This course involves lessons which lead students through a stepwise, progressive enumeration of groups of Dhammas similar to that found in the Aṅguttara Nikāya. The Course is broken up into Eight Units with each unit providing enough material for a suggested two weeks of in-depth study. The course discussion forum hosted through Discord can be reached through the link to the right.
1.7 – The Three Characteristics (Aniccatā; Dukkhatā; Anattatā)
Overview
he three aspects of reality which form the subjects of this lesson – impermanence (aniccatā), stress (dukkhatā), and not-self (anattatā) – lie at the very core both of Buddhist theory and practice. The Buddha taught that these three truths, referred to in commentarial literature as the Three Characteristics (tilakkhaṇaṃ), apply to all conditioned phenomena – animate, inanimate, sentient, insentient, past, future, present, colossal, and microscopic. Far from merely providing a description of the world, insight into these three characteristics is the heart of the Buddha’s prescription for alleviating human suffering. By deeply understanding these aspects of reality, through intellectual contemplation and meditative observation, the practitioner “sees things as they really are”: that all compounded things are impermanent; that anything impermanent is stressful; and that anything stressful is not worthy of taking as self. Through the power of this clear seeing (vipassanā), we let go of craving, attachment, and the compulsion to becoming and are fully liberated, having realized Nibbāna, the highest peace. And it is only within this unconditioned Nibbāna that the first two of the Three Characteristics do not manifest. That is, Nibbāna is note only the supreme state of happiness but is also permanent and stress-free. But, note too, even Nibbāna is not self. In this lesson we will explore these Three Characteristics through primary texts and engaging commentary focusing on lived practice and inclining ourselves toward Nibbāna.
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Note: In Pali, the initial letter(s) “a-” and “an-” at the beginning of aniccatā and anattatā indicate a negation of the word which follows. So, while niccatā and attatā mean “permanence” and “selfness”, aniccatā and anattatā mean “impermanence” and “selflessness”.
Note: In Pali, the two final letters of each of these terms, “-tā” indicate an abstract meaning of the base word. So, while, anicca means “impermanent”, aniccatā means “impermanence”, etc.
It is important to note the distinction between the dukkha of the Three Characteristics here and its meaning as the first Noble Truth. While the Three Characteristics (including dukkha) are universal principles that apply to all phenomena without exception, the dukkha of the First Noble Truth is the personal suffering caused by craving and ignorance which can be transcended through practice of the Noble Eightfold Path. Thus, the dukkha of the Three Characteristics – as it applies to even inanimate and insentient things (in addition to animate and sentient ones) – might best be rendered as stress, tension, or strain. These are terms from physics and refer to the entropy of matter, that is, the lack of order and potentiality to decline into disorder inherent in all phenomena.
That noun is negated. e.g.: nicccatā means permanence. Aniccatā means impermanence.
That noun is made abstract. This is comparable to adding the suffix ‘-ness’ to certain English words. e.g.: anatta means not-self. Anattatā means not-selfness or selflessness.
Impermanence, transience, changeableness.
Stress/tension/strain, suffering, dis-ease.
Not-self, selflessness, no soul.
While the Three Characteristics (including dukkha) are universal principles that apply to all phenomena without exception, the dukkha of the First Noble Truth is the personal suffering caused by craving and ignorance which can be transcended through practice of the Noble Eightfold Path. Thus, the dukkha of the Three Characteristics – as it applies to even inanimate and insentient things (in addition to animate and sentient ones) – might best be rendered as stress, tension, or strain. These are terms from physics and refer to the entropy of matter, that is, the lack of order and potentiality to decline into disorder inherent in all phenomena.
”Remain focused on the inconstancy of all fabrications … For one who remains focused on the inconstancy of all fabrications, ignorance is abandoned, clear knowing arises.”
“In what respect does the word ‘world’ apply? Insofar as it disintegrates, monk, it is called the ‘world.’ Now what disintegrates? The eye disintegrates. Forms disintegrate. Consciousness at the eye disintegrates. Contact at the eye disintegrates. And whatever there is that arises in dependence on contact at the eye — experienced as pleasure, pain or neither-pleasure-nor-pain — that too disintegrates.”
“At present, monks, one who lives a long time is 100 years old or a little bit more. Living 100 years, one lives for 300 seasons … 1,200 months … 2,400 fortnights … 36,000 days … 72,000 meals … Thus, monks, I have reckoned the life of a person living for 100 years … reckoned the seasons, reckoned the years, reckoned the months, reckoned the fortnights, reckoned the nights, reckoned the days, reckoned the meals … Whatever a teacher should do — seeking the welfare of his disciples, out of sympathy for them — that have I done for you. Over there are the roots of trees; over there, empty dwellings. Practice jhana, monks. Don’t be heedless. Don’t later fall into regret. This is our message to you all.”
“The Noble Truth of Suffering (dukkha), monks, is this: Birth is suffering, aging is suffering, sickness is suffering, death is suffering, association with the unpleasant is suffering, dissociation from the pleasant is suffering, not to receive what one desires is suffering — in brief the five aggregates subject to grasping are suffering … This suffering, as a Noble Truth, should be fully understood.”
“Stress (dukkha) should be known. The cause by which stress comes into play should be known. The diversity in stress should be known. The result of stress should be known. The cessation of stress should be known. The path of practice for the cessation of stress should be known.”
”Form, monks, is not self … precisely because form is not self, form lends itself to dis-ease (dukkha). And it is not possible [to say] with regard to form, ‘Let this form be thus. Let this form not be thus’ … Thus, monks, any form whatsoever that is past, future, or present; internal or external; blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near: every form is to be seen as it actually is with right discernment as: ‘This is not mine. This is not my self. This is not what I am (So too with feeling, perception, fabrications, and consciousness) … Seeing thus, the well-instructed disciple of the noble ones grows disenchanted with form, disenchanted with feeling, disenchanted with perception, disenchanted with fabrications, disenchanted with consciousness. Disenchanted, he becomes dispassionate. Through dispassion, he is fully released. With full release, there is the knowledge, ‘Fully released.’ He discerns that ‘Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for this world.’”
“But a well-instructed, disciple of the noble ones — who has regard for noble ones, is well-versed & disciplined in their Dhamma; who has regard for people of integrity, is well-versed & disciplined in their Dhamma — doesn’t assume form to be the self, or the self as possessing form, or form as in the self, or the self as in form (So too with feeling, perception, fabrications, and consciousness) … He doesn’t run around or circle around that very form… that very feeling… that very perception… those very fabrications… that very consciousness. He is set loose from form, set loose from feeling… from perception… from fabrications… set loose from consciousness. He is set loose from birth, aging, & death; from sorrows, lamentations, pains, distresses, & despairs. He is set loose, I tell you, from suffering & stress.”
Review (Click text for answer)
“For one who remains focused on the inconstancy of all fabrications, ignorance is abandoned, clear knowing arises.”
“Insofar as it disintegrates, monk, it is called the ‘world.’”
“The life of human beings is as short as:
1) a dewdrop vanishing with the rising sun,
2) a bubble vanishing on a pond in the rain,
3) a line drawn in the water vanishing,
4) the incessant flowing of a river flowing down a mountain,
5) a drop of spit being spat,
6) a sliver of meat thrown on a hot pan vanishing,
7) the walk of a cow to the slaughterhouse.”
“Over there are the roots of trees; over there, empty dwellings. Practice jhana, monks. Don’t be heedless. Don’t later fall into regret. This is our message to you all.”
”Birth is suffering, aging is suffering, sickness is suffering, death is suffering, association with the unpleasant is suffering, dissociation from the pleasant is suffering, not to receive what one desires is suffering — in brief the five aggregates subject to grasping are suffering.”
“This suffering, as a Noble Truth, should be fully understood.”
“Both formerly and now, monks, I declare only stress (dukkha) and the cessation of stress.”
“Precisely because form is not self, form lends itself to dis-ease (dukkha). And it is not possible [to say] with regard to form, ‘Let this form be thus. Let this form not be thus.”
A well-instructed, disciple of the noble ones … doesn’t assume:
1) form to be the self, or
2) the self as possessing form, or
3) form as in the self, or
4) the self as in form”
“… As to contemplating impermanence, here firstly, the impermanent should be understood, and impermanence, and the contemplation of impermanence, and one contemplating impermanence. Herein, the five aggregates are the impermanent. Why? Because their essence is rise and fall and change. Impermanence is the rise and fall and change in those same aggregates, or it is their non-existence after having been; the meaning is, it is the breakup of produced aggregates through their momentary dissolution since they do not remain in the same mode. Contemplation of impermanence is contemplation of materiality, etc., as ‘impermanent’ in virtue of that impermanence. One contemplating impermanence possesses that contemplation. So it is when one such as this is breathing in and breathing out that it can be understood of him: ‘He trains thus: “I shall breathe in … shall breathe out contemplating impermanence.”’”
“But why is it suffering? Because it is the basis for many kinds of suffering. For there are many kinds of suffering, that is to say, intrinsic suffering (dukkhadukkha), suffering in change (vipariṇāma-dukkha), and suffering due to formations (saṅkhāra-dukkha); and then concealed suffering, exposed suffering, indirect suffering, and direct suffering. Herein, bodily and mental, painful feeling are called intrinsic suffering because of their individual essence, their name, and their painfulness. [Bodily and mental] pleasant feeling are called suffering in change because they are a cause for the arising of pain when they change. Equanimous feeling and the remaining formations of the three planes are called suffering due to formations because they are oppressed by rise and fall. Such bodily and mental affliction as earache, toothache, fever born of lust, fever born of hate, etc., is called concealed suffering because it can only be known by questioning and because the infliction is not openly evident; it is also called “unevident suffering.”
“… All that [materiality] is “not-self in the sense of having no core.” In the sense of having no core because of the absence of any core of self conceived as a self, an abider, a doer, an experiencer, one who is his own master; for what is impermanent is painful, and it is impossible to escape the impermanence, or the rise and fall and oppression, of self, so how could it have the state of a doer, and so on? Hence it is said, “Bhikkhus, were materiality self, it would not lead to affliction”, and so on. So this is also not-self in the sense of having no core. Accordingly, there is one kind of comprehension in this way too, but it is effected in eleven ways. The same method applies to feeling, and so on.”
Review (Click text for answer)
”Herein, the five aggregates are the impermanent. Why? Because their essence is rise and fall and change.”
”Impermanence is the rise and fall and change in those same aggregates, or it is their non existence after having been; the meaning is, it is the breakup of produced aggregates through their momentary dissolution since they do not remain in the same mode.”
”Contemplation of impermanence is contemplation of materiality, etc., as “impermanent” in virtue of that impermanence.”
”One contemplating impermanence possesses that contemplation [of the impermanence of the five aggregates].”
”1) intrinsic suffering (dukkhadukkha),
2) suffering in change (vipariṇāma-dukkha), and
3) suffering due to formations (saṅkhāra-dukkha); and then
4) concealed suffering,
5) exposed suffering,
6) indirect suffering, and
7) direct suffering.”
”[Materiality] is “not-self in the sense of having no core.” In the sense of having no core because of the absence of any core of self conceived as a self, an abider, a doer, an experiencer, one who is his own master; for what is impermanent is painful, and it is impossible to escape the impermanence, or the rise and fall and oppression, of self, so how could it have the state of a doer, and so on?”
“Change is inherent in all phenomenal existence. There is nothing animate or inanimate, organic or inorganic that we can label as permanent, since even as we affixed that label on something it would undergo metamorphosis. Realizing this central fact of life by direct experience within himself, the Buddha declared, ‘Whether a fully Enlightened One has arisen in the world or not, it still remains a firm condition, an immutable fact and fixed law that all formations are impermanent, subject to suffering, and devoid of substance.’ Anicca (impermanence), dukkha (suffering), and anattā (insubstantiality) are the three characteristics common to all sentient existence. Of these, the most important in the practice of Vipassana is anicca. As meditators, we come face to face with the impermanence of ourselves. This enables us to realize that we have no control over this phenomenon, and that any attempt to manipulate it creates suffering. We thus learn to develop detachment, an acceptance of anicca, an openness to change, enabling us to live happily amid all the vicissitudes of life. Hence the Buddha said that: ‘To one who perceives the impermanence, O meditators, the perception of insubstantiality manifests itself. And in one who perceives insubstantiality, egotism is destroyed. And (as a result) even in this present life one attains liberation. The comprehending of anicca leads automatically to a grasp of anatta and dukkha, and whosoever realizes these facts naturally turns to the path that leads out of suffering.’”
“The art of the practice lies … in living with real problems without making their reality burden the heart. As a beginning step in mastering that art, it’s useful to look at … the Buddha’s teachings on dukkha … Dukkha is a word notoriously hard to translate into English. In the Pali canon, it applies both to physical and to mental pain and dis-ease, ranging from intense anguish to the subtlest sense of being burdened or confined. The Pali commentaries explain dukkha as ‘that which is hard to bear.’ Ajaan MahaBoowa, a Thai forest master, translates it as ‘whatever puts a squeeze on the heart.’ Although no single English term covers all of these meanings, the word “stress” — as a strain on body or mind — seems as close as English can get to the Pali term; ‘suffering’ can be used in places where ‘stress’ seems too mild.”
“As the Buddha once said, the teaching he most frequently gave to his students was this: All fabrications are inconstant; all phenomena are not-self (anattā) (MN 35) … The purpose of this essay is to show that the Buddha’s teachings on self and not-self are strategies for helping his students attain the goal of the teaching, and that neither apply once the goal is attained.”
“No-self (anattā) means that there is no permanent, unchanging entity in anything animate or inanimate. With regard to the animate, this implies the absence of a soul which either emanated from a divine source or was created by a divine being. Biblical religions bless only the human being in the whole of the animal kingdom with this soul. The No-self doctrine is found only in the teaching of the Buddha. At least an intellectual grasp of this characteristic of existence is needed to appreciate the Buddha’s teaching. It is only when insight is gained in this respect that progress can be made along the Path to full enlightenment.”
Review (Click text for answer)
”Whether a fully Enlightened One has arisen in the world or not, it still remains a firm condition, an immutable fact and fixed law that all formations are impermanent, subject to suffering, and devoid of substance.”
”Of these, the most important in the practice of Vipassana is anicca. As meditators, we come face to face with the impermanence of ourselves. This enables us to realize that we have no control over this phenomenon, and that any attempt to manipulate it creates suffering. We thus learn to develop detachment, an acceptance of anicca, an openness to change, enabling us to live happily amid all the vicissitudes of life.”
