Questions tagged [anatman]
The Sanskrit term for the concept of 'not self' or 'no fixed self'. This is classified among the three marks of existence, namely impermanence, suffering and no fixed self. The equivalent Pali term is Anatta.
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Reference Request: Suttas that address avijja (ignorance) with respect to anatta (non-self)
I've become aware through sutta study that avijja (the fetter of ignorance) refers to ignorance of the Four Noble Truths. Is there a specific canonical sutta that says that avijja is ignorance of the ...
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Understanding "the self-nature of phenomena is not found in the conditions"
In Cracking The Walnut: Understanding the Dialectics of Nagarjuna, Thich Nhat Hanh explains how in the four conditions out of which a phenomenon arises (seed condition, continuity condition, object of ...
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Did the Buddha explicitly say "there is no self" is a wrong view?
I read the following on the internet:
Primary mistake is thinking that anattā means no soul or that "there
is no self". In Sabbāsavā Sutta the Buddha explicitly says that "there
is no ...
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How does the infinite divine mind (the All) subdivide into self-experiences (atman)?
I have been listening to audiobooks on Buddhism and Hinduism (Dhammapada, Bhagavad Gita, Heart Sutra, Upanishads, Rig Veda, etc.), and am stuck trying to imagine and/or understand how the infinite ...
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How does one reconcile anatta with locus-of-control?
Specifically, I mean this meaning of locus-of-control
The way I see it, if one doesn't have a strong internal locus of control, it becomes very hard to go through daily life, since you keep ...
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Why would form not lead to affliction, if it were self?
From the sutta below, why would form (and the other aggregates) not lead to affliction, if it were self?
Why would it be the case that form (and the other aggregates) could be compelled to change ...
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Arahants are perfect. Do they realize others are not perfect and they themselves are?
Arahants have eliminated the conceit of, "better," amongst other aspects of conceit and other fetters. However, if they are perfected people, that would mean they are perfect. Other people ...
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Should one be practicing restraint or be practicing mindfulness?
Not that the two are mutually exclusive, but many Theravada teachers warn against practicing restraint in the commonly understood sense of the word.
For example, if I understand correctly, Yuttadhammo ...
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If I gift money to somebody then am I doing Adhamma?
Sabbe Dhamma Anatta says
Form is not me , mine or myself.Feeling is not me , mine or myself .Perception is not me , mine or myself.Choices is not me , mine or myself.Consciousness is not me , mine or ...
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Is Anatta a phenomenon?
Sabbe Dhamma Anatta. It means all conditioned and unconditioned phenomena are not-self.
Is not-self or Anatta a phenomenon?
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Why is it important to keep away from the doctrines of absolute self and absolute non-self?
There are two doctrines. Existence of self and existence of no self. Existence of self means eternalism. Existence of no self means nihilism.
If self is eternal then there is no escape from suffering. ...
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How does the self-doer of AN 6.38 not conflict with anatta?
The third mark of existence states sabbe dhamma anatta - all phenomena is not self.
Despite that, the following sutta states that there is a self-doer (attakārī). Also, this implies free will.
How is ...
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Is there a possibility of a *real* temporary self?
It can be understood that the self is not some real permanent thing, but I wish to know whether we can find a real temporary self?
We can define a temporary self, which lasts for some small duration, ...
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Identification with form
I have a pretty strong identification with body. I have listened to many Buddhist talks which tell me the body is not self. While I understand this on an intellectual level, I still can feel shame or ...
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What are some techniques to practice Anatta with the five aggregates?
According to the Anatta-Lakkhana Sutta, the Buddha asks us to treat the five aggregates (form, feeling, perception, mental formations and consciousness) as "this is not mine, this is not I, this ...
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How do I practice not-self or Anatta whilst talking?
The Buddha has taught the concept of 'not self' (anatta) - which comes into play when we are dealing with our body, feelings, perceptions etc, to think that it's not actually 'my' body, or 'my ...
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💚What does the idea of "separation" have to do with the Buddha's teaching?
What is meant with the idea of separation in the Buddhist interpretations of the Buddha's teaching & what does it have to do with the 3 marks of existence? What makes one person's karmic stream ...
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Criticism of atman and the vessel analogy
Some Indian Hindu philosophers (AFAIK from the Vaisheshika school) argued for the existence of atman like this: ideas, feelings, desires and knowledge need a vessel in which they are contained. And ...
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Anatta & reincarnation [duplicate]
Buddhism
Anatta (no-self doctrine)
Reincarnation (death-rebirth cycle in samsara)
How can something that doesn't exist reincarnate?
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How is Nagarjunas 'Shunyata' different from Buddhas 'Anatta'?
I am studying Nagarjuna's work online and from the commentaries understand that in the Madhyamika Nagarjuna describe 'Shunayata' as
all phenomena are conditional and empty of any self essence
I am ...
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What gives the subjective sensation of 'me', 'Awareness' tied to this specific body-mind complex?
What is it that experiences life from this particular body & mind that I have?
i.e. why am I experiencing the world from my body instead of yours?
I feel like an answer could be: because there isn'...
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What does Buddhism say about the "self"?
Looking at the Noble Eightfold Path led me to the non-self:
that no unchanging, permanent self or essence can be found in any phenomenon.
But while I agree that in the grand scheme of things there ...
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How to explain to someone with no knowledge about Buddhism what is meant by "extinguishing" the self?
A person I know has drawn the unwanted conclusion that the entanglement from the self is to be equated with erasing one's personality, feelings and connections in life. That to be extinguished in ...
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Anatman: How does the illusion of 'I'/ self seize?
It seems that 'I' am between worlds. Sometimes the illusion is not there. Sometimes it seems that thoughts string together this sense of self. How can anatman be fully realised without this 'I' being ...
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How can the Buddha (after he was enlightened) reflect that he was not at ease and then became at ease in seclusion?
This is from the Theravada Vinaya:
While he was staying by himself, the Buddha thought, “When I was
previously surrounded by people, I was not at ease because of those
monks at Kosambī who were ...
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What is a person (puggala)?
What is a person (puggala) in Buddhism?
What is the difference between a person (puggala) and other terms like self (atta) and sentient being (satta)?
Is a person (puggala) reborn into future lives?
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Is the self like a rainbow and is it just as real? [closed]
No one can deny that a rainbow is as real as the term can be defined in any meaningful way.
You can point to it so that others can see it and you can even photograph it.
If a rainbow was a mind ...
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Why is speaking about the conventional self in this life ok, but speaking about the conventional self in past and future lives forbidden?
It is widely understood across all Buddhist traditions that the Buddha often spoke of persons and used words like 'I' and 'person' and 'self' and this is not seen as problematic or contradictory to ...
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Why did the Buddha not answer Vacchagotta (SN 44.10), but did answer the monks (MN 140)?
It has been said that the reason the Buddha did not answer Vacchagotta was because the discussion was not about the doctrine & terminology of the Buddha, but rather about the illogical doctrine of ...
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Why did the Buddha teach how to escape Samsara if there is no soul?
Yes, I have seen the similar questions. But they do not satisfyingly answer my own since my question is slightly different. Let me explain:
I was reading up on Emptiness, Samsara and so on and found ...
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How can I accept losing control of my mind and will?
After some reflection, I've noticed many of my mental hangups / dispositions (sankhara) were formed due to a deep seated fear of losing control over my mind / volition.
Examples that come to mind ...
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The Final Moment of the Buddha's Realization
“Siddhartha Gotama sat for one last time under the pipul tree with the adiṭṭhāna that he would not get up till he became realized. He battled the beautiful as well as the ugly and fearful illusions of ...
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How do the concepts of anatta, rebirth and karma coexist together?
Although I have read quite a lot of books about Buddhism, almost all of them were meant for the Western layman so I consider myself to be a beginner compared to most of you here. I hope you can ...
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3 marks of existence: conditioned vs unconditioned things?
The Wikipedia page for "the 3 marks of existence" differentiates between "conditioned things" and "unconditioned things" like so:
The three marks are:
sabbe saṅkhārā ...
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Anatta and the question of motivation
I am a layperson of protestant Christian background interested in buddhist thought and trying to clarify some of the basic concepts for myself. One of the stumbling blocks is understanding the ...
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Does anatta cause dynamic emotions?
I read the following on the internet:
In an uncultivated individual the emotions rule the self. This is the
result of lack of understanding of Anatta and somehow the individual
is putting conscious ...
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How to cultivate the perception of 'Anatta'?
Out of the three marks of existance, 'dukkha' or 'sufferring' and 'annicca' or 'impermenance' are directly understood as a day-to-day experience as well as through the intellect.
However 'anatta' or '...
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Understanding uncertainty of thoughts and the mind
It's quite easy to see the changing behaviour of the things we see, hear and feel.
Appearence between a child and an old man.
Good smell and bad smell
Having a wound and not
Those things are quite ...
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How to stop rejecting / avoiding things?
I'm getting aversion when someone do things that I don't like. This happens when a person do and not on natural things like rain. But It is hard to recorgnise it as aversion because that aversion is ...
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How can one Vijnana condition its subsequent Vijnana? [duplicate]
In Buddhism's Kshanabhangavada,a Vijnana perishes fully,before its subsequent Vijnana Arises.so how can it condition it?Buddhism says that a Vijnana need not be permanent to store karma or samskaras ...
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How can all dharmas have no intrinsic reality logically speaking?
There Can Only Be Two Types of Realities(Dharmas):
1.Conditioned Reality: Any reality that depends on something for its existence. For example, a Cow depends on its organs, the organs depend on cells, ...
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when one Citta perishes,from where does the next arise?
Anatman/Anatta says that the 'self'is a momentary flux of Cittas-Vijnanas.There can be no stable permanent Citta,in kshanabhangavada a dharma perishes before its successor arises.one citta arises then ...
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For an "advanced practitioner" (sorry), how to view "addictions" (or bad habits) correctly? How to practice?
Sorry but I will talk about attainments and mention some stuff that are sometimes considered hard to get to, you are free to not read. I will probably abandon this account after this post.
Well... I'm ...
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At which stage of enlightenment are the aggregates seen as not-self fully?
In the Khemaka Sutta (https://suttacentral.net/sn22.89/en/sujato) Khemaka is an Anagami and he sees the aggregates as not-self. Based on this I guess the answer to my question is probably stream-entry ...
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Understanding non-self, life and rebirth
Blessings to all,
I have had a difficult time trying to understand what it means by "non-self". I am certainly no expert in Buddhism but I was wondering if this life we have is just some subset of ...
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Can anyone do something intentionally?
Consider someone is doing something (for instance eating). I can say that he is eating because of hunger, and his hunger is because his body needs energy. So, every action have external causes only.
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Buddha referring to himself
Why does in almost all instances in the pali canon where Lord Buddha refers to himself he calls himself "Tathagatha" in 3rd person? Is it because Lord Buddha has eliminated self view? Or is it that ...
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Why did Buddha put so much emphasis on no-self?
Why should we care if we have no-self or have a self. Ultimately it is of no help. I know any buddhist teacher will say that feelings or body are not-self, so you shouldn't get attached to it, but ...
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How do I let go the ownership of the mind?
If someone offense me on physical things like "You are not beautiful, You are poor, You are not smart", I can bear it. Actually I don't care much.
But, If someone offense me on my thoughts like "You ...
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How can I be happy at other's happiness?
How can I be happy at other's happiness ? How can I develop my willingness to see others' being happy ?
If I define a happiness level, scale of 0 to 100 about being happy at others' happiness, I ...
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