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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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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Does Noble right view say that specific people (in this life and the next) don't exist just like the son of a barren woman?
Premise:
It's been asserted that the proper Noble right view results in the denial of rebirth of specific people. This seems akin to saying the Buddha knew rebirth of specific people to not exist just ...
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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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Do I carry false identity?
Buddha said he is Buddha.
Did Buddha carried a false sense of self like you and me?
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Does Yogacara and its Alayavijnana fail compared to a Permanent Self?
So I've been Reading a bit of the Buddhist's boogeyman Shankara and I admit I am maybe biased in writing this(I am open to any refutation of my view,but I have not seen any adequate logical refutation ...
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Nature of rebirth
I want to understand the nature of rebirth. If one says that the next rebirth would depend on the degree of identification, does that mean that if I am not identified with body I will be reborn ...
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How Am I not the owner of the mind?
Is it the mind that think mind is owned by itself? Can any one provide insights, techniques, meditations that help me to understand that "mind does not belong to me"?
I aware that thoughts are coming ...
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How to not to attach to the vinaya?
I feel very guilty when I break the vinaya / shila. Now it became a couse for suffering. Some times I feel very bad about people who not follows vinaya.
How do I get out of this ? How to follow vinaya ...
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The thorny issue of anatta
(English is not my mother tongue, sorry in advance if I make mistakes)
I recently read Thanissaro Bhikkhu's writings [1] [2] on anatta and although I found his arguments persuasive I am still ...
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What is the correct meaning of dhamma, dharma, atta, anatta?
I am unable to understand different meanings of words dhamma, dharma, atta, anatta...
Does dhamma means as "path" or "truth" or "teaching" as in Ariyapariyesana Sutta or as "phenomenon" or as "...
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Soul that transmigrates?
In Timsa Sutta Buddha says:
"What do you think, monks? Which is greater, the blood you have shed from having your heads cut off while transmigrating & wandering this long, long time, or the water ...
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How do you contemplate delight you get due to action that leads to detachment?
Let us follow the unbeaten track, the dukkha in right action.
You see a man in need, you feel compassion, wishing him well you help him with his worldly need, then you feel delighted of your action....
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Why are there so many different paths?
I will admit I am just starting to look into buddhism and such. I am confused because so far I understand that the Satipatthana sutta provides everything anyone needs to become 'enlightened'.
If ...
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How are the three marks of existence experienced through Samadhi meditation?
Could dry vipassana & pure one-pointed samadhi type meditations just be different approaches to the same enlightenment?
If one attains the fourth jhana with one pointed concentration does one ...
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Is this just a logic or experience about mind(reality)?
While doing self enquiry kind of meditation(also doing vipassana) there is feel of understanding/experience/logic that make myself convinced(but not strongly) that "me" is not the thoughts or the body ...
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