You Are Not Book.indb - Stephen H. Wolinsky Ph. D.

The Concept of the skandhas / 183
concept of I am, by believing in the concepts of
images, thoughts, fantasies, ideas, even emotions,
perceivables—all “I’s”?
Student: That they are and consciousness as the perceiver
of them IS.
Wolinsky: If these were just concepts of the concept called
“my” consciousness, which believes in the concept
of “I” and were made of the SAME underlying
SUBSTANCE including the “awarer,” which
is aware of it and it all has nothing to do with
anything, then . . . ?
Student: Everything stops.
Wolinsky: Regarding the concepts of images, thoughts,
fantasies, ideas, even emotions, perceivables—
all “I’s”—how has the concept called “my”
consciousness, which believes in the concept of
I am, deceived itself?
Student: Imagining it is and all else is.
Wolinsky: If all of these were just concepts of the concept
called “my” consciousness, which believes in the
concept of I am, and were made of the SAME
underlying SUBSTANCE including the “awarer,”
which is aware of it, and it all has nothing to do
with anything, then . . . ?
Student: Wow, you can really see the circular illusion of
it.
Wolinsky: Regarding all these concepts of images, thoughts,
fantasies, ideas, even emotions, perceivables—all
“I’s”—how has the concept called “my” consciousness,
which believes in the concept of I
am, deceived itself?