The Buddha was a Hindu in early in life and although he later developed his own set of teachings, he always taught within the context of Hinduism which was an intrinsic part of the Indian culture. Much of what has become Buddhism was adapted from the Vedic traditions of Hinduism.
Both Buddhism and Hinduism share the belief in karma and reincarnation; they both accept the idea of spiritual liberation from the cycle of reincarnation. Both religions promote similar spiritual practices and share many deities (though their nature is understood differently.)
The Buddha essentially ignored the ancient custom of the caste system, offering his teachings to individuals regardless of their caste. More importantly, he negated a central Hindu teaching of Atman, or the eternal soul. He stated adamantly that there is no soul, no Atman. This teaching became known as the doctrine of Anatta.
This doctrine of Anatta is anathema to our western cultural assumption that the self is very real and is of paramount importance. The concept of “No self” is a bit of an insult to the Western mind!
How can one accommodate this idea given its blatant contradiction of common sense? The “selfie” has become a part of our western culture, but the “no-selfie” seems like a bridge too far!
Let’s unpack this teaching.
“No self” does not mean that we don't exist--it means that we exist in a way quite different from our conditioned experience of self.
We are accustomed to the paradoxical nature of our human experience by virtue of modern science. What we experience every day and what science tells us is true is often contradictory. We may have the experience of sitting very still, yet also know that we are whirling through space at several thousand miles per hour. We may watch the sun move across the sky but know that it’s the turning of the earth that creates this illusion. Your body may feel like solid matter, but it is mostly empty space. To know that reality is different from our everyday human experience is not a stretch for most of us.
Perhaps one could think of the self as a verb-. This may sound strange but consider this: if you make a fist and then open your hand you could say, “I made my fist disappear!” You can do this because the fist—though considered a thing— is really an activity of the hand. A fist is simply a hand that is “fisting.”
So too, you could think of the self as a certain activity of the mind. The mind is “selfing” just as the hand was “fisting.” When the mind is not “selfing” you may still be aware-- but you are not aware of yourself as an individual.
The self disappears when your body sleeps. Even when you're awake you can have periods of time when you “lose yourself” in some activity. You may be reading a book. You may be reading for an hour without any sense of self, then someone calls your name--and suddenly self “returns”.
I invite you to recall those times when you felt relaxed and at peace. What was your sense of self then? Conversely, consider a time when you have suffered intensely. What was your sense of self like then?
You may see from experience that “life is better without a self!” If you pay attention to your state of mind you may find very readily that you're much happier when you are not aware of yourself as a separate being.
A primary practice of the Buddhist teaching is that of mindfulness (vipassana) practice. Vipassana means “seeing clearly into the nature of reality.” The intention of this practice is to develop clear and continuous awareness and a compassionate acceptance of each subjective experience in your life.
Some could ask, “If there is no self, who is aware? The classic answer is “awareness itself.” The answer that arises evermore often by modern authors (including Neil DeGrasse Tyson) is that the universe is aware through us!” We may be the universe’s way of becoming aware of itself!
Finally—and perhaps most important of all is that Buddhism is not based on beliefs or doctrines but upon direct experience. The Buddha did not want us to endorse some belief about no-self --he wanted us to experience it directly.