PERSONA NON GRATA (PDF-1717)

According to the Buddhist view, our personality and "Self" is nothing more than a composite image or montage of attachments, all our personal likes and dislikes. I mean, it's right there in the word "persona" if I would just read the dictionary, often defined as social facade or mask, but masking what? And what is behind the mask?

I sometimes think the mask of personality (self image) is like those old view cameras where the photographer holds up a little stuffed bird and calls out "watch the birdie" while he snaps away. Anyway, that's what we seem to do with the self, focus on the personality or self image surrounding a person (or ourselves), rather than what is inside or behind it. We see the cover and not the book. What is inside?