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Brickwall Unlimited

What Is Fit to Call Self?

SN 22.59, the Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta — set 4, Not-Self and Dependent Arising

Reading time: about 6 min · 1,016 words

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Before you read

What happens

At the Deer Park near Bārāṇasī, the Buddha asks five monks about five categories of experience.

Central question

Is any of these five changing parts of experience fit to call 'mine,' 'I am this,' or 'my self'?

Main point

Each of the five can cause trouble, changes over time, and does not obey your wishes. So the text says none is fit to call 'mine,' 'I am this,' or 'my self.' It connects seeing this clearly with release.

Reading tip

The text repeats the same argument for all five. Use the first one to learn the pattern. Later, watch for the repeated line: 'This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.'

This text is not saying

This passage is not trying to prove that nobody exists. It asks whether these five changing parts of experience are fit to call 'mine,' 'I am this,' or 'my self.'

Key words

These definitions are here so you do not need to know Pali or Buddhist vocabulary before reading.

form
This project's rendering of "rūpa" -- the physical, material aspect of experience, one of the five heaps.
felt experience
This project's rendering of "vedanā", often translated "feeling". It is the immediate pleasant, painful, or mixed tone of an experience, before any story we build on top of it.
recognition
This project's rendering of "saññā" (often translated "perception") -- the mind's act of identifying and labeling what it encounters.
putting-together activities
This project's rendering of "saṅkhārā" (often translated "mental formations") -- the mind's constructing and assembling activity, one of the five heaps.
knowing
This project's rendering of "viññāṇa" (often translated "consciousness") -- bare awareness of an object through one of the senses or the mind.
not-self
This project's rendering of "anattā". It does not claim that you don't exist. It says that, when you actually look, nothing in experience holds up as a fixed self you could own.

Translation

The Setting

So I heard.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Bārāṇasī, at Isipatana, in the Deer Park.

There the Buddha addressed the group of five bhikkhus: "Bhikkhus."

"Bhante," they replied.

The Buddha said this:

The Five Heaps Are Not-Self

"Bhikkhus, form is not-self.

For if form were self, form would not lead to affliction, and it would be possible to say of form: 'May my form be like this; may my form not be like that.'

But because form is not-self, form leads to affliction, and it is not possible to say of form: 'May my form be like this; may my form not be like that.'

Felt experience is not-self.

For if felt experience were self, felt experience would not lead to affliction, and it would be possible to say of felt experience: 'May my felt experience be like this; may my felt experience not be like that.'

But because felt experience is not-self, felt experience leads to affliction, and it is not possible to say of felt experience: 'May my felt experience be like this; may my felt experience not be like that.'

Recognition is not-self.

For if recognition were self, recognition would not lead to affliction, and it would be possible to say of recognition: 'May my recognition be like this; may my recognition not be like that.'

But because recognition is not-self, recognition leads to affliction, and it is not possible to say of recognition: 'May my recognition be like this; may my recognition not be like that.'

Putting-together activities are not-self.

For if putting-together activities were self, putting-together activities would not lead to affliction, and it would be possible to say of putting-together activities: 'May my putting-together activities be like this; may my putting-together activities not be like that.'

But because putting-together activities are not-self, putting-together activities lead to affliction, and it is not possible to say of putting-together activities: 'May my putting-together activities be like this; may my putting-together activities not be like that.'

Knowing is not-self.

For if knowing were self, knowing would not lead to affliction, and it would be possible to say of knowing: 'May my knowing be like this; may my knowing not be like that.'

But because knowing is not-self, knowing leads to affliction, and it is not possible to say of knowing: 'May my knowing be like this; may my knowing not be like that.'"

Impermanence, Dissatisfactoriness, And Not-Self

"What do you think, bhikkhus? Is form permanent or impermanent?"

"Impermanent, bhante."

"And what is impermanent: is it dissatisfaction or happiness?"

"Dissatisfaction, bhante."

"And what is impermanent, dissatisfactory, and subject to change: is it fit to regard it like this: 'This is mine, I am this, this is my self'?"

"No, bhante."

"Is felt experience permanent or impermanent?"

"Impermanent, bhante."

"And what is impermanent: is it dissatisfaction or happiness?"

"Dissatisfaction, bhante."

"And what is impermanent, dissatisfactory, and subject to change: is it fit to regard it like this: 'This is mine, I am this, this is my self'?"

"No, bhante."

"Is recognition permanent or impermanent?"

"Impermanent, bhante."

"And what is impermanent: is it dissatisfaction or happiness?"

"Dissatisfaction, bhante."

"And what is impermanent, dissatisfactory, and subject to change: is it fit to regard it like this: 'This is mine, I am this, this is my self'?"

"No, bhante."

"Are putting-together activities permanent or impermanent?"

"Impermanent, bhante."

"And what is impermanent: is it dissatisfaction or happiness?"

"Dissatisfaction, bhante."

"And what is impermanent, dissatisfactory, and subject to change: is it fit to regard it like this: 'This is mine, I am this, this is my self'?"

"No, bhante."

"Is knowing permanent or impermanent?"

"Impermanent, bhante."

"And what is impermanent: is it dissatisfaction or happiness?"

"Dissatisfaction, bhante."

"And what is impermanent, dissatisfactory, and subject to change: is it fit to regard it like this: 'This is mine, I am this, this is my self'?"

"No, bhante."

The De-appropriation Refrain

"So then, bhikkhus, any kind of form there is, past, future, or present, internal or external, coarse or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near: all form should be seen with right discernment as it has come to be: 'This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.'

Any kind of felt experience there is, past, future, or present, internal or external, coarse or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near: all felt experience should be seen with right discernment as it has come to be: 'This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.'

Any kind of recognition there is, past, future, or present, internal or external, coarse or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near: all recognition should be seen with right discernment as it has come to be: 'This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.'

Any kind of putting-together activities there are, past, future, or present, internal or external, coarse or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near: all putting-together activities should be seen with right discernment as they have come to be: 'This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.'

Any kind of knowing there is, past, future, or present, internal or external, coarse or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near: all knowing should be seen with right discernment as it has come to be: 'This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.'"

Disenchantment, Fading, And Release

"Seeing this, bhikkhus, a learned noble disciple becomes disenchanted with form, felt experience, recognition, putting-together activities, and knowing.

Being disenchanted, they fade. Through fading, they are released.

When it is released, there is the knowledge: 'It is released.'

They discern: 'Birth is worn away, the spiritual life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more of this state of being.'"

That is what the Buddha said.

The group of five bhikkhus were glad and welcomed what the Buddha said.

And while this exposition was being spoken, the minds of the group of five bhikkhus were released from the outflows through not taking anything personally.

Words used in this translation (18)
Bhante
A respectful way of addressing a senior monastic, roughly "venerable sir." Left untranslated because English has no natural equivalent.
bhikkhus
Buddhist monks -- those who have left household life to practise full time. The Buddha's usual way of addressing the assembly, roughly "friends" in force.
birth
This project's rendering of "jāti": birth, coming into being. In the dependent-arising sequence, ageing and dying depend on it. In MN 141 the word appears once in its everyday sense instead, in a simile about a mother.
disenchantment
A cooling of fascination with ordinary experience -- not depression, but the natural next step once you see clearly how things actually work.
dissatisfaction
This translation's rendering of "dukkha," the Buddhist term for the unsatisfying, unstable quality of ordinary experience. Often translated "suffering," but that can sound more dramatic than the everyday sense of things not quite being right.
fading
The fading away of attraction and investment in experience, as passion cools.
felt experience
This project's rendering of "vedanā", often translated "feeling". It is the immediate pleasant, painful, or mixed tone of an experience, before any story we build on top of it.
form
This project's rendering of "rūpa" -- the physical, material aspect of experience, one of the five heaps.
heaps
This project's rendering of "khandhā" (usually translated "aggregates") -- the five piles experience gets sorted into: form, felt experience, recognition, putting-together activities, and knowing.
knowing
This project's rendering of "viññāṇa" (often translated "consciousness") -- bare awareness of an object through one of the senses or the mind.
noble disciple
Someone who has had the breakthrough into the path and so is no longer merely an ordinary person. It does not mean noble by birth, and does not require being a monastic.
not-self
This project's rendering of "anattā". It does not claim that you don't exist. It says that, when you actually look, nothing in experience holds up as a fixed self you could own.
outflows
This project's rendering of "āsavā" -- deep-running habits that keep seeping out and driving behaviour, classically sensuality, becoming, and ignorance. Often translated "taints" or "defilements."
putting-together activities
This project's rendering of "saṅkhārā" (often translated "mental formations") -- the mind's constructing and assembling activity, one of the five heaps.
recognition
This project's rendering of "saññā" (often translated "perception") -- the mind's act of identifying and labeling what it encounters.
right discernment
Seeing accurately how something actually came about, rather than holding a correct opinion about it.
spiritual life
The Buddhist path of practice as a whole -- not just a set of beliefs, but a whole way of living.
This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self
A three-part formula these texts use to work through attachment to any piece of experience. It means: not owned by me, not identical with me, and not a fixed self underlying me.
Source and corrections