The “Anatta-lakkhana Sutta”, one of the significant scriptures in the Samyutta Nikaya, centers around the core Buddhist teaching of "Anatta" (Non-self). This doctrine asserts that all phenomena, including body and mind, are impermanent, suffering, and devoid of a self. The Buddha elaborates on this in several aspects:
Impermanence (Anicca)
The Buddha first highlights the impermanence of the five aggregates (skandhas) – form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness. The Sutta states:
"Form is not self. If form were self, it would not lead to affliction, and it would be possible to say, 'Let my form be thus.' But because form is not self, it leads to affliction, and it is not possible to say, 'Let my form be thus.'"
The Buddha emphasizes that form (physical matter) is not fixed and changes over time and under various conditions. Similarly, feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness are also subject to change. This impermanence implies that the five aggregates are constantly in flux, with no part remaining unchanged.
Suffering (Dukkha)
Since the five aggregates are impermanent, they lead to suffering. The Buddha further explains:
"If form were self, form would not lead to affliction. But because form is not self, it leads to affliction."
The same reasoning applies to feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness. Because these aggregates are impermanent, our attachment and dependence on them ultimately bring about suffering. We desire them to be stable and unchanging, but their inherent impermanence creates a disparity that results in suffering.
Non-self (Anatta)
The doctrine of "Anatta" is the core teaching of the Anatta-lakkhana Sutta. The Buddha states:
"Form is not self, feeling is not self, perception is not self, mental formations are not self, consciousness is not self."
The Buddha methodically explains the non-self nature of the five aggregates. If these aggregates were "self," they would be eternal, unchanging, and completely under our control. However, since this is not the case, the aggregates are not "self." This perspective aims to dismantle the attachment to a notion of a permanent self and allows us to see the true nature of things.
However, merely understanding "Anatta" on a conceptual level is insufficient. True liberation requires personal practice to realize non-self. This process involves not just intellectual understanding but deep experiential insight and awakening. This is the core and ultimate goal of Buddhist practice.
The Buddha says:
"If a monk sees form as non-self, he becomes dispassionate towards form. The same applies to feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness."
When practitioners truly understand and realize the non-self nature of the five aggregates, they no longer cling to these phenomena, thereby achieving liberation.The Anatta-lakkhana Sutta guides us to understand and realize the impermanence, suffering, and non-self nature of all phenomena. This understanding is not merely theoretical but must be deeply experienced through personal practice. By internalizing these teachings, practitioners can let go of attachments, reduce suffering, and achieve true peace and wisdom. This process, though challenging, is the path to ultimate liberation.