The reality and illusion of life
Despite this plain fact of experience people still believe in ego-consciousness, clinging to the fallacy that there is a permanent, abiding substance of Soul in and behind consciousness. Life for them is therefore a reality and an illusion. The five aggregates are real, but the enduring Ego is illusion. The term "self" is a name for the linkage of all five aggregates just as the term "human being" refers to an aggregate of body and mind. For Buddhism this term "self" is a societal invention for the purpose of communication. Therefore the "self" is an idea, not real. Devoid of a substantial Ego, life is like a bubble, with its center a void. This non-egocentric view of life is a belief and an explanation of human existence unique to Buddhism. This understanding encourages us to look at life objectively and to refrain from viewing it in terms of self-centeredness. By negating the self in life Buddhism tries to eliminate the vanity caused by self-absorption.