A new consensus is emerging both within Buddhist studies and in the cognitive sciences that the self, as we experience it, is—itself—a metaphorical process. The Buddha’s teaching of anattā (not-self) can be understood through the cognitive science of language, neuroscience, and evolutionary psychology. The Buddha was a master metaphor maker, and in this program we’ll look at his original teachings on not-self, dukkha, nibbāna, and the three fires as all cast in metaphorical terms. This program will seek to naturalize these original teachings through questions such as, Can we get beyond metaphors to reflect self and reality through our insights? Do we need to transcend language in order to experience awakening (itself another metaphor)? Can mindfulness practice help us get closer to the primordial reality that lives just before word, concept, and category? In this program, experiential practices will include guided meditations on the nature of self and a journaling technique that uses impermanence to disrupt our normal (attached) relationship to internal stories. Suggested reading: Arnie Kozak’s 108 Metaphors for Mindfulness: From Wild Chickens to Petty Tyrants (2016).