Letting Go Of The “Me” You Think Life Is Happening To

Most of our dissatisfaction comes from one mistaken assumption — that there’s a solid me at the center of experience, the one everything is happening to.

In this Dharma talk, we explore how that sense of “me” arises, why it feels so convincing, and how to gently see through it.

Through mindfulness and direct inquiry, we ask: “To whom does this anger belong? To whom do these thoughts belong?” We begin to notice the subtle, unchecked assumption that there’s an owner behind our anger, hurt, disappointment, and thoughts.

As we look more closely, we see that while anger, disappointment, and thinking all arise, there’s no owner behind them. This insight frees us from the burden of the “me” we think life is happening to and reveals that it’s all just activity — life moving, changing, unfolding.

In seeing this, life becomes lighter and more fluid, not happening to us or for us, but simply happening.