Anattalakkhana Sutta

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Theravada

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The Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta (Pali, "Not-Self Characteristic Discourse"), also known as the Pañcavaggiya Sutta (Pali, "Group of Five [Ascetics]"), is the second discourse delivered by the Buddha.^[1] In this discourse, the Buddha analyzes the constituents of a person's body and mind (khandha) and demonstrates that they are each impermanent (anicca), subject to suffering (dukkha) and thus unfit for identification with a "self" (atta).

In the Pali Canon, the Anattalakkhana Sutta is found in the Samyutta Nikaya ("Connected Collection," abbreviated as either "SN" or "S") and is designated by either "SN 22.59"^[2] or "S iii 66".^[3] This discourse is also found in the Buddhist monastic code (Vinaya).^[4]

1 See also
2 Notes
3 Sources
4 External links

[edit] See also

Anatta (Pali; Skt.: anātman; Eng.: "non-self")
Three marks of existence: impermanence (anicca), suffering (dukkha) and non-self (anatta).
Skandha (Skt.; Pali: khandha; Eng.: "aggregate") - Buddhist categories of body-mind constituents.

[edit] Notes

^ While this discourse is widely known as the Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta (e.g., see Thanissaro, 1993), this discourse is also known as the Pañcavaggiya Sutta in the Sri Lanka Tripitaka Project edition (La Trobe University, n.d., Samyutta Nikaya, book 3, BJT pp. 114-18, sutta 1.2.1.7). The basis for this alternate title is that the Buddha is addressing his original "group of five" (pañcavaggiya) disciples: Kondañña, Bhaddiya, Wappa, Mahanama and Assaji.
The first discourse traditionally ascribed to the Buddha is the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta.
^ "SN 22.59" denotes that this discourse is the fifty-ninth discourse in the 22^nd group in the Samyutta Nikaya.
^ "S iii 66" denotes that, in the Pali Text Society edition of the Canon, this discourse starts on page 66 of the third volume of the Samyutta Nikaya. An example of this notation can be found in Thanissaro (1993).
^ Rhys Davids & Oldenberg (1881), the Mahavagga, First Khandhaka, ch. 6.

[edit] Sources

La Trobe University (n.d.), "Pali Canon Online Database," online search engine of Sri Lanka Tripitaka Project's (SLTP) Pali Canon. Retrieved 2007-10-03 at http://www.chaf.lib.latrobe.edu.au/dcd/pali.htm.

Rhys Davids, T.W. & Hermann Oldenberg (tr.) (1881). Vinaya Texts. Oxford: Claredon Press. Retrieved 26 Sep 2007 from "Internet Sacred Texts Archive" at http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/sbe13/index.htm.

Thanissaro Bhikkhu (tr.) (1993). Anatta-lakkhana Sutta: The Discourse on the Not-self Characteristic (SN 22.59). Retrieved 2007-10-03 from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn22/sn22.059.than.html.

[edit] External links

Mendis, N.K.G. (tr., ed.) (1979). On the No-self Characteristic: The Anatta-lakkhana Sutta (The Wheel No. 268). Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society. Retrieved 2007-10-03 from "Access to Insight" (2007) at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/mendis/wheel268.html.

Ñanamoli Thera (tr., ed.) (1981). Three Cardinal Discourses of the Buddha (The Wheel No. 17). Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society. Retrieved 2007-10-03 from "Access to Insight" (1995) at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nanamoli/wheel017.html.