Anattā

Anattā “No-Self”

The Buddhist teaching of "anatta" / "anatman" (not Self, not Soul) has from the earliest times been controversial amongst Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike and remains so to this day. The Buddha in the Pali suttas repeatedly indicates that the five impermanent constituents of the living being (the skandhas) are "not Self or what belongs to Self". The majority view amongst Buddhists is that this means that no ultimate, eternal Self of any kind exists at all within any being - no super-Soul, no enduring Essence, no deathless core - , whereas for a minority of Buddhists (particularly within Mahayana Buddhism, such as followers of the Jonangpa School and of Tathagatagarbha Buddhism) the correct understanding is that there is in fact a True Self which is not confined within the transitory and suffering-generating skandhas, but which is the transcendent, all-pervading Self of the Buddha himself and which is one with Nirvana. Nirvana (in contrast to impermanent, compounded phenomena) is never specifically designated by the Pali Buddha as being "non-Self". This tension of interpretation regarding "anatta" has been present throughout the history of Buddhism and is reflected in the current entry too.

Orthodox Understanding of Non-Self

Contrary to the Brahmanical theories of his time, the Buddha chose not to assume the existence of an eternal self or soul, although he would refer to the existence of the self-subjective to conditional phenomena and responsible for kamma i.e. actions, in the causal-moral sense. The Buddha was silent to the questions of the paribbājako (wandering ascetic) Vacchagotta of “Is there a self?” or “Is there not a self?” [SN.5:44,10]. When Ānanda later asked about his silence, the Buddha said that to affirm or deny the existence of an eternal self would have sided with secular theories and have disturbed Vacchagotta even more. It must be pointed out that Vacchagotta had repeatedly come to the Buddha with questions such as these, and although he seriously was trying to understand, he was troubled over this matter, to the point where the Buddha was perhaps silent in this case out of compassion. However, the Buddha did explicitly teach anattā - the non-existence of a intrinsic, lasting person or ‘soul’ - throughout his teaching career; not in a negative, nihilistic way of 'non-reality', but rather by showing 'why it is' and how to see it integrated positively in the law of kamma ~ cause and effect, directing the contemplative “When you see with detachment, All fabrications are inconstant…” naturally leads one to the wisdom that “...All fabrications are unsatisfactory…” ~ because of unawareness and desire resulting in self-identification with the changing events, realization of which leads the mind to release of self-identification through restrained observation of things ‘as they are’ ~ tathatá, leading to pure awareness, seeing that ~ “...All phenomena are not-self...” , the direct realization of the impossibility of an everlasting anything, self or witness.

The Buddha taught a direct way of seeing these processes at work and the consequences when these are misunderstood, rejecting views and theories outside ones domain of investigation as being mere conjecture and not leading to the goal of liberation. In the Majjhima Nikaya, Vacchagotta the wanderer asks the Buddha, “Does Venerable Gotama hold to any theories at all” The Buddha replied, “Theories, Vaccha, have been scattered by the Tathāgata. Vaccha, the Tathāgata has seen this: Such is materiality, such is the arising of materiality, and such is the extinction of materiality. Such are sensations of feeling, … Such is sense-awareness, … Such is volitional-cognition, … Such is consciousness, such is the arising of consciousness, and such is the extinction of consciousness. Therefore I say: the Tathāgata, through the destruction, waning, cessation, abandoning, forsaking, non-arising and release from all illusions, all mental contrivance, all I-making, selfishness and the latent tendency to conceit ~ is Liberated.”[MN.72]

Life is a continuous stream of becoming and cessation, a series of manifestations and extinctions. Belief in a continuous person or ‘self’ is a popular delusion. Consequently the individual tends to identify with having a personality with ideas and values based on life’s experiences. As the individual experiences life’s manifestations these will be check against an accumulation of preferences and beliefs. However, because everything is impermanent, including the individual witness, there is constant grasping at the illusion resulting in frustration, stress and suffering. This ‘person’ is actually nothing more than an evolution of natural elements and latent tendencies of consciousness, held together by a thread of memory running through an ever-changing experience of reality. There can be no individuality outside the arrangement of components. “All conditioned things are impermanent”, and, if only the permanent can be called the self, then “All phenomena are not-self” (Dhp.22). As the aspirant of the doctrine cultivates the mind through contemplation and the arising of wisdom, the mind naturally shakes free of its entanglements. The goal of the Buddhist contemplative is to develop freedom from entanglement with ‘things as they seem’; through the delusions of desire and consequential self-identity with events, resultant fear, aversion and projected hopes ~ to awaken to ‘things as they are’ ~ coming home to a natural understanding of reality with ones given abilities at work in an ever changing evolution of experience.

In certain Mahayana scriptures, however (the Tathagatagarbha sutras), as well as in certain tantras, dissension from the orthodox view of "non-Self" manifests itself. The idea of non-Self is there applied solely to the impermanent constituents of the sentient being (the skandhas) and not to the deathless, blissful and incorruuptible core of the being, which is said by the Buddha in these sutras to be of the nature of the Buddha himself and indeed to be the True Self beyond the imperfections and conditionality of the non-Self. In the Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra the Buddha indicates that to construe the non-Self doctrine as meaning that there is no Self at all is foolish. He states: "When I have taught non-Self, fools uphold the teaching that there is no Self. The wise know that such [i.e. "non-Self"] is conventional speech (vyavahāra-vat), and they are free from doubts." The impermanence which characterises the non-Self does not here pertain to the Buddha or Nirvana, the deathless essence of which is taught by the Mahayana Buddha to be present within all beings.

Dependent Origination ~ Paṭiccasamuppāda

This rise and fall phenomena is further detailed in the analysis of causality ‘Dependant Genesis’ (paṭiccasamuppāda), the essence of the Buddha’s teaching that maps out the experiential interaction of subjective reality. This analysis supports the underling principles behind the Four Noble Truths and the Middle Way.

All psycho-physiological phenomena are a chain of events and interactions; one arising, completing its cycle and ceasing, and then another – in a continuous flow of change. When there is ignorance, one concocts the assumption that the interplay of mental factors that are comprised of feelings of sensations, sense-awareness, volitional cognition and consciousness to be ‘self’ – an intrinsic, lasting person; thus observing the arising phenomena within the experience of this interaction as possessed by or belonging to ‘self’. This process based on the Law of Dependant Genesis would be as follows: upon ignorant-contact, sensations arise; upon sensations, desire arises; upon desire, identification arises (upādāna); upon identification, becoming arises; upon becoming, birth arises (the cognition of a new mind-body has formed and arisen in identification with sensations); upon birth, old-age arises (the new mind-body declines, thus the experience of pain, dissatisfaction and mental distress); upon old-age, death arises (the extinction of the new mind-body and return to void-states). This interaction is taking place within the five bases of conditionality which are subject to be identified with (pañcupādānakkhandha), when the common person, is untaught and unaware of the truth of conditionality – he identifies (upādāna ~ lit. 'takes up') with what has arisen as ‘self’:

“He is of the viewpoint that materiality is ‘Self’, or ‘Self’ possesses materiality, or materiality is in ‘Self’, or ‘Self’ is in materiality. He is of the viewpoint that sensations of feeling … that sense-awareness … that volitional-cognition … that consciousness is ‘Self’, or ‘Self’ possesses consciousness, or consciousness is in ‘Self’, or ‘Self’ is in consciousness.” “Therefore because of these viewpoints this ‘I am’ has not vanished. Therefore, monks, because this ‘I am’ has not vanished, he is beset with these five characteristics; the eye characteristic, the ear characteristic, the nose characteristic, the tongue characteristic and the body characteristic. There exists, monks, the mind; there exists its phenomena and there exists the factor of ignorance. Born of ignorant contact, monks, the untaught-commoner is influenced by sensations; thus it occurs to him ‘I am’, thus it occurs to him ‘I am this’, thus it occurs to him ‘I exist’, thus it occurs to him ‘I shall not exist’, thus it occurs to him ‘I shall be composed of materiality’, thus it occurs to him ‘I shall not be composed of materiality’, thus it occurs to him ‘I shall be composed of sense-awareness’, thus it occurs to him ‘I shall not be composed of sense-awareness’, thus it occurs to him ‘I shall consist of neither sense-awareness nor not of sense-awareness’.” [SN.22.47]

This premise of personal identity with phenomena results in uneasiness and stress as the individual struggles to maintain this perspective and adjust to the ever-changing flow of experience. This manifests as tendencies of craving, craving for that which is desirable to last; for that which is undesirable to not last and any of a seemingly numberless variety of preferential possibilities. Once craving matures into attachment (upādāna) i.e. the full taking-up of identification with the arisen event – the becoming and birth of a momentary mind-body relationship with the event occurs – “I am and this is mine”. It is this ‘personal’ event-experience that further matures, is experienced as affliction in variations from dissatisfaction, to pain and mental distress – to decline back into void states.

Through cultivating the mind to see the true nature of phenomenal events, one can understand the consequences that develop from identifying with what has arisen - and the benefits of mindful restraint. This leads to knowledge that nothing lasts from one moment to the next, including a ‘person’ to observe it - with knowledge of impermanence there is the cessation of this struggle born out of ignorance; leading to peace. Just as ignorant contact and craving leads to self-identification with the arisen events – resulting in dissatisfaction; wisdom and detachment leads to liberation. Thus, based on the Law of Dependant Genesis this would be as follows: With knowledge of causality (mindfulness of things as they truly are): upon contact, sensations arise. Sensations known with mindfulness are seen as impermanent, unstable and not-self ~ “And of what is impermanent, unpleasant, and of the nature to change, is it proper to regard these as ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my ‘Self’’?”

“No, lord.” [SN.22.59]

Thus when seen with wisdom, nothing is worthy of personal identification. Then when there is contact with sensations, desire does not arise; when desire does not arise, identification does not arise; when identification does not arise, becoming does not arise; when becoming does not arise, birth does not arise; when birth does not arise the Middle Way is established. Therefore the well trained and skillful observer of causality no longer identifies with the arisen phenomena.

“ Monks, the five characteristics exist right there, although for the learned noble disciple; ignorance has been abandoned and knowledge has arisen. Therefore with the fading away of ignorance and the arising of knowledge; thus it does not occur to him ‘I am’, thus it does not occur to him ‘I am this’, thus it does not occur to him ‘I exist’, thus it does not occur to him ‘I shall not exist’, thus it does not occur to him ‘I shall be composed of materiality’, thus it does not occur to him ‘I shall not be composed of materiality’, thus it does not occur to him ‘I shall be composed of sense-awareness’, thus it does not occur to him ‘I shall not be composed of sense-awareness’, thus it does not occur to him ‘I shall consist of neither sense-awareness nor not of sense-awareness’.” [SN. 22.47]

“He does not make fabrications or form ideas about becoming or non-becoming. By not making fabrications or forming ideas about becoming or non-becoming, he does not attach to anything in this world. When he is not attached, he is undisturbed. When he is undisturbed, he has become completely stilled within. Thus he knows, 'Gone is the possibility of rebirth, fulfilled is the renounced life, the goal has been reached, of this existence there is no further goal.' If he feels a pleasurable feeling, he knows 'This is impermanent', he knows 'There is nothing to attach to' he knows 'There is nothing to find pleasure in'. If he feels a painful feeling, he knows 'This is impermanent', he knows 'There is nothing to attach to' he knows 'There is nothing to find pleasure in'. If he feels a neither painful nor pleasurable feeling, he knows 'This is impermanent', he knows 'There is nothing to attach to' he knows 'There is nothing to find pleasure in'.” [MN.140]

Atta in the Nikayas

The Sanskrit word ‘ātman’ is found in the earliest of Vedic hymns although the origin of its meaning in uncertain. Variously derived, it can mean ‘to breathe’ or ‘the breath’ (of life) or in the Brahmaical sense; the ‘soul’ which is similar to the Greek psyche. It is in this reasoning that the sun is called the ātman of all that moves or stands still, and the soma drink is called the ātman of the Vedic sacrifices. Ātman is also used as a reflexive (or genitive, possessive) pronoun, to mean “himself”, “myself” or “yourself”. And, because the person and body are considered as a whole, the ātman can refer to the body and mind. Because of its reference as the ‘breath of life’ the ātman was thought of as an animating force, described in the Upanishads as a small creature shaped like a man that could escape the body, in sleep or in trance, to later return and animate it again. Likewise, the atman escapes from the body at death, continuing on its journey of transmigration (samsāra). Thus the ‘manas’ (mind) in this connection is a synonym and a usage that developed into the concepts of Self and Soul we find in the Upanishads.

The fundamental attribute of Reality, the All, Eternal, the Absolute, is expressed in the word Brahman. The Brahman is sometimes personified and called Brahmā, which can mean God or Great Self. Brahman is ‘Sat, Cit, Ānanda’ ~ Absolute Being, Absolute Consciousness and Absolute Bliss. Every human being possesses a part of Brahman, which is called átman or the little Self. Brahman and átman are one, and it is only because of ignorance (avidya) that one is prevented from realizing this truth. Liberation (moksha) consists in removing the veil of ignorance and realizing this oneness of the átman with the Brahman. This idea is expressed in the famous quote ‘tat tvam asi’ ~ ‘that thou art’. Thus the átman can be thought of as an eternal immutable substance, free from the hardships attendant to change and decay.

In Pali-Buddhism, the word ‘attan’ has two main uses, similar to the Sanskrit ātman; as a reflexive (or in the genitive, possessive) pronoun it means “himself”, “myself”, “yourself” etc. And in various contexts it can refer to the body or the mind. And as a noun it means the “soul” in the Brahmanical sense. Contrary to the Brahmanical theories of his time, the Buddha chose not to assume the existence of an eternal self or soul, although he would refer to the existence of the self or person subjective to conditional phenomena and responsible for ones actions in that sense.

In distinct contrast to the Vedic theories of the ‘Ātman’ contemporary to his time, the Buddha rejected these in one clean sweep in the doctrine of anattā; Reality, all phenomena, is analyzed as nothing more than a perpetual rearranging of psychophysical events, summarized in the pañca-khandha (Skt. ~ skandha) lit. ‘five bases’; 1) Matter/Corporeality ~ Rūpa, 2) Sensations of Feeling ~ Vedanā, 3) Sense Awareness ~ Saññā ,4) Volitional Cognition ~ Sankhāra, 5) Consciousness/Life-Force ~ Viññāṇa. The interaction of these factors manifest as the experience of life, and are detailed in the Law of Cause and Effect ~ kamma (Skt. karma ~ 'action') as taught by the Buddha in his analysis of ‘Dependant Genesis’ ~ Paṭicca-samuppāda; demonstrating that all events are dependant on a cause. The ‘person’ regenerates itself, conditioned by desire and illusory self-identification with the arising of events in the stream of life experience. This 'person' or witness of these manifestations and extinctions is likewise nothing more than a shifting web of interactions; of natural elements, mental factors, latent tendencies of consciousness, held together by a thread of memory running through an ever-changing experience of reality, i.e. there can be no individuality outside the arrangement of components, and the arrangement of the components in one moment is different from the next, hence the impossibility of a continuous, unchanging, self or 'person'. This cycle is perpetuated by ignorance ~ avijjā (the absence of Truth ‘produced from restraint, seeing things as they truly are’ ~ yatābhūta-ñānadassana), craving/desire ~ tanhā and clinging ~ upadānā, resulting in suffering ~ dukkha which begins the process over again, ad-infinitum.

The way to liberation taught by the Buddha is summarized in the Four Noble Truths & The Noble Eightfold Path, the latter consisting of three sections: Virtue ~ Sīla, Concentration ~ Samādhi and Wisdom ~ Paññya. Virtue frees the mind from worry and guilt, Concentration is the contemplative work based on the above analysis of all phenomena in terms of three characteristics ~ ti-lakkhana; 1) Impermanence ~ Anicca, 2) Suffering or misery due to ignorance, craving & clinging ~ Dukkha, and 3) Not-Self; realising that because all things are inconstant, there likewise is no constant “I” or “Mine”, eternal self or witness of the experience ~ Anattā. This gives rise to wisdom ~ paññya and realization of Truth ~ ‘seeing things as they truly are’ ~ ñānadassana, leading to an un-prompted release of the burden of desire and self-illusion, resulting in an experience of voidness ~ suññatā (peace), which with continued effort leads to supreme voidness ~ paramam-suññam (Supreme Peace), Nibbāna.

Anatta in the Tathagatagarbha Sutras

The understanding of anatta expressed in the Mahayana scriptures known as the "Tathagatagarbha Sutras" is distinctive: the doctrine presented by the Buddha in these texts claims to clarify that it is only the impermanent elements of the sentient being - the "five skandhas" (constituent elements of mind and body) - which are "not the self" ("anatman"), whereas the truly real, immanent essence ("svabhava") of the being is no less than the "tathagatagarbha" ("buddha-matrix") or the "buddha-principle" ("buddha-dhatu", which means "buddha-element" or "buddha-nature"), and is inviolate and deathless. In the Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra, this immortal buddhic element within the being is termed the "true self". It is essentially free from rebirth and always remains intrinsically immaculate and uniquely radiant, only awaiting discovery by the contaminated mundane mind of each being. In the Tathagatagarbha Sutra, the Buddha tells how, with his buddha-eye, he can actually see this hidden buddhic "jewel" within each and every being: "hidden within the klesas [mental contaminants] of greed, desire, anger, and stupidity, there is seated augustly and unmovingly the Tathagata's [Buddha's] wisdom, the Tathagata's vision, and the Tathagata's body [...] all beings, though they find themselves with all sorts of klesas, have a tathagatagarbha [buddhic essence, embryonic buddha] that is eternally unsullied, and replete with virtues no different from my own" (Lopez, 1995, p.96). Thus, the "non-self" doctrine receives a controversial presentation in the Tathagatagarbha Sutras as merely partial, contingent truth rather than as absolute verity.

See also

atman (Buddhism)

skandhas

anicca

dukkha

Tathagatagarbha

Mahaparinirvana Sutra

External links

• No Inner Core: An Introduction to the Doctrine of Anatta A short e-book on Anatta doctrine by Sayadaw U Silananda from a Theravada perspective (PDF file).
• Anatta: Non-Self Audio discussion of Anatta from Buddhist Society of Western Australia.
• Nirvana Sutra English translation of the Nirvana Sutra by Kosho Yamamoto.