Essay Topic

Analysis the doctrine of Not-self (anatt) by Theravada

Course name
Theravada Buddhism (ME 6101)
By Nguyen Quy Hoang
ID 1313001
Email nguyenquyhoang@gmail.com
Date of submission: 03 / 10 / 2014
Master of Arts (Buddhist Studies)
Academic Year 2013/2014
Second Semester (December 05, 2013April 07, 2014)
International Buddhist College, Thailand
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Introduction
In the Buddha's teachings, the concept of Not-self (anatt) is the most difficult to understand, for
more than 40 years teaching people how to escape suffer, the Buddha never once produced a
positive definition of the term att (self) and from which anatt (not-self) is derived, he always
keeps silent on the meaning of this. As the result, a lot of arguments happened around the meaning
of self and Not- self. Some scholars consider it is the central teachings of Buddhism, and come to
the conclusion that "fully perceiving the nature of the self" is one way to define enlightenment.
Once freed of this delusion, the individual may enjoy the bliss of Nirvana, however, some other
scholars have other contradict opinions, Peter Morrel claimed that compassion can be viewed as
more central than anatt, because good deeds eventually lead one into better and better lives with
increasing contact with higher beings and clearer understanding of the doctrine (dharma).
Compassion could very easily be posited, therefore, as the fundamental basis of all Buddhist
teachings.
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Whatever, everybody acknowledges one thing that Not-self (anatt) is one of base concepts in
Buddhism, this doctrine has provided a new aspect of humanity and established for the spirit system
without soul. It can say that Not-self (anatt) is the most unique doctrine in mankind religious
history. Not-self also is one component in and can not separate from Three Characteristic marks
(tilakkhaa)- Suffer, Impermanence, No-self, its meaning is no independent or single existence,
every existences depend on conditions, so it relates to Dependent Arising doctrine
(prattyasamutpda).
So, talking about Not-self is mentioning to Dependent Arising, to Impermanence and to Suffer, the
Buddha taught to Ratthapla: Whatever is impermanent is suffering (yad aniccam tam dukkham);
whatever is suffering is anatta (yam dukkham tad anatta)"
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.
Not-self from early Buddhism is also relating with eternalism and nihilism, people always wants to
prolong the life forever, therefore, they create soul and hope that the soul still exists after death
(eternalism), people who support for materialism think in different way, they lay down the death is
the end (nihilism). Buddha suggested people to avoid two above extreme attitudes and carry out the
Middle way which lead people to escape the life cycle (sasra).
During the development of Buddhism history, Not-self concept has been changed and developed by
Buddhist sections and Mahayana with Emptiness (Sunyata), Wisdom Emptiness (Pa Sunyata),
True emptiness and Wonderful existence doctrines , however this writing is only mention all the
aspects of No-self concept under Theravada Buddhism.
In this paper, the writer uses indirect analyzing method to describe the meaning of Not-self (anatt),
all the relating aspects of Not-self concepts according to Theravada would be presented.
No-self or Not self
Before analyzing the meaning of Not-self according to Theravada, the translation into English of
the term anatt should be clarified clearly. This also helps to understand deeply the implication
under this term.
In Buddhist philosophy, anatt (Pli) or nir-tman (Sanskrit) refers to "not-self" or "absence of

1
Peter Morell, Is Anatta the central doctrine of Buddhism? (http://www.homeoint.org/morrell/buddhism/anatta.htm)
2
Y. Karudanasa, The Buddhist doctrine of Non-self and the problem of over-self, Middle Way (Volume 69:2 p.107) Aug
1994
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independent self." The prefix A in anatt and Nir in nir-tman bear the negative meaning (Not). It
rejects the self with exists and no change forever.
No and Not have very different meaning, No means never existence, Not means denial
something. The translation here should be Not instead of No.
The idea of there being no self doesn't match with the doctrine of kamma and rebirth: If there is no
self, who takes the results of kamma (Volitional actions) and takes rebirth? If there's no self, what's
the purpose of a spiritual life?
Looking at the Buddhist history in India, not all the Buddhist sections agree with not-self concept
from Theravada tradition, such as Vtsputrya claimed that there is the self called Pudgala. This
school considers if there is no self, how people can trace back all the past memories? There must be
a self being the both Doer and Recipient, then the relationship between the action and reaction of
the act can be explained and understood.
The writer of this paper also agrees that the translation of Not self of the term anatt is more
reasonable than No-self. And believe that what people call the self is not real self, it is the
temporary self can be changed from life to life, not immortal self as Monotheism described. Even
Edward Conze in Buddhist Scriptures translated the term anatt to be Not self
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The following paragraphs will be mentioned all relating aspects of Not- self doctrine.
Not-self (Anatt) according to Theravada
As in the above introduction, talking to Not-self (anatt), it is impossible not to mention Dependend
Arising (Paticca samuppada), Five aggregates (paca-khandha) and other important theoretical
points in Buddhism like Impermanence (Anicca) , Cause and Effect (kamma-phala), Middle Path
(majjhim paipad). From Dependent Arising doctrine, not-self nature is realized. Besides, the
Middle Path doctrine, beyond to eternalism and nihilism have been considered as the result of
Dependend Arising doctrine, Y. Karunadasa wrote: Dependent Arising doctrine is Middle Path
one, because in the same way, it is away from the theoretical experiences of two eternalism and
nihilism
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1. Not-self and Dependent Arising
Dependent Arising raises the real essence of all Dhamma, in other word, people can say all of this
world is without nature of its own? Absolutely everything including the last atom changes from
one moment to the next and therefore all existence is a never ending transaction
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Everything depend each other, nothing exists as singular, sentient- beings (satta) are not exception.
The Buddha summarized the Dependent Arising as follows
When this exists, that comes to be.
With the arising of this, that arises.
When this does not exist, that does not come to be.

3
Edward Conze, Buddhist Scriptures, USA Penguin, 1971 page 147 ( The doctrine of Not-Self)
4
Y. Karudanasa, The Buddhist doctrine of Non-self and the problem of over- self, Middle Way (Volume 69:2 p.107)
Aug 1994
5
Yuan Chin Lee, The direct approach to Buddhadharma, Buddha Educational foundation -Taiwan 1995 page 35
3
With the cessation of this, that ceases.6
These four stanzas reflect the meaning of Dependent Arising, it is the general law to explain the
birth and the decay of all Dhamma. Because of general law, it is hard to explain the birth and decay
of moral defilements of human being, so the Buddha based on Dependent Arising to establish the
Twelve Conditional factors:
Ignorance conditions Formations, formation conditions Consciousness, consciousness conditions
Mind and body, mind and body conditions The six sense bases, the six sense bases conditions
Contact, contact condition Feeling, feeling conditions Craving; craving conditions Clinging;
clinging conditions Becoming; becoming conditions Birth; birth conditions aging and death.
Nirvana is often conceived of as stopping this cycle. By removing the causes for craving, craving
ceases. So, with the ceasing of birth, death ceases. With the ceasing of becoming, birth ceases, and
so on, until with the ceasing of ignorance no karma is produced, and the whole process of death and
rebirth ceases.
So, the existence of Dhamma bears the impermanent characteristic, they do not have a real essence
of their own (asvabhva), one factor is destroyed the other will also be destroyed. Therefore, there
is not any self which last forever and exists independently.
The conclusion would be worldly conditions according to Buddhism are impermanent
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and Not-
self and Dependent Arising reflex the same meaning.
2. Not-self and five aggregates (paca-khandha)
Five aggregates (paca-khandha) doctrine is very popular in Buddhism, the Buddha frequently
taught this together with Dependent Arising. He said that an individual is a combination of five
aggregates of existence, also called the Five khandhas or the five heaps including Corporeality
(rupa), Feelings (vedana) , Perceptions (sanna), Mental formations (sankhara) and Consciousness
(vinnana). Various schools of Buddhism interpret the khandha in somewhat different ways.
Generally, the first khandha is our physical form. The second is made up of our feelings, emotional
and physical, and our senses - seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, smelling. What's most important to
understand about the khandha is that they are empty. They are not qualities that an individual
possesses, because there is no-self possessing them.
Co-dependently arisen five aggregates are empty of self, but is conventionally called self. Seeing is
not a self seeing, but is simply the experience being seen. Volition is not via a doer, but is simply
action-activity-process, co-dependently arisen. Consciousness is not a self, it is simply auditory
consciousness manifested dependent on ear, sound and attention, so on and so forth.
Dr Wapola Rahula analized: Consciousness may exist having matter as its means (rpupyan),
matter as its object (rprammanam), matter as its support (rpapatittham) and seeking delight it
may grow, increase and develop or consciousness may exist having sensation as its meansor
perception as it meansor mental formations as its means, mental formation as its object, mental
formation as its support and seeking delight it may grow, increase and develop. Were a man to say:
I shall show the coming, the going, the passing away, the arising, the growth the increase or the
development of consciousness apart from the matter, sensation, perception and mental formation, he
would be speaking of something that does not exist
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According to the Buddha, what is normally thought of as the "self" is in fact an agglomeration of

6
AN 10:92
7
K.Sri Dhammanada, How to live without fear and worry, BMS Publications Malaysia page 34
8
Dr. Wapola Rahula, What the Buddha taught, Grove Press Inc. 1962, page 25
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constantly changing physical and mental constituents known as "khandhas" ('aggregates', 'heaps').
The Buddha repeatedly emphasized not only that the five skandhas of living being are "not-self,"
but that clinging to them as if they were an immutable self or soul (tman) gives rise to
unsatisfactoriness (dukkha)
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He explains: the five aggregates, monks, are anicca, impermanent; whatever is impermanent, that is
dukkha- unsatisfactory; whatever is dukkha, that is without atta, self. What is without self, that is
not mine, that I am not, that is not my self. Thus should it be seen by perfect wisdom as it really is.
Who sees by perfect wisdom, as it really is, his mind, not grasping, is detached from taints; he is
liberated.
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3. Not Self and Six Senses and Sense Objects
Non-Restraint of the six senses are given in a simile of six animals belonging to different domains
and feeding grounds each tied with a separate rope and all these six ropes tied together. Each
animal pulls towards their feeding ground. Just like this, each sense pulls towards its own sensual
objects.
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Eye goes after agreeable forms; ear pulls towards agreeable sounds; nose pulls towards agreeable
odors; tongue pulls towards agreeable taste; body pulls towards agreeable touch; mind pulls
towards agreeable mental phenomena, the objects will change so often, they are not stable, so the
feelings based on them will disappear accordingly, this proves that six senses and sense objects are
not self.
4. Not- self as the result of a critical response to the mutual opposition between
Eternalismand nihilism
What Buddha taught was that self and No-self are both illusions and that we should take a path
which avoids both extremes, away from nihilism on the one hand and from eternalism on the other.
Thus he meant that we should dismiss the idea of self and an eternal soul, which endlessly migrates
from life to life (eternalism), and also reject the idea of one soul and one life which is forever
extinguished at death (nihilism). Both constitute 'falling into extreme views'.
So, the Buddha rejected both extreme views of eternalism and nihilism. Things change according
to the changing conditions on which they depend. No everlasting things have been found (Not-self
concept). This is why the eternalist view is considered wrong.
The nihilists claim that there is no life after death. This view belongs to a materialistic philosophy
which refuses to accept knowledge of mental conditionality. The teaching of kamma is enough to
prove that the Buddha did not teach nihilism after death; Buddhism accepts 'survival' not in the
sense of an eternal soul, but in the sense of a renewed becoming.
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5. Not- self as result of not being able to control fully of body and Mind
People can not control body and mind themselves. If something belongs to people, people have
power over it; people can make it into whatever they wish. It will change according to their plans.
But have people power over themselves? Can people make their body larger or smaller or let it be
this or that as they desire?

9
New World encyclopedia (http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Anatta)
10
SN 22.45
11
Prof. G.A Somaratena,2011 IBC College E-learning center Unit 5
12
K. Sri Dhammananda Maha Thera, What Buddhists Believe, Taiwan 1993, page 112
5
If it is not governed by their power but by its own laws and processes then it does not belong to
them. If it were the body would not be involved in sickness for them would be able to make it be
whatever they wished. Admittedly one has control over the body to an extent but not as much as
one has over this house or any other possessions.
From this, the conclusion is what people call self is not real self.
The practice meaning of Realizing the Doctrine of anatt
True happiness means free from all kinds of false illusions and beliefs. Free from false beliefs is a
basic step in wholesome living. Purity is attained. The Buddha therefore emphatically teaches that if
there is impermanence, there is also Not-self.
Buddhists view of anatt affects the way they act in everyday life, by seeing no difference between
self and others Buddhists learn to become dispassionate about things. Selfish feelings such as
jealousy, lust, depression are discouraged but those which encourage connections between people
such as caring, listening and helping others are developed. Thus the anatt truth arises from the
nature of life, Anicca dhamma, the impermanence of all phenomena, by thinking of the fact of
anatt while we see or hear dhamma, either good or bad, we extract peace and purity from the
turmoil of our daily life. Ups and downs of life are seen in a new perspective. Having the wisdom
realizing reality, people are freed from the bonds of ignorance that misconceives reality.
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These things are the real practice meaning of realizing doctrine of anatt.
Conclusion
Through above analyzing, anatt is one of important and unique of Theravada Buddhism, this
doctrine does not separate from Dependent Arising, five aggregates and Middle Path doctrines.
This doctrine is too importance to claim by the Buddha that who understands anatt will attain
sainthoods and Nirvana. Buddhism considers anatt is one of important conditions to help people to
escape the life cycle (sasra). The Buddha taught Mogharaja that View the world, Mogharaja,
as empty always mindful to have removed any view about self. This way one is above & beyond
death. This is how one views the world so as not to be seen by Death's king
14

13
Thuben Chodron, I wonder why, Ad Graphic Pte Ltd, Singapore 2006, page 84
14
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/snp/snp.5.15.than.html
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References
1. Prof. G.A Somaratena, 2011 IBC College E-learning center lessons
2. Dr. Wapola Rahula, What the Buddha taught, Grove Press Inc. 1962
3. K. Sri Dhammananda Maha Thera, What Buddhists Believe, Taiwan 1993
4. Y. Karudanasa, The Buddhist doctrine of Non-self and the problem of over- self, Middle Way
(Volume 69:2 p.107) Aug 1994
5. Bikkhu Bodhi, Samyuta Nikaya ( Connected Discourse of the Buddha) Web Feb 13, 2014
6. Bikkhu Bodhi, Angutara Nikaya ( The Numerical Discourse of the Buddha) Web Feb 13,
2014
7. New World encyclopedia (http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Anatta)
8. Peter Morell, Is Anatta the central doctrine of Buddhism? Web Feb 13, 2014
(http://www.homeoint.org/morrell/buddhism/anatta.htm) Web Feb 13, 2014
9. Edward Conze, Buddhist Scriptures, Penguin Books Inc, USA 1971
10. K.Sri Dhammanada, How to live without fear and worry, BMS Publications Malaysia page
34
11. Thuben Chodron, I wonder why, Ad Graphic Pte Ltd, Singapore
12. Yuan Chin Lee, The direct approach to Buddhadharma, Buddha Educational foundation -
Taiwan 1995
13. http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/snp/snp.5.15.than.html Web Feb 13, 2014