anatman

Anatman, or anatta in Pali, literally means not-self or no-self. It is a central doctrine in Buddhism that asserts there is no fixed, independent, eternal self or soul in persons or in phenomena. The teaching appears in early Buddhist scriptures and is most famously presented in the Anattalakkhana Sutta, where the Buddha examines the five aggregates—form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness—and shows that none of these constitutes a lasting self.

The doctrine frames identity as a conventional label arising from interdependent processes rather than an inner essence. All phenomena are impermanent (anicca) and interdependent (pratityasamutpada), so clinging to a self leads to suffering (dukkha). In this view, suffering is rooted in misapprehension about the nature of experience, not in the absence of experience itself. Rebirth is explained without a persisting soul: continuity comes from causal processes rather than a timeless ego.

Across Buddhist traditions, anatman is treated with nuance. Theravada emphasizes it as a foundational insight guiding liberation. Mahayana schools relate anatman to emptiness (shunyata), arguing that all dharmas lack inherent existence while still allowing for awakening and ethical action. Some discussions also address buddha-nature, a potential for awakening within beings, within a framework that rejects a permanent self.

In practice, realizing anatman is pursued through meditation and the direct observation of impermanence, dependence, and the absence of a fixed self. This insight is regarded as a significant step toward detachment from craving and toward nirvana. Etymologically, anatman means "not-self" in Sanskrit, while anatta is the Pali form used in early Buddhist texts.