Why Body is Not Self

“Monks, if the boy were self, the core of our being, then it would not tend to affliction or distress, and one should be able to say of it, ‘Let my body be thus (in the best of conditions); let my body not be thus (in a bad condition); It should be possible to influence the body in this manner.”
Were the body the core of one’s being, or self, it would not cause of suffering, but actually the body does impose suffering in many ways. It does not remain youthful and vigorous, It grows old and decays, and it dies. Without the body, one would be free from the affliction of going grey, becoming toothless, hunchbacked, deaf, nearsighted, wrinkled and infirm. It is the body that inflicts these sufferings.
Again, because of the body, one is troubled with pain-eye diseases, ear diseases, toothache, backache, flatulence, feelings of heat, coldness, pain and itching-and with diseases of the blood, skin stomach or urine. These aliments arise because of the body. We suffer from hunger and thirst because of the body, and because of it we are subjected to attack by mosquitoes and other antagonists. Suffering in the miserable and woeful states is also due to the body. In short, one suffers from all in short, one suffers from all these aliments and affliction because of the body.
In addition, the body is responsible for the phenomenon of death in human existence. When the material qualities in the body undergo deterioration and decay, death occurs. It may be said, therefore, that the physical from inflicts suffering by causing death.
Thus we can reflect that if the physical from were self, it would not inflict on us the sufferings of old age, disease and death. One might cause suffering to others but not to oneself. If the body were self, it should not inflict suffering on itself by bringing about old age and so on.
Furthermore, even before the onset of old age, disease and death, the body is constantly subjecting us to many forms of distress. Even young people, who are relatively free from illness and enjoy good health, cannot remain long in any one of the body postures, such as sitting, standing or walking. They have to change postures very often. We have all experienced how hard it is to remain in any one body posture. We find it difficult to remain seated for half an hour or one hour without changing posture, or to lie down for two or three hours without moving. We are constantly having to change postures because of the feelings of heat or pain that arise in the limbs after a certain time in one position. All this distress arises because of the physical form; in other words, it is the body that is inflicting it.
Thus we may reflect that if the body were self, it would not impose these sufferings on us.
Furthermore, it is stated, “if the body were self it should be possible to say of it, ‘let my body be thus, let my body not be thus/” All beings would like to see their bodies always healthy and youthful in appearance, to keep them from old age, illness, decay and death. But the material body is never obliging; it refuses to be subject to one’s will. Its fresh youthfulness fades into aged debility, its robust health declines against one’s will into illness and disease and finally dissolution and death.
If the body were self it would not inflict sufferings on us, and it should be possible to subject it to our will. While others may not be amenable to one’s control, it should at least be possible to manage our own body as we desire. But the fact of the matter is that the body is not self. That is why sufferings on us and refuses to be controlled. The Blessed One continued to explain this fact.
Yasma ca kho, bhikkhave, rupam anatta, tasma rupam abadhaya samvattati, na ca labbhati rupe evam me rupam hotu, evam me rupam ma ahositi.
“Monks, in fact, the body is not self. Since it is not self, it tends to affliction and distress, and it is not possible to say of the body. ‘Let it be thus, let it not be thus.’ It is not possible to influence and manage the body in this manner.”