Attachment of the self to the material world (maya/illusion) leads to suffering (samsara).

Reincarnation of the self is a form of suffering because the self keeps coming back to the material-world thinking that it is its real destiny.

The self has to liberate itself from this ignorance by cultivating an authentic knowledge (self-realization) that the self has is NOT MAYA but ATMAN.

When the self has been thoroughly cleansed from its illusions, the self is filled with the sense of well-being, and at death, its soul is liberated from endless rebirths (reincarnation) and join the universal spirit Brahma and becomes one with Brahma.

The doctrine of non-self or annata dictates that the self is subject to the law of changes.

Everything, including the self, is always in constant change: born, grows, and dies.

The self is composed of five aggregates: natter, sensation, perception, mental construct, and consciousness.

Each aggregate is transitory in nature. That is why there is no such thing as permanent self.

The idea of the self is illusory. This false belief yields harmful thoughts of selfish desire, “me-and-mine” mentality, craving, attachment, ill-will, hatred, conceit, pride, egoism, and any other defilements and social problems.

 It is the source of all troubles in societies. The goal of the self is to attain enlightenment by freeing oneself from ignorance that causes suffering.

The self is seen as an illusion, born out of ignorance, of trying to hold and control things, or human centered needs; thus the self is also the source of all these sufferings.

It is our quest to forget about the self, forget the cravings of the self, break the attachments you have with the world, and to renounce the self which is the cause of all suffering and in doing so, attain the state of nirvana.

The self is a moral and social being.

Good life depends on order, and order depends on good and just government.

If a ruler lives and governs virtuously, virtuous people would obey him.

Virtue consists of correct behavior, such as benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and loyalty.

These virtues must guide human relations, namely, between ruler and people; between parents and children; between husband and wife; between elder brother and younger brother; and between friends and friend.

A true self is a noble man possesses all the virtues, and this noble man is called the man of JEN.  

The self is a dot in the universe and being a part of nature, the self must live in accordance with the law of nature that rules and directs the movements of all things.

The highest achievement of every human being is being a wise person. As a wise person, his highest achievement is affinity with the universe.

The happiness of the self is found in the self’s conformity with nature. Confucius advocated the active role of man in relation to creating oneness with nature.

The identity and self-concept of the individual are interwoven with the identity and status of his/her community or culture, sharing its pride as well as its failures.

Self-cultivation is seen as the ultimate purpose of life but the characteristics of a chun-tzu, a man of virtue or noble character, is still embedded in his social relationships.

The self must bring himself in harmony with Tao by practicing the three great virtues: humility, frugality and contentment.

The self should not strive for learning, riches, and power;

The self should find lasting happiness by being quiet, thoughtful, and humble.

To be able to harmonize, the self must practice the WU-WIE or the non-interference with the natural courses of events.

Most of the problems in the world is caused by the self’s active participation in creating harmony with nature.

Too much involvement of the self in nature can lead to destruction.

Ideal self is selflessness but this is not forgetting about the self, it is living a balanced-life with society and nature, being open and accepting to change, forgetting about prejudices and egocentric ideas and thinking about equality as well as complementarity among humas as well as other beings.