The Buddha Project 
“Doesn’t Buddhism also lead us to tell ourselves stories? Stories other than those we’re used to telling ourselves, but stories nonetheless?”
Ven. Gendun All Buddhist schools argue that our regular perception is conceptually constructed, or as philosopher Tom Tillemans calls it, made up of useful fictions. That does not make these fictions untrue. We need concepts to make sense of a world that is otherwise too vast and complex to comprehend. The useful fiction of ‘my body’ is a theory that generalizes my observations over time regarding dozens of organs, thousands of parts, and trillions of cells. Parts of that ‘fiction’ have good predictive properties and others don’t. To maybe bring water, toilet paper, and paracetamol on a trip is wise; to treat the body as personal property in ways that will harm it in the long run is not so wise.
The Buddha offers healing narratives, that he invites you to investigate with your own wisdom, such that when you know for yourself:
- ‘These things are unskillful, blameworthy, criticized by sensible people, and when you undertake them, they lead to harm and suffering’, then you should give them up’ and
- ‘These things are skillful, blameless, praised by sensible people, and when you undertake them, they lead to welfare and happiness’, then you should acquire them and keep them. (AN 3.65)
So, to elaborate on Tom Tillemans’ expression: not all our fictions are useful. In fact, many are straightforward harmful. The fact that we hold ourselves and others to have permanent properties gives rise to desire, attachment, pride, jealousy, and anger, while this is a false narrative, for all our characteristics are temporal, relational, and contextual.
When finally, you have come to realize the Dharma for yourself, with the help of an experienced guide, then you can let go of even the Dharma’s narratives, for they were ‘for crossing over, not for holding on. By understanding the simile of the raft, you will even give up the teachings, let alone what is against the teachings.’ (MN 22)
