There is no self at all in any way shape or form. If I ask you to have an honest look if this statement is true or not, if your going to take this serious instead of assuming you already know, very probably your going to try and analyse this with the mind to get to know the answer like your used to doing with questions, but if you really want to see what is true beyond a shadow of a doubt the mind is an insufficient tool.

Once seen what is true this can be seen again and again totally effortlessly, for the first time there needs to be a total dedication and a relentless intent to see what is true, wanting nothing more than this.

Although it is not so that something needs to be changed, added or substracted to see what is true now. What needs to happen to actually be seeing this in the immediacy of everyday life is looking at sense experience and thoughts about sense experience, are you truly in control of any of this?

Is there such a thing as a mind behind thoughts? Are you this mind? Where do these thoughts come from? Or are they just the coming and going of thoughts without control, without a thinker? Although thoughts might seem to trouble you they do not need to go anywhere, they are needed to function and for the body to survive, still you need to look beyond the mind.

Looking needs to happen, in fact it is already happening, are you doing this looking? Hearing happens, sensing happens, all body functions happen, thinking happens, life happens, everything happens, look, is anything behind in control of it or does it always happen whether you like it or not?

Why would you want to see this? What is gained? Well nothing is gained nor lost, surely you started searching for one reason and one reason only, to become happy, unconditionally happy, right? So how to make this come about?

It might sound very strange but you can't make this come about by improving yourself nor the world around you for the simple fact there is no you and life, there is only life happening as it is without the inherent control you seem to be having.

The searching for happiness for a seeming separate self in the stream of life is the struggle itself. As long as your trying to micromanage life into being exactly as you want it to be the struggle continues. It is almost impossible to get this perfect life and if you do it will only last for a while.

Is there really someone called the way you are called living its life separate from life which can be improved? No really how do you know so sure? Suddenly there pops up consciousness of existence existing through the senses and later thought kicks in that this particular body is what you are, all of this happens totally involuntarily.

What I'm getting at here is the question: Isn't this me or I your trying to improve, your trying to get recognition for trough career, sports, getting a perfect partner or liberation or enlightenment or being spiritual and so on just an idea? I invite you to have a thorough look to investigate in ordinary everyday life, you might be in for a mind blowing surprise, or a disapointment if you were looking for some incredible mystical Enlightenment which should be making you oh so special and place you above the rest of mankind or even make you god ;-)

All this effort to improve is like polishing the lake untill its all shiny and clear like a mirror...