The Meaning and Practical Application of Self (Attā) and Non-Self (Anattā)
I am very glad that this question was asked. The topic of self (attā) and non-self (anattā) is extremely important for all of us who practice Vipassanā. If one practices the Dhamma without understanding self and non-self, then one is practicing without wisdom and without true knowledge, and insight will not develop. Therefore, this understanding of self and non-self is absolutely essential.
From Conventional Truth to Ultimate Truth
Most people have heard about self and non-self to some extent, but this understanding is usually only at the level of conventional truth (sammuti sacca). “Self” is understood as “me,” “for myself,” or remarks like “that person is selfish; he only works for himself.” Non-self is often understood conventionally as “there’s nothing the teacher can control.” This is all knowledge at the conventional level.
But with what level should we truly understand this? We must understand it at the level of ultimate truth (paramattha sacca). Ultimate truth is the domain where there are no persons or beings.
Understanding Self and Non-Self Through Cause and Effect
When I explain self and non-self, I begin with cause and effect.
What is self? If one believes, “I control the result,” that is self.
What is non-self? It is knowing that “I do not control the result.” The result arises only in accordance with causes and conditions. Knowing this is non-self. This is the first fundamental principle.
Some may say, “Teacher, we already know that good causes lead to good results, and bad causes lead to bad results. Isn’t that already cause and effect?” Yes, but that is still conventional understanding. It is not yet ultimate truth.
The Example of Clapping – Seeing Non-Self
How do we understand at the ultimate level? Consider the example of clapping.
Clapping the hands is the cause; the sound of clapping is the result. If the cause is present, even if you try to prevent the sound, it will still arise. Can you command the sound not to arise? No. Do you have control over it? No.
Can you make the sound arise without clapping? No. You cannot control the result. The result arises purely according to causes and conditions. This is where one must begin to understand self and non-self in a truly practical way.
When I personally came to understand this nature of non-self, my perspective shifted by one hundred and eighty degrees. It was like seeing something I had never encountered before. My life changed profoundly; my entire way of seeing changed.
The Example of Fire and Water – Cause and Effect in Life
When this understanding deepens further, we see that the result is related to the cause, but it is not transferred from it.
Consider fire and water. When fire heats water, the water becomes hot. The heat from the fire does not literally transfer into the water. Rather, heat arises anew within the water itself. Still, the fire as a condition cannot be absent. It is a condition, not a direct connection.
This example explains the cause-and-effect process of rebirth. In the previous life, materiality and mentality cease. In the next life, new materiality and mentality arise. Yet the causes from the previous life cannot be absent.
Here, one must understand kamma and the results of kamma. When the causes called kamma are complete, their results arise naturally, according to their own nature. They cannot be prevented or stopped.
The History of the View of Self
Before the Buddha’s enlightenment, the teaching of non-self was not clearly known. Only after the Buddha arose did the concept of non-self become explicit.
Traditionally, this body–mind process was regarded as self. When meditators attained jhāna, they could see past lives, but they still thought, “I was there in that life, and now I am here in this life.” Thus, they believed there was a single unchanging “I” that merely moved from life to life.
This led to beliefs in a permanent soul, self-entity, spirit, or life-force that continues after death while the body and mind perish. Bodies and lives may change, but this “self” was believed to persist.
The root misunderstanding here is failure to understand kamma and its results. Because of kamma and its results, a new existence arises with new aggregates, but non-self is not yet seen.
The Buddha’s Declaration of Non-Self
The Buddha declared that there are only materiality and mentality, only the five aggregates. There is no soul, no spirit, no permanent life-entity. He rejected the idea of an enduring self.
“Na” means negation: there is no self. The absence of such a soul or permanent entity is what is called non-self (anattā).
After the Buddha’s enlightenment, by teaching the Middle Way (Majjhima Paṭipadā) from the perspective of non-self, he showed the path to the cessation of all suffering.
When one proceeds with self-view, one falls into the extremes of sensual indulgence or self-mortification. Although one seeks liberation from defilements, proceeding with self-view inevitably leads to these two extremes.
Paṭiccasamuppāda and Anatta
We should clearly observe dependent origination (paṭiccasamuppāda) as cause and effect.
- Ignorance and formations are past causes — the Truth of the Origin of Suffering.
- Consciousness, name-and-form, the six sense bases, contact, and feeling are present results — the Truth of Suffering.
Because of past causes, present suffering arises. In the present, we again create causes: craving, clinging, and becoming. These are again the Truth of the Origin of Suffering. As a result, future birth, aging, and death arise — future suffering.
Seeing this clearly, we understand: past causes → present suffering; present causes → future suffering. This continuous cause-and-effect process reveals non-self.
Dependent origination is non-self. It is pure cause and effect. Yet we repeatedly view dependent origination through the lens of self.
Self and Non-Self – Like Two Sides of a Page
Just like a sheet of paper has two sides, and those two sides never face each other. The nature of Atta and Anatta is very subtle. If you don't understand, you just listen along. You don't recognize its value or truth. The view is 180 degrees different. Because they are back-to-back. You cannot see. That is why this nature of Anatta is so profound. It is very difficult to explain for others to understand.
The Power of Non-Self
As long as there are aggregates, defilements remain bound to them. When defilements cease, the aggregates also cease. Defilements depend entirely on the aggregates; without aggregates, defilements cannot exist.
The nature of reality is constant replacement. When one thing arises, another replaces it. When unwholesome states are removed, wholesome states replace them. When wholesome states are absent, unwholesome ones arise.
When greed is absent, non-greed replaces it. When non-greed is absent, greed replaces it. This is the natural process of replacement.
Therefore, one must understand non-self deeply enough to abandon self-view. Partial understanding is dangerous. If our understanding cannot resolve a problem, the entire system can collapse.
When we master this replacement phenomenon, non-self becomes extremely powerful. Acting from non-self is even more successful than acting from self.
လူငယ်များအတွက် အနတ္တ၏ အရေးပါမှု
Young people often worry: “If we understand self as non-self, will we still succeed in life?”
Through practical application of the Buddha’s teaching and the law of nature, I came to know that acting from non-self actually leads to greater success. Previously, I believed nothing could be achieved without greed. But through experience, I discovered that acting from non-self is more effective.
အနတ္တ၏ လက်တွေ့အသုံးချမှု
Without understanding self and non-self, how can one practice the Dhamma? One practices with a strong sense of “I will do it.” This is pure self-view.
Such practice may lead to calm and tranquility (samatha), but it will not lead to Vipassanā insight. This must be clearly understood.
To develop Vipassanā, we must cultivate Right Intention (sammā saṅkappa). To establish right intention, we must begin with understanding self and non-self.
Conclusion
In summary:
- Self (attā) is the belief that one controls results according to one’s will.
- Non-self (anattā) is the clear understanding that results arise naturally according to causes and conditions.
Only by seeing non-self can one correctly understand dependent origination, kamma and its results, and develop right view in Vipassanā practice.
Therefore, understanding self and non-self is a foundational and essential wisdom for every Vipassanā practitioner.
Dr. Soe Lwin (Mandalay)