ANATTA: 'not-self',
non-ego, egolessness, impersonality, is the last of the three
characteristics of existence (ti-lakkhana, q.v.) The anattá
doctrine teaches that neither within the bodily and mental phenomena
of existence, nor outside of them, can be found anything that in the
ultimate sense could be regarded as a self-existing real ego-entity,
soul or any other abiding substance. This is the central doctrine of
Buddhism, without understanding which a real knowledge of Buddhism is
altogether impossible. It is the only really specific Buddhist
doctrine, with which the entire Structure of the Buddhist teaching
stands or falls. All the remaining Buddhist doctrines may, more or
less, be found in other philosophic systems and religions, but the
anattá-doctrine has been clearly and unreservedly taught only by
the Buddha, wherefore the Buddha is known as the anattá-vádi,
or 'Teacher of Impersonality'. Whosoever has not penetrated this
impersonality of all existence, and does not comprehend that in
reality there exists only this continually self-consuming process of
arising and passing bodily and mental phenomena, and that there is no
separate ego-entity within or without this process, he will not be
able to understand Buddhism, i.e. the teaching of the 4 Noble Truths (sacca,
q.v.), in the right light. He will think that it is his ego, his
personality, that experiences suffering, his personality that performs
good and evil actions and will be reborn according to these actions,
his personality that will enter into Nibbána, his personality that
walks on the Eightfold Path. Thus it is said in Vis.M. XVI:
"Mere suffering exists,
no sufferer is found;
The deeds are, but no doer of the deeds is there;
Nibbána is, but not the man that enters it;
The path is, but no traveler on it is seen."
"Whosoever is not clear with
regard to the conditionally arisen phenomena, and does not comprehend
that all the actions are conditioned through ignorance, etc., he
thinks that it is an ego that understands or does not understand, that
acts or causes to act, that comes to existence at rebirth .... that
has the sense-impression, that feels, desires, becomes attached,
continues and at rebirth again enters a new existence" (Vis.M.
XVII, 117).
While in the case of the first
two characteristics it is stated that all formations (sabbe
sankhárá) are impermanent and subject to suffering, the
corresponding text for the third characteristic states that "all
things are not-self" (sabbe dhammá anattá; M. 35,
Dhp. 279). This is for emphasizing that the false view of an
abiding self or substance is neither applicable to any 'formation' or
conditioned phenomenon, nor to Nibbána, the Unconditioned Element (asankhatá
dhátu).
The Anattá-lakkhana Sutta, the
'Discourse on the Characteristic of Not-self', was the second
discourse after Enlightenment, preached by the Buddha to his first
five disciples, who after hearing it attained to perfect Holiness (arahatta).
The contemplation of not-self (anattánupassaná)
leads to the emptiness liberation. Herein the faculty of wisdom (paññindriya)
is outstanding, and one who attains in that way the path of
Stream-entry is called a Dhamma-devotee (dhammánusári; s.
ariya-puggala); at the next two stages of sainthood he becomes a
vision-attainer (ditthippatta); and at the highest stage, i.e.
Holiness, he is called 'liberated by wisdom' (
paññá-vimutta).
Literature:
Anattá-lakkhana Sutta, Vinaya I, 13-14; S. XXII, 59; tr. in
Three Cardinal Discourses of the Buddha (WHEEL 17). - Another
important text on Anattá is the Discourse on the Snake Simile (Alagaddúpama
Sutta, M. 22; tr. in WHEEL 48/49) . Other texts in "Path". -
Further: Anattá and Nibbána, by Nyanaponika Thera (WHEEL 11); The
Truth of Anattá, by Dr. G. P. Malalasekera (WHEEL 94); The Three
Basic Facts of Existence III: Egolessness (WHEEL 202/204)
From:
Buddhist Dictionary
Manual of Buddhist technical Terms & Doctrines.
http://www.budsas.org/ebud/bud-dict/dic_idx.htm
Blissful is solitude for one who is
content, learned & who see the True Dhamma.
Blissful is harmlessness towards all beings without exception.
Blissful is freedom from any sensual urge whatsoever.
Yet, the supreme bliss, is the elimination of the abysmal conceit “I
am”!’
Udana – Inspiration: II – 1