anatt

Anatt (anatta, anattā) is a term in Buddhism meaning "not-self" or "no-self." In Pali and Sanskrit, it rejects the existence of a permanent, independent self within persons or phenomena. The doctrine is central to many Buddhist traditions and is often presented alongside teachings on impermanence (anicca) and suffering (dukkha).

According to the teaching, what is commonly called a person is a changing collection of five aggregates: form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness. Because these aggregates arise, interact, and cease, there is no unchanging essence that constitutes a self. This view contrasts with the idea of an eternal soul found in some other traditions.

Traditions differ in emphasis. Theravada Buddhism presents anattā as a direct realization achieved through insight meditation, leading to dispassion, release from craving, and liberation. In many Mahayana schools, anatman is linked with the doctrine of emptiness (shunyata) and dependent origination; some discussions also address how conventional speech uses "self" for practical purposes without asserting an ultimate self.

Practically, realization of anattā is said to reduce attachment and craving, aiding the path to Nirvana. In scholarship, anattā is discussed as a soteriological and phenomenological concept with implications for psychology, ethics, and personal conduct.