According to the Buddhist tradition, especially Theravada tradition, there is no such thing as self or soul, which is permanent in nature. Our existence is just because of the interdependent arising, being and cessation of five aggregates (skandas), namely: the aggregate of matter (rupa), the aggregate of sensation (vedana), the aggregate of perception, the aggregate of formations (samskras), and the aggregate of consciousness. The aggregate of matter is the only aggregate of material activities, while the others are mental phenomena. The aggregate of sensation is the faculty to feel. The aggregate of perception is the faculty to perceive and to memorize. The aggregate of formation is the faculty to form habitual patterns and formations, and finally the aggregate of consciousness is to know or to be aware of. Actually, all of these five aggregates are impermanent; they vanish as soon as they appear.
However, the impermanent nature of the five aggregates and the non-self raise a very important question. If there is no self, then who is the one who is suffering, who is the one who is doing good or bad karma, and who is the one who can attain the Nirvana (the Enlightenment)? Actually, the answer lies in the continual interdependent causality. Although the five aggregates are impermanent in nature, they won’t merely vanish. They left an effect (Karma) on the arising of another 5 aggregates, which in turn give birth to another five aggregates and so on. Also, the effect depends on the intensity of the attachment and the frequency of the aggregate of formation (samskras). For example, when we read a book for the first time, we won’t be able to memorize the whole book; however, if we read the book over and over again, we will be able to memorize it, and we will be able understand the book more. In fact, the memorizing process depends on not only the frequency but also how much we are interested in the book. We won’t be able to memorize the book well if we are not interested in it. Also, what we learnt from the book will also change our attitudes and actions. So, generally speaking, the Karma effect of the past five aggregates has laid the foundations for the arising of the future five aggregates. In fact, according to the Buddhist tradition, this is how Karma effects are carried over time naturally, and there is no such thing as soul or self, which is the permanent carrier of Karma effects. Since nothing is impermanent in Buddhism, even the Karma effects will pass away over time, unless we try to do them again. However, the passing away of Karma effect does not necessarily mean the end of the continual interdependent causality, since we are forming the Karma effects all the time through the aggregate of formation. However, through mindfulness, (in other words, the aggregate of consciousness), we will be able to analyze and understand how the continual interdependent causality works, and once we fully understand them, we will be able to reach the Nirvana, the cessation of the continual interdependent causality.
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