Chanting › Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta — The Characteristic of Not-Self
Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta — The Characteristic of Not-Self
Suttas often chanted

Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta — The Characteristic of Not-Self

Anattalakkhaṇasuttaṃ

The Buddha's second teaching to the five monks: the five aggregates are not a self we can command, so they should not be taken as 'me' or 'mine'.

When it is chanted

Usually chanted right after the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, especially on Āsāḷha Pūjā and other major Buddhist days.

Many people chant it at funerals or when facing a loss — not because it removes grief at once, but because it is a chance to review the fact that body and feeling were never under anyone's command.

It also works well before meditation, since it sets the mind to look at body and mind as they actually are.

Background

Five days after the first teaching the Buddha spoke again to the five monks, this time taking up the five aggregates one by one: form, feeling, perception, formations and consciousness.

The reasoning is simple. If these were truly our self, they would not lead to affliction, and we could tell them: let it be like this, let it not be like that. But we cannot. So they are not self. He then asks whether what is impermanent is happiness or suffering, and whether something impermanent, painful and bound to change is fit to be regarded as 'this is mine, this I am, this is my self'.

This is not a claim that nobody is here or that life does not matter. It points out that most of our suffering comes from holding on, as ours, to what was never under our control. When the talk ended, all five monks were fully released.

Pali

  1. Athakho bhagavā pañcavaggiye bhikkhū āmantesi Then the Blessed One addressed the group of five monks:
  2. Rūpaṃ bhikkhave anattā Monks, form is not self.
  3. Rūpañca hidaṃ bhikkhave attā abhavissa nayidaṃ rūpaṃ ābādhāya saṃvatteyya If form were self, it would not lead to affliction,
  4. Labbhetha ca rūpe evaṃ me rūpaṃ hotu evaṃ me rūpaṃ mā ahosīti and one could say of form: let my form be like this, let it not be like that.
  5. Yasmā ca kho bhikkhave rūpaṃ anattā tasmā rūpaṃ ābādhāya saṃvattati But because form is not self, it does lead to affliction,
  6. Na ca labbhati rūpe evaṃ me rūpaṃ hotu evaṃ me rūpaṃ mā ahosīti and one cannot say: let my form be like this, let it not be like that.
  7. Vedanā anattā Feeling is not self.
  8. Vedanā ca hidaṃ bhikkhave attā abhavissa nayidaṃ vedanā ābādhāya saṃvatteyya If feeling were self, it would not lead to affliction,
  9. Labbhetha ca vedanāya evaṃ me vedanā hotu evaṃ me vedanā mā ahosīti and one could say of feeling: let my feeling be like this, let it not be like that.
  10. Yasmā ca kho bhikkhave vedanā anattā tasmā vedanā ābādhāya saṃvattati But because feeling is not self, it does lead to affliction,
  11. Na ca labbhati vedanāya evaṃ me vedanā hotu evaṃ me vedanā mā ahosīti and one cannot say: let my feeling be like this, let it not be like that.
  12. Saññā anattā Perception is not self.
  13. Saññā ca hidaṃ bhikkhave attā abhavissa nayidaṃ saññā ābādhāya saṃvatteyya If perception were self, it would not lead to affliction,
  14. Labbhetha ca saññāya evaṃ me saññā hotu evaṃ me saññā mā ahosīti and one could say of perception: let my perception be like this, let it not be like that.
  15. Yasmā ca kho bhikkhave saññā anattā tasmā saññā ābādhāya saṃvattati But because perception is not self, it does lead to affliction,
  16. Na ca labbhati saññāya evaṃ me saññā hotu evaṃ me saññā mā ahosīti and one cannot say: let my perception be like this, let it not be like that.
  17. Saṅkhārā anattā Formations are not self.
  18. Saṅkhārā ca hidaṃ bhikkhave attā abhavissaṃsu nayidaṃ saṅkhārā ābādhāya saṃvatteyyuṃ If formations were self, they would not lead to affliction,
  19. Labbhetha ca saṅkhāresu evaṃ me saṅkhārā hontu evaṃ me saṅkhārā mā ahesunti and one could say of them: let my formations be like this, let them not be like that.
  20. Yasmā ca kho bhikkhave saṅkhārā anattā tasmā saṅkhārā ābādhāya saṃvattanti But because formations are not self, they do lead to affliction,
  21. Na ca labbhati saṅkhāresu evaṃ me saṅkhārā hontu evaṃ me saṅkhārā mā ahesunti and one cannot say: let my formations be like this, let them not be like that.
  22. Viññāṇaṃ anattā Consciousness is not self.
  23. Viññāṇañca hidaṃ bhikkhave attā abhavissa nayidaṃ viññāṇaṃ ābādhāya saṃvatteyya If consciousness were self, it would not lead to affliction,
  24. Labbhetha ca viññāṇe evaṃ me viññāṇaṃ hotu evaṃ me viññāṇaṃ mā ahosīti and one could say of it: let my consciousness be like this, let it not be like that.
  25. Yasmā ca kho bhikkhave viññāṇaṃ anattā tasmā viññāṇaṃ ābādhāya saṃvattati But because consciousness is not self, it does lead to affliction,
  26. Na ca labbhati viññāṇe evaṃ me viññāṇaṃ hotu evaṃ me viññāṇaṃ mā ahosīti and one cannot say: let my consciousness be like this, let it not be like that.
  27. Taṃ kiṃ maññatha bhikkhave rūpaṃ niccaṃ vā aniccaṃ vāti aniccaṃ bhante What do you think, monks: is form permanent or impermanent? Impermanent, venerable sir.
  28. Yaṃ panāniccaṃ dukkhaṃ vā taṃ sukhaṃ vāti dukkhaṃ bhante And is what is impermanent suffering or happiness? Suffering, venerable sir.
  29. Yaṃ panāniccaṃ dukkhaṃ vipariṇāmadhammaṃ kallaṃ nu taṃ samanupassituṃ And is what is impermanent, suffering and bound to change fit to be regarded as
  30. Etaṃ mama esohamasmi eso me attāti no hetaṃ bhante 'this is mine, this I am, this is my self'? No, venerable sir.
  31. Vedanā niccā vā aniccā vāti aniccā bhante Is feeling permanent or impermanent? Impermanent, venerable sir.
  32. Yaṃ panāniccaṃ dukkhaṃ vā taṃ sukhaṃ vāti dukkhaṃ bhante And is what is impermanent suffering or happiness? Suffering, venerable sir.
  33. Yaṃ panāniccaṃ dukkhaṃ vipariṇāmadhammaṃ kallaṃ nu taṃ samanupassituṃ And is what is impermanent, suffering and bound to change fit to be regarded as
  34. Etaṃ mama esohamasmi eso me attāti no hetaṃ bhante 'this is mine, this I am, this is my self'? No, venerable sir.
  35. Saññā niccā vā aniccā vāti aniccā bhante Is perception permanent or impermanent? Impermanent, venerable sir.
  36. Yaṃ panāniccaṃ dukkhaṃ vā taṃ sukhaṃ vāti dukkhaṃ bhante And is what is impermanent suffering or happiness? Suffering, venerable sir.
  37. Yaṃ panāniccaṃ dukkhaṃ vipariṇāmadhammaṃ kallaṃ nu taṃ samanupassituṃ And is what is impermanent, suffering and bound to change fit to be regarded as
  38. Etaṃ mama esohamasmi eso me attāti no hetaṃ bhante 'this is mine, this I am, this is my self'? No, venerable sir.
  39. Saṅkhārā niccā vā aniccā vāti aniccā bhante Are formations permanent or impermanent? Impermanent, venerable sir.
  40. Yaṃ panāniccaṃ dukkhaṃ vā taṃ sukhaṃ vāti dukkhaṃ bhante And is what is impermanent suffering or happiness? Suffering, venerable sir.
  41. Yaṃ panāniccaṃ dukkhaṃ vipariṇāmadhammaṃ kallaṃ nu taṃ samanupassituṃ And is what is impermanent, suffering and bound to change fit to be regarded as
  42. Etaṃ mama esohamasmi eso me attāti no hetaṃ bhante 'this is mine, this I am, this is my self'? No, venerable sir.
  43. Viññāṇaṃ niccaṃ vā aniccaṃ vāti aniccaṃ bhante Is consciousness permanent or impermanent? Impermanent, venerable sir.
  44. Yaṃ panāniccaṃ dukkhaṃ vā taṃ sukhaṃ vāti dukkhaṃ bhante And is what is impermanent suffering or happiness? Suffering, venerable sir.
  45. Yaṃ panāniccaṃ dukkhaṃ vipariṇāmadhammaṃ kallaṃ nu taṃ samanupassituṃ And is what is impermanent, suffering and bound to change fit to be regarded as
  46. Etaṃ mama esohamasmi eso me attāti no hetaṃ bhante 'this is mine, this I am, this is my self'? No, venerable sir.
  47. Tasmātiha bhikkhave yaṅkiñci rūpaṃ atītānāgatapaccuppannaṃ Therefore, monks, any form at all, past, future or present,
  48. Ajjhattaṃ vā bahiddhā vā oḷārikaṃ vā sukhumaṃ vā hīnaṃ vā paṇītaṃ vā internal or external, coarse or subtle, inferior or fine,
  49. Yaṃ dūre vā santike vā sabbaṃ rūpaṃ far or near — all form
  50. Netaṃ mama nesohamasmi na meso attāti evametaṃ yathābhūtaṃ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṃ should be seen as it really is with right understanding: this is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.
  51. Yā kāci vedanā atītānāgatapaccuppannā Any feeling at all, past, future or present,
  52. Ajjhattā vā bahiddhā vā oḷārikā vā sukhumā vā hīnā vā paṇītā vā internal or external, coarse or subtle, inferior or fine,
  53. Yā dūre vā santike vā sabbā vedanā far or near — all feeling
  54. Netaṃ mama nesohamasmi na meso attāti evametaṃ yathābhūtaṃ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṃ should be seen as it really is with right understanding: this is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.
  55. Yā kāci saññā atītānāgatapaccuppannā Any perception at all, past, future or present,
  56. Ajjhattā vā bahiddhā vā oḷārikā vā sukhumā vā hīnā vā paṇītā vā internal or external, coarse or subtle, inferior or fine,
  57. Yā dūre vā santike vā sabbā saññā far or near — all perception
  58. Netaṃ mama nesohamasmi na meso attāti evametaṃ yathābhūtaṃ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṃ should be seen as it really is with right understanding: this is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.
  59. Ye keci saṅkhārā atītānāgatapaccuppannā Any formations at all, past, future or present,
  60. Ajjhattā vā bahiddhā vā oḷārikā vā sukhumā vā hīnā vā paṇītā vā internal or external, coarse or subtle, inferior or fine,
  61. Ye dūre vā santike vā sabbe saṅkhārā far or near — all formations
  62. Netaṃ mama nesohamasmi na meso attāti evametaṃ yathābhūtaṃ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṃ should be seen as they really are with right understanding: this is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.
  63. Yaṅkiñci viññāṇaṃ atītānāgatapaccuppannaṃ Any consciousness at all, past, future or present,
  64. Ajjhattaṃ vā bahiddhā vā oḷārikaṃ vā sukhumaṃ vā hīnaṃ vā paṇītaṃ vā internal or external, coarse or subtle, inferior or fine,
  65. Yaṃ dūre vā santike vā sabbaṃ viññāṇaṃ far or near — all consciousness
  66. Netaṃ mama nesohamasmi na meso attāti evametaṃ yathābhūtaṃ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṃ should be seen as it really is with right understanding: this is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.
  67. Evaṃ passaṃ bhikkhave sutavā ariyasāvako Seeing this, monks, a well-taught noble disciple
  68. Rūpasmiṃpi nibbindati vedanāyapi nibbindati saññāyapi nibbindati becomes disenchanted with form, with feeling, with perception,
  69. Saṅkhāresupi nibbindati viññāṇasmiṃpi nibbindati with formations and with consciousness.
  70. Nibbindaṃ virajjati virāgā vimuccati Being disenchanted, desire fades; with the fading of desire there is release.
  71. Vimuttasmiṃ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṃ hoti When released, there is the knowledge: released.
  72. Khīṇā jāti vusitaṃ brahmacariyaṃ kataṃ karaṇīyaṃ nāparaṃ itthattāyāti pajānātīti One understands: birth is ended, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done is done, there is no more of this state of being.
  73. Idamavoca bhagavā This is what the Blessed One said.
  74. Attamanā pañcavaggiyā bhikkhū bhagavato bhāsitaṃ abhinanduṃ The group of five monks were glad and delighted in his words.
  75. Imasmiṃ ca pana veyyākaraṇasmiṃ bhaññamāne And while this explanation was being given,
  76. Pañcavaggiyānaṃ bhikkhūnaṃ anupādāya āsavehi cittāni vimucciṃsu the minds of the five monks were freed from the taints through not clinging.
Sign in to keep track

Where it comes from in the Tipiṭaka

Click to read the actual page it refers to

Other chants

Log in to earn 50 merit points for reading this page