Reply To: Anattā meanings

#52540
Lal
Keymaster

I am rewriting an old post to explain different meanings of atta, anatta, attā, and anattā. The following is an extraction from it. Please ask any remaining questions so I can answer them in that post.

Introduction

1. It is crucial to understand the usage of the Pali words atta, anatta, attā, and anattā in the context of a given sutta

  • The mundane (or conventional) usage is with attā, to indicate “a person.”
  • In most other cases, all four words, atta, anatta, attā, and anattā, could be associated with the anatta lakkhana in Tilakkhana.
Attā as “a Person” 

2. The word attā” (pronounced with a “long a at the end”) is used as “a person” only in the conventional sense. To communicate with others, we may say things like, “One needs to defend oneself.” Here, “a person” exists only in the conventional sense. In Sinhala, it is written as “අත්තා.” That is how it appears in the Pāli Tipiṭaka, written in Sinhala.

  • There is no single Pāli word to express the negation of that, i.e., “not attā.” If there were to be such a word, that would be “non-person.” It just cannot be used that way.
  • The other words to denote “me” or “self” are “mama,” “asmi,” or “mē.”
  • Even though attā has this meaning as a “person,” anatta is never used as the opposite of that “attā.”
  • Note that attā” is pronounced with a long a” as in “father.” 
Atta as “Beneficial” or “Meaningful”

3. The word “atta” (pronounced with a “short a at the end” as in “cut” or “but”) embeds several meanings, including “beneficial” or “with essence.” The negation is “anatta.”

  • In Sinhala, they are written as “අත්ත” and “අනත්ත.” That is how they appear in the Pāli Tipiṭaka, written in Sinhala.
  • Anatta is the negation of “atta“: “na” + atta” (which rhymes as “anatta“): there is no benefit/does not hold anything fruitful. 
  • Such a word combination applies to “Anāgāmi” too. It comes from na” + āgāmi” where “āgāmi” means “to come back; thus, Anāgāmi” means “not coming back (to the kama loka).
  • There also na” + āgāmi” rhymes as Anāgāmi.
4. One who is engaged in things that are of “anatta nature” will become “anātha” (helpless), the opposite of “nātha.” As was mentioned in the post “Attā Hi Attanō Nāthō,” “nātha” is another word for Nibbāna.
  • One trying to find refuge in this world will become truly helpless in the long run. On the other hand, the only refuge (“nātha“) is Nibbāna, i.e., overcoming the rebirth process.

5. Therefore, a critical mistake Is made by trying to translate anatta as the opposite of  “attā” with the conventional meaning of “a person” or “self.”

  • The word anatta was ALWAYS used with the deep meaning of “no benefit or no essence.” Anatta indicates there is no benefit in seeking lasting happiness in this world of 31 realms. Sometimes, it is also written as “anattā” with a “long a,” as in “vedanā anattā.”
  • As discussed above, attā ( in the conventional sense) indicates “a person.” The words atta, anatta, and anattā are never used in the context of that meaning.