Does Gumbo Exist?

[GrowingUp]

Weird thought I had as I was trying to explain to myself the concept that "I" or "my self" doesn't actually exist.

And I thought about Gumbo.

Gumbo is "a stew or thick soup, usually made with chicken or seafood, greens,and okra or sometimes filé as a thickener."

It a conglomeration of things that we put the term "Gumbo" on. You put a bunch of separate measurable things in a pot - and then we call that conglomeration "Gumbo". Yet "Gumbo" is a concept - because actually - you really just have chicken or seafood, greens, okra, etc. together with a base. If you put a bowl of "Gumbo" in front of me, I could reasonably say - "Where's the Gumbo? All I see are chicken, seafood, greens, okra, etc."

The "self" seems to be like that. There's skin, bones, blood vessels, nerves, a brain, neurochemicals, etc. - and then we call this human gumbo a "self".

I saw Leo's video recently where he said there is perception, but no perceiver - which makes sense. I can see that "I" do not exist - and that my self is simply a gumbo of parts that creates an illusion of a self. The parts tell a story of a sell that the parts then believe and act from. 

Wondering if any of this makes sense or if there's another metaphor that works. 

 

[starsofclay]

It makes sense to me (maybe cuz in from the south haha) 

Although people might respond better if you use chicken noodle soup instead 

[YaNanNallari]

None of those things exists. Not even the things gumbo is made of

[MisterMan]

Theres always one.

 

Your point doesn't exist either.

It's a good analogy.