Part 6/13:
Many of us assume a "thinker" exists behind our thoughts—a separate self that governs them. If our thoughts are transient, the significant question becomes: what are we? This inquiry leads to an exploration that the Buddha himself undertook. The search for the "thinker" often unveils an absence—a lack of a solid, permanent "I."
The Buddha’s teachings on Anatta directly challenge our innate belief in a controlling self. His practical approach involved examining human experience through five aggregates (pañca-khandha): physical form, feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness. Everything we experience can be categorized within these aggregates, guiding us to insight about our existence.