Anattā: Cause and Effect - New Arising According to Its Own Nature

Today, I would like to explain the great principle of Anattā (non-self) in relation to cause and effect. This topic is the fundamental cornerstone of the Buddha's entire teaching. The Buddha's teachings can be comprehensively called the doctrine of Anattā (Anattavāda). As long as we study from the perspective of Attā (self) without understanding the principle of Anattā, we will never comprehend what the Buddha truly meant to convey.

Attā and Anattā - Two Sides of One Sheet of Paper

I always say that Attā and Anattā are like two sides of one sheet of paper. These two sides never face each other. The principle of Attā and Anattā is very thin, but the perspective differs by 180 degrees. Because they are back to back, we cannot see the other side. When I first encountered this perspective of Anattā, it was extremely surprising and transformative for me. When you clap your hands, sound is produced. If you don't clap, there is no sound. That's how they think - with sammuti (conventional cause and effect). For them, it's nothing surprising; it's what they're used to. For me, it was incredibly surprising - encountering something I had never experienced or encountered before.

Cause and Effect - The Fundamental Basis of Anattā

To understand Anattā, the first fundamental principle we must know is cause and effect. The Venerable Sāriputta became a Stream-enterer (Sotāpanna) when the Venerable Assaji, an Arahant, first taught him the Dhamma. That teaching was this Anattā principle: "Ye dhammā hetuppabhavā, tesaṃ hetuṃ tathāgato āha" - All phenomena that arise have a cause; the Tathāgata has declared their cause. It was with this teaching that he became a Stream-enterer.

This cause and effect principle is extremely important. In the world, science knows that good causes produce good effects, bad causes produce bad effects - this is known as cause and effect. However, the Buddha's principle of Paṭiccasamuppāda (Dependent Origination - how effects arise dependent on causes) is much more profound than this. This is a wisdom that no one in the world had ever known before.

Cause and Effect - Three Types of Relationships

What I want to explain is that there are three types of cause and effect relationships. The first is kamma and its result (kamma-vipāka) - this is past cause and effect. The wholesome and unwholesome kamma we performed in the past is giving results in the present.

The second is sense object and sense door contact as cause, consciousness arising as effect - this is present cause and effect. I want to explain this cause and effect relationship in detail. When visible form (rūpārammaṇa) provides the condition, seeing consciousness (cakkhu-viññāṇa) arises - this is Anattā. When sound (saddārammaṇa) provides the condition, hearing consciousness (sota-viññāṇa) arises - this is Anattā. When odor (gandhārammaṇa) provides the condition, smelling consciousness (ghāna-viññāṇa) arises - this is Anattā. When taste (rasārammaṇa) provides the condition, tasting consciousness (jivhā-viññāṇa) arises - this is Anattā. When tangible object (phoṭṭhabbārammaṇa) provides the condition, touching consciousness (kāya-viññāṇa) arises - this is Anattā. When mental object (dhammārammaṇa) provides the condition, thinking consciousness (mano-viññāṇa) arises - this is Anattā.

The third is defilements as cause and kamma as effect (kilesavaṭṭa and kammavaṭṭa) - when the cause-defilements cease, the effect-kamma ceases. This is an extremely important principle.

When Causal Factors Are Complete, Effects Arise

For example, the eye-sensitivity (cakkhu-pasāda) and visible form (rūpārammaṇa) are causal factors, and seeing consciousness (cakkhu-viññāṇa) as mentality is the effect. In this seeing matter, because of the contact of two material phenomena, one mental phenomenon arises as an effect. In this cause and effect relationship, there is no person, no being, no "I," no "mine." Whenever causes meet, we only perceive the new arising of a third thing (consciousness-knowing).

Attā-view and Anattā-view - Understanding the Distinction

If one believes that effects are controlled according to a person's will, that they occur according to one's own wishes, this is Attā-view (self-view). If one understands that effects occur according to causes without personal will, this is Anattā-view (non-self view).

To practically understand the difference between these two, try clapping your hands. Hand-clapping is the cause, and the clapping sound is the effect. Even though the cause of hand-clapping exists, you cannot command the effect (the clapping sound) not to occur according to personal will. You also cannot make the clapping sound occur without clapping your hands. Therefore, one has no control over effects according to one's will, and effects arise only according to causes, without personal will involved.

The Characteristic of Anattā - Acting According to Its Own Nature

Material phenomena do not follow the wishes of persons or beings but perform only their respective functions, therefore they are not Attā but are Anattā. Feeling (vedanā) performs the function of experiencing, perception (saññā) performs the function of remembering, mental formations (saṅkhāra) perform the function of instigating, and consciousness (viññāṇa) performs the function of knowing - each performs only its respective function according to its own nature. Therefore, these functions are neither the business of Attā, nor is Attā managing and performing them.

Feeling experiences both good and bad according to the object. It does not experience according to Attā's will or personal will. Similarly, perception also remembers both good and bad according to its own nature. It has absolutely nothing to do with Attā's will or personal will. If perception were truly Attā, it would selectively remember only the good. Because of mental formations, wholesome and unwholesome kamma arise. Similarly, because of consciousness, we must know both good objects and bad objects. If it truly occurred according to Attā's will or personal will, one could arrange and manage so that unwholesome kamma or bad objects would not arise. Therefore, because there is no Attā that can manage and control the five aggregates, and because they do not follow the wishes of persons and beings, they are all Anattā phenomena.

Anicca and Anattā - Their Connection

Being mindful of the newly arisen previous mind with the subsequent mind is Anicca (impermanence). Because two consciousnesses cannot exist simultaneously, when the subsequent mind arises, the previous mind has already ceased. In reality, we can only know with wisdom the continuity of mind-matter (the succession) replacing one another. By reflecting on this process with mindfulness and clear comprehension (seeing that with each new arising, the old ceases and disappears), we can penetrate and understand the characteristic of Anicca not with physical sight but only with wisdom-sight.

This characteristic of Anicca can be known not through direct experience but only through wisdom-knowledge. When concentration becomes strong, one understands the principle that "knowing occurs only upon contact." Understanding that knowing is not always present - that kind of knowing is seeing Anicca.

The Profundity of Anattā - The Essence of Buddha's Enlightenment

Before the Buddha's enlightenment, Anattā was not clearly evident. Only when the Buddha became enlightened did this word "Anattā" become manifest. At that time, people in the world thought only in terms of Attā (I, mine). They comprehended the great mind-matter as Attā. They wanted to be free from suffering through Attā. For this purpose, they strenuously practiced and made efforts through kāmasukhallikānuyoga (the practice of indulgence in sensual pleasures) and attakilamathānuyoga (the practice of self-mortification) - the extreme of enjoying sense pleasures and the extreme of torturing oneself. In truth, they were trying to be free from defilements. But because they were trying through Attā, they fell into the two extremes.

Only when the Buddha became enlightened, through the perspective of Anattā in the Middle Path (Majjhima Paṭipadā), did he reach the cessation of all suffering. The Buddha taught that there are only mind-matter (nāma-rūpa) and the five aggregates - rejecting the Attā concept of a soul, a butterfly spirit, or a life entity - "na" means negation. There is no Attā. Denying that there is a soul, butterfly spirit, or life entity - this is called Anattā.

Nibbāna and Anattā - When Cause Ceases, Effect Ceases

What is Nibbāna? Nibbāna is when cause ceases and effect ceases. This is what was taught in Paṭiccasamuppāda as the Noble Truth of Origin (Samudaya Sacca) and the Noble Truth of Cessation (Nirodha Sacca). When cause ceases, effect ceases. That is Nibbāna. Sometimes when we think about Nibbāna, we go too far. Some doctrines teach that the Buddha and Arahants exist in a place called Nibbāna, in a peaceful place, as a realm, and from there they come. Such beliefs also exist. But let's set those aside.

We should carefully consider that in Paṭiccasamuppāda, when there is cause there is effect, when cause ceases effect ceases. This teaches the Truth of Origin and the Truth of Cessation. The Truth of Cessation is Nibbāna. Nibbāna is when cause ceases and effect ceases. That is Anattā. The principle that when there is cause there is effect, when cause ceases effect ceases - that is the great Anattā.

Anattā - Studying It as a Branch of Knowledge

Anattā is a great wisdom. An extremely profound wisdom. The world does not know it. It is extremely worthy of study. In truth, there is much work to be done. However, it is important that we can present it to the extent that ordinary people can understand. For ordinary people, with accessible knowledge about how when there is cause there is effect, when cause ceases effect ceases - ordinary people can understand this.

This principle of Anattā is extremely profound. It is very difficult to explain it so others can understand. Even I had to think north and south, and because my wisdom could contemplate, it seems I filled in some past causes regarding how to teach people. That's why I can present this Anattā a little. Otherwise, giving this Anattā to others, presenting it so they can understand, is extremely difficult.

Cause and Effect in the Domain of Truth - Conclusion

If one truly and correctly understands Paṭiccasamuppāda, the arising of effects dependent on causes, the characteristic of Anattā will become manifest and clear in one's wisdom according to its own nature. When the Anattā nature of ultimate mind-matter phenomena becomes clear in wisdom-vision, one can enter the truths as follows:

First - The ultimate mind-matter that is distinguished and known is the Noble Truth of Suffering (Dukkha Sacca).

Second - Ignorance (avijjā), craving (taṇhā), and clinging (upādāna) that must be abandoned are the Noble Truth of Origin (Samudaya Sacca).

Third - Mindfulness and wisdom that contemplate the characteristic of cause-effect Anattā in mind-matter phenomena are the Noble Truth of the Path (Magga Sacca).

Fourth - The cessation of wrong view (diṭṭhi) and craving (taṇhā) due to the view of Anattā is the Noble Truth of Cessation (Nirodha Sacca).

If we know this much, for us ordinary people, encountering the Sāsana (Buddha's teaching) is worthwhile. The Buddha fulfilled his perfections (pāramī) for four incalculable aeons and a hundred thousand world cycles. If beings come to know like this, the Buddha would be satisfied. He would be satisfied that his fulfillment was worthwhile. We can help people know this much. We must strive to be able to help them know. While encountering the Sāsana, while we have the opportunity to repay the Buddha's kindness, we must repay it. The conditions are being given. It's not that we cannot know. It is important to strive to know and to share this knowledge.

Thus, I have presented and explained the great principle of Anattā in relation to cause and effect. May you thoroughly understand this principle and become able to apply it in practical life.

Dr. Soe Lwin (Mandalay)