed by sila (five precepts) to counter the five guilty dreads (described in detail); 2) mental body self (i.e. 'control or management of desires and emotions'); developed by samadhi (inc. overcoming elation and dejection and metta/compassion); 3) consciousness self (awareness of refined concentrated levels of mind); developed by panna. Self-development brings many benefits but is not the end of the meditative road. The final goal is the complete transcendence of all relative phenomena, enlightenment. ‘True self-development but with no self-importance left‘.
Alan James founded the House of Inner Tranquillity, along with his wife Jacqui James in 1980. He continued to teach the way to enlightenment until his retirement in 2010.
This talk was originally given in April 1991.
