>Buddhism also has a lot to say with regards to the illusion of the self

agreed.

and i find the reactions to the OP interesting from an allegorical standpoint: when the Buddha was under the tree seeking enlightenment he was constantly beset by jealous gods that didn't want to let him into their realm. they each plied their talents tempting him and challenging him to remain in the material world.

so here's the OP posting a little bit of truth with some Buddhist flavor to it and he is instantly barraged by people claiming that the self is all-important and that he doesn't know what he's talking about and that we shouldn't be trying for anything beyond sheer materialism.

so i guess Kali and Shiva et.al. have gone digital now lol.