8.3. Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta
There are some powerful benefits to maintaining continuous awareness of anatta discussed in Aṅguttara Nikāya:
"cha, bhikkhave, ānisaṃse sampassamānena alameva bhikkhunā sabbadhammesu anodhiṃ karitvā anattasaññaṃ upaṭṭhāpetuṃ. katame cha? sabbaloke ca atammayo bhavissāmi, ahaṅkārā ca me uparujjhissanti, mamaṅkārā ca me uparujjhissanti, asādhāraṇena ca ñāṇena samannāgato bhavissāmi, hetu ca me sudiṭṭho bhavissati, hetusamuppannā ca dhammā. ime kho, bhikkhave, cha ānisaṃse sampassamānena alameva bhikkhunā sabbadhammesu anodhiṃ karitvā anattasaññaṃ upaṭṭhāpetu"nti.
AN6.104 atammayasuttaṃ
Monks, seeing six benefits, it is suitable for a monastic to establish the perception of anatta in all conditioned things, without exception.
What six?
- I will not identify with the entire world
- I-makings will cease for me
- My-makings will cease for me
- I will possess uncommon understanding
- Causes will be clearly seen
- Causally originated phenomena will be clearly seen
An Interrogation
One of the most common anatta meditation methods prescribed in the suttas—occurring in more than 75 suttas—is this line of enquiry. It consists of three questions:
What do you think, is this nicca or anicca?
Whatever is anicca, is that dukkha or sukha?
And whatever is dukkha, changing in nature, is it suitable to regard that as, 'this is mine, this is me, this is my self'?
One of the most famous instances of this method is the sutta in which the Buddha prescribed it to his own son, Rāhula, which lead directly to him becoming an arahant.
"taṃ kiṃ maññasi, rāhula, cakkhu niccaṃ vā aniccaṃ vā"ti? "aniccaṃ, bhante ". "yaṃ panāniccaṃ dukkhaṃ vā taṃ sukhaṃ vā"ti? "dukkhaṃ, bhante". "yaṃ panāniccaṃ dukkhaṃ vipariṇāmadhammaṃ, kallaṃ nu taṃ samanupassituṃ – ‘etaṃ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā"’ti? "no hetaṃ, bhante".
MN147 cūḷarāhulovādasuttaṃ
What do you think, Rāhula, is the eye nicca or anicca?
Anicca, bhante.
And whatever is anicca, is that dukkha or sukha?
Dukkha, bhante.
And whatever is dukkha, changing in nature, is it suitable to regard that as, 'this is mine, this is me, this is my self'?
Certainly not, bhante.
The sutta continues in this way for all components of experience, the experiences themselves, and all vedanā, saññā, saṅkhārā and viññāṇa which arise from the experience.
What this sutta directly shows is how experience creates the sense of self, not the other way around.
So let's go through it in a very practical way.
Meditation on anicca, dukkha, anatta
Transcript
What do you think, are the eyes nicca or anicca?
And whatever is anicca, is that dukkha or sukha?
And whatever is dukkha, changing in nature, is it suitable to regard that as, 'this is mine, this is me, this is my self'?
What do you think, are visible forms nicca or anicca?
And whatever is anicca, is that dukkha or sukha?
And whatever is dukkha, changing in nature, is it suitable to regard that as, 'this is mine, this is me, this is my self'?
What do you think, is eye consciousness nicca or anicca?
And whatever is anicca, is that dukkha or sukha?
And whatever is dukkha, changing in nature, is it suitable to regard that as, 'this is mine, this is me, this is my self'?
What do you think, is the experience of seeing nicca or anicca?
And whatever is anicca, is that dukkha or sukha?
And whatever is dukkha, changing in nature, is it suitable to regard that as, 'this is mine, this is me, this is my self'?
What do you think, any kind of vedanā, saññā, saṅkhārā or viññāṇa which arises based on seeing, are they nicca or anicca?
And whatever is anicca, is that dukkha or sukha?
And whatever is dukkha, changing in nature, is it suitable to regard that as, 'this is mine, this is me, this is my self'?
What do you think, are the ears nicca or anicca?
And whatever is anicca, is that dukkha or sukha?
And whatever is dukkha, changing in nature, is it suitable to regard that as, 'this is mine, this is me, this is my self'?
What do you think, are sounds nicca or anicca?
And whatever is anicca, is that dukkha or sukha?
And whatever is dukkha, changing in nature, is it suitable to regard that as, 'this is mine, this is me, this is my self'?
What do you think, is ear consciousness nicca or anicca?
And whatever is anicca, is that dukkha or sukha?
And whatever is dukkha, changing in nature, is it suitable to regard that as, 'this is mine, this is me, this is my self'?
What do you think, is the experience of hearing nicca or anicca?
And whatever is anicca, is that dukkha or sukha?
And whatever is dukkha, changing in nature, is it suitable to regard that as, 'this is mine, this is me, this is my self'?
What do you think, any kind of vedanā, saññā, saṅkhārā or viññāṇa which arises based on hearing, are they nicca or anicca?
And whatever is anicca, is that dukkha or sukha?
And whatever is dukkha, changing in nature, is it suitable to regard that as, 'this is mine, this is me, this is my self'?
What do you think, is the nose nicca or anicca?
And whatever is anicca, is that dukkha or sukha?
And whatever is dukkha, changing in nature, is it suitable to regard that as, 'this is mine, this is me, this is my self'?
What do you think, are smells nicca or anicca?
And whatever is anicca, is that dukkha or sukha?
And whatever is dukkha, changing in nature, is it suitable to regard that as, 'this is mine, this is me, this is my self'?
What do you think, is nose consciousness nicca or anicca?
And whatever is anicca, is that dukkha or sukha?
And whatever is dukkha, changing in nature, is it suitable to regard that as, 'this is mine, this is me, this is my self'?
What do you think, is the experience of smelling nicca or anicca?
And whatever is anicca, is that dukkha or sukha?
And whatever is dukkha, changing in nature, is it suitable to regard that as, 'this is mine, this is me, this is my self'?
What do you think, any kind of vedanā, saññā, saṅkhārā or viññāṇa which arises based on smelling, are they nicca or anicca?
And whatever is anicca, is that dukkha or sukha?
And whatever is dukkha, changing in nature, is it suitable to regard that as, 'this is mine, this is me, this is my self'?
What do you think, is the tongue nicca or anicca?
And whatever is anicca, is that dukkha or sukha?
And whatever is dukkha, changing in nature, is it suitable to regard that as, 'this is mine, this is me, this is my self'?
What do you think, are flavours nicca or anicca?
And whatever is anicca, is that dukkha or sukha?
And whatever is dukkha, changing in nature, is it suitable to regard that as, 'this is mine, this is me, this is my self'?
What do you think, is tongue consciousness nicca or anicca?
And whatever is anicca, is that dukkha or sukha?
And whatever is dukkha, changing in nature, is it suitable to regard that as, 'this is mine, this is me, this is my self'?
What do you think, is the experience of tasting nicca or anicca?
And whatever is anicca, is that dukkha or sukha?
And whatever is dukkha, changing in nature, is it suitable to regard that as, 'this is mine, this is me, this is my self'?
What do you think, any kind of vedanā, saññā, saṅkhārā or viññāṇa which arises based on tasting, are they nicca or anicca?
And whatever is anicca, is that dukkha or sukha?
And whatever is dukkha, changing in nature, is it suitable to regard that as, 'this is mine, this is me, this is my self'?
What do you think, is the body nicca or anicca?
And whatever is anicca, is that dukkha or sukha?
And whatever is dukkha, changing in nature, is it suitable to regard that as, 'this is mine, this is me, this is my self'?
What do you think, are tangible sensations nicca or anicca?
And whatever is anicca, is that dukkha or sukha?
And whatever is dukkha, changing in nature, is it suitable to regard that as, 'this is mine, this is me, this is my self'?
What do you think, is body consciousness nicca or anicca?
And whatever is anicca, is that dukkha or sukha?
And whatever is dukkha, changing in nature, is it suitable to regard that as, 'this is mine, this is me, this is my self'?
What do you think, is physical experience nicca or anicca?
And whatever is anicca, is that dukkha or sukha?
And whatever is dukkha, changing in nature, is it suitable to regard that as, 'this is mine, this is me, this is my self'?
What do you think, any kind of vedanā, saññā, saṅkhārā or viññāṇa which arises based on physical experience, are they nicca or anicca?
And whatever is anicca, is that dukkha or sukha?
And whatever is dukkha, changing in nature, is it suitable to regard that as, 'this is mine, this is me, this is my self'?
What do you think, is the mind nicca or anicca?
And whatever is anicca, is that dukkha or sukha?
And whatever is dukkha, changing in nature, is it suitable to regard that as, 'this is mine, this is me, this is my self'?
What do you think, are mental phenomena nicca or anicca?
And whatever is anicca, is that dukkha or sukha?
And whatever is dukkha, changing in nature, is it suitable to regard that as, 'this is mine, this is me, this is my self'?
What do you think, is mind consciousness nicca or anicca?
And whatever is anicca, is that dukkha or sukha?
And whatever is dukkha, changing in nature, is it suitable to regard that as, 'this is mine, this is me, this is my self'?
What do you think, is mental experience nicca or anicca?
And whatever is anicca, is that dukkha or sukha?
And whatever is dukkha, changing in nature, is it suitable to regard that as, 'this is mine, this is me, this is my self'?
What do you think, any kind of vedanā, saññā, saṅkhārā or viññāṇa which arises based on mental experience, are they nicca or anicca?
And whatever is anicca, is that dukkha or sukha?
And whatever is dukkha, changing in nature, is it suitable to regard that as, 'this is mine, this is me, this is my self'?
What do you think, is this experience nicca or anicca?
And whatever is anicca, is that dukkha or sukha?
And whatever is dukkha, changing in nature, is it suitable to regard that as, 'this is mine, this is me, this is my self'?
What do you think, any kind of vedanā, saññā, saṅkhārā or viññāṇa which arises based on this experience, are they nicca or anicca?
And whatever is anicca, is that dukkha or sukha?
And whatever is dukkha, changing in nature, is it suitable to regard that as, 'this is mine, this is me, this is my self'?
As you continue meditating throughout the day, keep asking yourself these three questions
What do you think, is this nicca or anicca?
Whatever is anicca, is that dukkha or sukha?
And whatever is dukkha, changing in nature, is it suitable to regard that as, 'this is mine, this is me, this is my self'?
Q&A
Q: Do you have any questions or doubts at this point?