Anatta in Tilakkhana is the opposite of “atta” or “beneficial.” Here, “anatta” comes from “na atta” or “not beneficial.” Anattā/attā usually gives the same meanings as anatta/atta in most cases. However, attā could, in some cases, provide the meaning of “a person.”
March 17, 2017; revised October 2, 2023; rewritten October 26, 2024
Introduction
1. Some words (in any given language) give different meanings depending on the context. For example, the word “bear” refers to the large animal in “I saw a bear;” however, it has an entirely different meaning in “to bear a burden.”
- It is crucial to understand the usage of the Pāli words atta, anatta, attā, and anattā in the context of a given sutta. The following two rules hold in most cases:
- The mundane (or conventional) usage is with attā, to indicate “a person.”
- In most other cases, all four words, atta, anatta, attā, and anattā, are 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 to indicate “a person” only in the conventional sense. To communicate with others, we must say things like, “He needs to defend himself.” 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.
- An example from the Tipiṭaka is “Attānaṁ damayanti paṇḍitā” meaning “the astute (wise) tame themselves.” See “Paṇḍitavagga in Dhammapada (verse 80)” and “Dhammapada Verse 80.”
- 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.
- Even though attā has this meaning as a “person,” anatta is never used as the opposite of that “attā.”
- Note: “Attā” is pronounced with a “long a” as in “fāther.”
Atta as “Beneficial” or “Meaningful”
3. The word “atta” (pronounced with a “short a at the end” as in “cut” or “but”) embeds several RELATED meanings, including “beneficial” or “with essence.” The negation is “anatta.” Thus, anatta means “not beneficial” or “has no essence/value.”
- 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 better as “anatta“).
- 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. Let us translate the short “Anatta Sutta (SN 22.143),” which clearly and succinctly states the meaning of “anatta.”
- The English translator seems to have given up trying to explain the sutta. He mistranslated the title as “Not-Self” but did not even try to translate the sutta.
- The title should be “Not-Beneficial.”
- @marker 1.2: “Yo, bhikkhave, anattā; tatra vo chando pahātabbo” means “Bhikkhus, if something is not beneficial to you (anattā), you should give up (pahātabbo) the desire for it (chando).”
- Then, it points out that each of the five aggregates in pañcupādānakkhandhā is not beneficial: Rūpaṁ anattā, vedanā anattā, saññā anattā, saṅkhārā anattā, viññāṇaṁ anattā.
- Note that instead of “anatta,” the verse uses “anattā” because it rhymes better. These suttas were composed to ease oral transmission. They were orally transmitted for almost 500 years before being written down.
5. As we will discuss in upcoming posts, each of those terms, rūpa, vedanā, saññā, saṅkhārā, and viññāṇa, cannot be thought of in generic terms; those correspond to pañcupādānakkhandhā. For example, “rupa” refers to rupaupādānakkhandha, which does not mean external objects or one’s physical body (most translators seem to assume that rupa here means one’s physical body, and thus the translation “no-self.”) Furthermore, vedanā is not just “feeling.” It refers to the vedanā that one craves (for example, the joy of seeing an attractive person.)
- It should be evident that the “word-by-word” translation of “vedanā anattā” as “feelings are non-self” does not make sense.
- I will not refer to the old posts on the website because some need revision.
- I will do a systematic analysis in upcoming revised posts.
Pāli Words Used to Indicate “Self” or “Me”
6. The words to denote “me/I” and “mine” are “aham” and “mama.”
- Buddha taught that there is no “everlasting self” in the sense of a “soul” in Christianity. But that is not expressed by “anatta or anattā.”
- Even the Buddha freely used the terms “me” and “mine” because it is impossible to live in this world (and communicate with others) without using those words. We all say things like, “I need to go to the market” or “This is my house.”
- The “perception of an everlasting me or a soul” (asmi māna) disappears only at the Arahant stage. Until then, we should only remember that “it is unwise to act with the perception of an everlasting me.”
One Comprehends Anicca, Dukkha, and Anatta in That Order
7. The Buddha stated that the three characteristics of “this world” are RELATED to each other:
“yadaniccam tam dukkham, yam dukkham tadanattā” (“yad aniccam taṃ dukkham, yaṃ dukkham tad anattā“).
Translated: “If one attaches to something of anicca nature, dukkha arises; therefore, such actions are unwise (and one eventually becomes helpless (anatta).” Note that “yaṃ” and “yad” have the same meaning and are used interchangeably. In the same way, “yadidaṃ” comes from “yad idaṃ.”
- Therefore, one must first comprehend that anicca nature leads to suffering (in the sense that if one attaches to such things and engages in immoral deeds, the result is suffering.) It may take time for suffering to be realized. For example, one may sell drugs and live a luxurious life, but they will be reborn in an apāya because of the lives they destroyed. Thus, it is unwise to do so (anatta.)
- Many suttās in the Samyutta Nikāya (Anicca Vagga) have the above verse. See, for example, “Yadanicca sutta (SN 22.15),” “Ajjhattanicca Sutta (SN 35.1),“ “Bahiranicca Sutta (SN 35.4).“
8. The Buddha explained the anicca nature in his first discourse, “Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (SN 56.11),” delivered to the five ascetics. There, he explained how craving (upādāna) for things of an anicca nature leads to suffering (dukkha). The essence of that sutta is expressed as “saṅkhittena pañcupādānakkhandhā dukkhā.” Even though it is summarized into a few pages, he discussed that idea with them for several days. Only Ven. Kondañña attained the Sōtapanna stage on the first night. The other four attained the Sōtapanna stage in subsequent days.
- Once they all attained the Sōtapanna stage, he delivered the second sutta explaining the concept of anatta in the “Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta (SN 22.59).”
- At the end of that discourse, all five ascetics attained the Arahant stage; see @marker 12.3.
- In the next post, we will discuss the root concept of “anicca.”
Anatta Nature Leads to Anātha
9. 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.
- That verse is another example of “attā” indicating “a person” (per #2 above).
- 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.
Usage of “Ā” To Indicate the Plural of a Noun
10. A related issue is that changing “a” to “ā” indicates the plural of a noun.
- It indicates plural for “things” or “people”; manusso is one person, and manussā is many people.
- That does not hold in words other than nouns. Thus, “anattā” is the same as “anatta.” It indicates the characteristic of anatta nature. It is mainly used as “anattā” because it rhymes better as in “vedanā anattā.”
- This is why we need to be careful with grammar. It may take some time to get used to these aspects.
Summary
11. 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 is ALWAYS used with the deep meaning of “no benefit or no essence.” Anatta indicates “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” which thymes better in verses.
- 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.
