Anatta-lakkhaṇa Sutta
The Discourse on the Not-self Characteristic
[Evam-me sutaṁ,] Ekaṁ samayaṁ Bhagavā,
Bārāṇasiyaṁ viharati isipatane migadāye.
Tatra kho Bhagavā pañca-vaggiye bhikkhū āmantesi.
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Varanasi in the Game Refuge at Isipatana. There he addressed the group of five monks:
“Rūpaṁ bhikkhave anattā.
Rūpañ-ca h’idaṁ bhikkhave attā abhavissa,
Nayidaṁ rūpaṁ ābādhāya saṁvatteyya,
Labbhetha ca rūpe,
Evaṁ me rūpaṁ hotu evaṁ me rūpaṁ mā ahosīti.
“Form, monks, is not-self. If form were self, this form would not lend itself to dis-ease, and it would be possible (to say) with regard to form, ‘Let my form be thus. Let my form not be thus.’
Yasmā ca kho bhikkhave rūpaṁ anattā,
Tasmā rūpaṁ ābādhāya saṁvattati,
Na ca labbhati rūpe,
Evaṁ me rūpaṁ hotu evaṁ me rūpaṁ mā ahosīti.
But precisely because form is not-self, form lends itself to dis-ease, and it is not possible (to say) with regard to form, ‘Let my form be thus. Let my form not be thus.’
Vedanā anattā.
Vedanā ca h’idaṁ bhikkhave attā abhavissa,
Nayidaṁ vedanā ābādhāya saṁvatteyya,
Labbhetha ca vedanāya,
Evaṁ me vedanā hotu evaṁ me vedanā mā ahosīti.
Feeling is not-self. If feeling were self, this feeling would not lend itself to dis-ease, and it would be possible (to say) with regard to feeling, ‘Let my feeling be thus. Let my feeling not be thus.’
Yasmā ca kho bhikkhave vedanā anattā,
Tasmā vedanā ābādhāya saṁvattati,
Na ca labbhati vedanāya,
Evaṁ me vedanā hotu evaṁ me vedanā mā ahosīti.
But precisely because feeling is not-self, feeling lends itself to dis-ease, and it is not possible (to say) with regard to feeling, ‘Let my feeling be thus. Let my feeling not be thus.’
Saññā anattā.
Saññā ca h’idaṁ bhikkhave attā abhavissa,
Nayidaṁ saññā ābādhāya saṁvatteyya,
Labbhetha ca saññāya,
Evaṁ me saññā hotu evaṁ me saññā mā ahosīti.
Perception is not-self. If perception were self, this perception would not lend itself to dis-ease, and it would be possible (to say) with regard to perception, ‘Let my perception be thus. Let my perception not be thus.’
Yasmā ca kho bhikkhave saññā anattā,
Tasmā saññā ābādhāya saṁvattati,
Na ca labbhati saññāya,
Evaṁ me saññā hotu evaṁ me saññā mā ahosīti.
But precisely because perception is not-self, perception lends itself to dis-ease, and it is not possible (to say) with regard to perception, ‘Let my perception be thus. Let my perception not be thus.’
Saṅkhārā anattā.
Saṅkhārā ca h’idaṁ bhikkhave attā abhavissaṁsu,
Nayidaṁ saṅkhārā ābādhāya saṁvatteyyuṁ,
Labbhetha ca saṅkhāresu,
Evaṁ me saṅkhārā hontu evaṁ me saṅkhārā mā ahesunti.
Fabrications are not-self. If fabrications were self, these fabrications would not lend themselves to dis-ease, and it would be possible (to say) with regard to fabrication, ‘Let my fabrications be thus. Let my fabrications not be thus.’
Yasmā ca kho bhikkhave saṅkhārā anattā,
Tasmā saṅkhārā ābādhāya saṁvattanti,
Na ca labbhati saṅkhāresu,
Evaṁ me saṅkhārā hontu evaṁ me saṅkhārā mā ahesunti
But precisely because fabrications are not-self, fabrications lend themselves to dis-ease, and it is not possible (to say) with regard to fabrications, ‘Let my fabrications be thus. Let my fabrications not be thus.’
Viññāṇaṁ anattā.
Viññāṇañ-ca h’idaṁ bhikkhave attā abhavissa,
Nayidaṁ viññāṇaṁ ābādhāya saṁvatteyya,
Labbhetha ca viññāṇe,
Evaṁ me viññāṇaṁ hotu evaṁ me viññāṇaṁ mā ahosīti.
Consciousness is not-self. If consciousness were self, this consciousness would not lend itself to dis-ease, and it would be possible (to say) with regard to consciousness, ‘Let my consciousness be thus. Let my consciousness not be thus.’
Yasmā ca kho bhikkhave viññāṇaṁ anattā,
Tasmā viññāṇaṁ ābādhāya saṁvattati,
Na ca labbhati viññāṇe,
Evaṁ me viññāṇaṁ hotu evaṁ me viññāṇaṁ mā ahosīti.
But precisely because consciousness is not-self, consciousness lends itself to dis-ease, and it is not possible (to say) with regard to consciousness, ‘Let my consciousness be thus. Let my consciousness not be thus.’
Taṁ kiṁ maññatha bhikkhave rūpaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vāti.”
How do you construe thus, monks—Is form constant or inconstant?”
“Aniccaṁ bhante.”
“Inconstant, lord.”
“Yam-panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vā taṁ sukhaṁ vāti.”
“And is that which is inconstant easeful or stressful?”
“Dukkhaṁ bhante.”
“Stressful, lord.”
“Yam-panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāma-dhammaṁ,
Kallaṁ nu taṁ samanupassituṁ,
Etaṁ mama eso’ham-asmi eso me attāti.”
“And is it fitting to regard what is inconstant, stressful, subject to change as: ‘This is mine. This is my self. This is what I am’?”
“No h’etaṁ bhante.”
“No, lord.”
“Taṁ kiṁ maññatha bhikkhave vedanā niccā vā aniccā vāti.”
“How do you construe thus, monks—Is feeling constant or inconstant?”
“Aniccā bhante.”
“Inconstant, lord.”
“Yam-panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vā taṁ sukhaṁ vāti.”
“And is that which is inconstant easeful or stressful?
“Dukkhaṁ bhante.”
“Stressful, lord.”
“Yam-panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāma-dhammaṁ,
Kallaṁ nu taṁ samanupassituṁ,
Etaṁ mama eso’ham-asmi eso me attāti.””
“And is it fitting to regard what is inconstant, stressful, subject to change as: ‘This is mine. This is my self. This is what I am’?”
“No h’etaṁ bhante.”
“No, lord.”
“Taṁ kiṁ maññatha bhikkhave saññā niccā vā aniccā vāti.”
“How do you construe thus, monks—Is perception constant or inconstant?”
“Aniccā bhante.”
“Inconstant, lord.”
“Yam-panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vā taṁ sukhaṁ vāti.”
“And is that which is inconstant easeful or stressful?”
“Dukkhaṁ bhante.”
“Stressful, lord.”
“Yam-panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāma-dhammaṁ,
Kallaṁ nu taṁ samanupassituṁ,
Etaṁ mama eso’ham-asmi eso me attāti.”
“And is it fitting to regard what is inconstant, stressful, subject to change as: ‘This is mine. This is my self. This is what I am’?”
“No h’etaṁ bhante.”
“No, lord.”
“Taṁ kiṁ maññatha bhikkhave saṅkhārā niccā vā aniccā vāti.”
“How do you construe thus, monks—Are fabrications constant or inconstant?”
“Aniccā bhante.”
“Inconstant, lord.”
“Yam-panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vā taṁ sukhaṁ vāti.”
“And is that which is inconstant easeful or stressful?”
“Dukkhaṁ bhante.”
“Stressful, lord.”
“Yam-panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāma-dhammaṁ,
Kallaṁ nu taṁ samanupassituṁ,
Etaṁ mama eso’ham-asmi eso me attāti.”
“And is it fitting to regard what is inconstant, stressful, subject to change as: ‘This is mine. This is my self. This is what I am’?”
“No h’etaṁ bhante.”
“No, lord.”
“Taṁ kiṁ maññatha bhikkhave viññāṇaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vāti.”
“How do you construe thus, monks—Is consciousness constant or inconstant?”
“Aniccaṁ bhante.”
“Inconstant, lord.”
“Yam-panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vā taṁ sukhaṁ vāti.”
“And is that which is inconstant easeful or stressful?”
“Dukkhaṁ bhante.”
“Stressful, lord.”
“Yam-panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāma-dhammaṁ,
Kallaṁ nu taṁ samanupassituṁ,
Etaṁ mama eso’ham-asmi eso me attāti.”
“And is it fitting to regard what is inconstant, stressful, subject to change as: ‘This is mine. This is my self. This is what I am’?”
“No h’etaṁ bhante.”
“No, lord.”
“Tasmātiha bhikkhave yaṅ-kiñci rūpaṁ atītānāgata-paccuppannaṁ, Ajjhattaṁ vā bahiddhā vā,
Oḷārikaṁ vā sukhumaṁ vā, Hīnaṁ vā paṇītaṁ vā, Yan-dūre santike vā, Sabbaṁ rūpaṁ,
“Thus, monks, any form whatsoever—past, future, or present; internal or external; blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near: Every form —
N’etaṁ mama neso’ham-asmi na m’eso attāti,
Evam-etaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṁ.
is to be seen as it has come to be with right discernment as: ‘This is not mine. This is not my self. This is not what I am.’
Yā kāci vedanā atītānāgata-paccuppannā,
Ajjhattā vā bahiddhā vā, Oḷārikā vā sukhumā vā,
Hīnā vā paṇītā vā, Yā dūre santike vā, Sabbā vedanā,
Any feeling whatsoever—past, future, or present; internal or external; blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near: Every feeling—
N’etaṁ mama neso’ham-asmi na m’eso attāti,
Evam-etaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṁ.
is to be seen as it has come to be with right discernment as: ‘This is not mine. This is not my self. This is not what I am.’
Yā kāci saññā atītānāgata-paccuppannā,
Ajjhattā vā bahiddhā vā, Oḷārikā vā sukhumā vā,
Hīnā vā paṇītā vā, Yā dūre santike vā, Sabbā saññā,
Any perception whatsoever—past, future, or present; internal or external; blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near: Every perception—
N’etaṁ mama neso’ham-asmi na m’eso attāti,
Evam-etaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṁ.
is to be seen as it has come to be with right discernment as: ‘This is not mine. This is not my self. This is not what I am.’
Ye keci saṅkhārā atītānāgata-paccuppannā,
Ajjhattā vā bahiddhā vā, Oḷārikā vā sukhumā vā,
Hīnā vā paṇītā vā, Ye dūre santike vā, Sabbe saṅkhārā,
Any fabrications whatsoever—past, future, or present; internal or external; blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near: All fabrications—
N’etaṁ mama neso’ham-asmi na m’eso attāti,
Evam-etaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṁ.
are to be seen as they have come to be with right discernment as: ‘This is not mine. This is not my self. This is not what I am.’
Yaṅ-kiñci viññāṇaṁ atītānāgata-paccuppannaṁ,
Ajjhattaṁ vā bahiddhā vā, Oḷārikaṁ vā sukhumaṁ vā,
Hīnaṁ vā paṇītaṁ vā, Yan-dūre santike vā,
Sabbaṁ viññāṇaṁ,
Any consciousness whatsoever—past, future, or present; internal or external; blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near: Every consciousness—
N’etaṁ mama neso’ham-asmi na m’eso attāti,
Evam-etaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṁ.
is to be seen as has come to be with right discernment as: ‘This is not mine. This is not my self. This is not what I am.’
Evaṁ passaṁ bhikkhave sutavā ariya-sāvako,
Rūpasmiṁ-pi nibbindati, Vedanāya-pi nibbindati,
Saññāya-pi nibbindati, Saṅkhāresu-pi nibbindati,
Viññāṇasmiṁ-pi nibbindati.
Seeing thus, the instructed noble disciple grows disenchanted with form, disenchanted with feeling, disenchanted with perception, disenchanted with fabrications, & disenchanted with consciousness.
Nibbindaṁ virajjati,
Virāgā vimuccati,
Disenchanted, he becomes dispassionate. Through dispassion, he is released.
Vimuttasmiṁ vimuttam-iti ñāṇaṁ hoti,
‘Khīṇā jāti,
Vusitaṁ brahma-cariyaṁ,
Kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ,
Nāparaṁ itthattāyāti’ pajānātīti.”
With release, there is the knowledge, ‘Released.’ He discerns that, ‘Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for this world.’”
Idam-avoca Bhagavā,
Attamanā pañca-vaggiyā bhikkhū Bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinanduṁ.
That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, the group of five monks delighted in the Blessed One’s words.
Imasmiñ-ca pana veyyā-karaṇasmiṁ bhaññamāne,
Pañca-vaggiyānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ anupādāya,
Āsavehi cittāni vimucciṁsūti.
And while this explanation was being given, the hearts of the group of five monks, through lack of clinging, were released from effluents.
