SN 55.3 below, might therefore resume and settle the conundrum of Self (in Buddhism).
Note also that, in SN 44.10, Buddha does not deny a “Self”; but implicitly a “self”.
Talking about a “Self”, outside paṭiccasamuppāda, would be confusing and useless, as far as the Teaching and its goal are concerned.
That is to say again, that Buddha wanted to prove that there is no “self” within the demesne* of paṭiccasamuppāda; and that there is, on the other side, no use to tackle the issue of a “Self”; as far as getting to nibbana is involved.
In other words, “getting to nibbana” means (among other things,) to realize that the “self” is a false concept. However, getting to realize that there is (or not) a “Self” is absolutely irrelevant with that goal.
If there is a “Self”, it is just “cherry on the cake”. But the Teaching is primarily and merely, about making the cake right.
Related suttas on anattā.
These suttas all have parallels in the Agamas.
SN 12.66
Bhikkhus, whatever ascetics and brahmins in the past regarded that in the world with a pleasant and agreeable nature as permanent, as happiness, as self, as healthy, as secure: they nurtured craving. In nurturing craving they nurtured acquisition. In nurturing acquisition they nurtured suffering. In nurturing suffering they were not freed from birth, aging, and death; they were not freed from sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair; they were not freed from suffering, I say.
Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, atītamaddhānaṃ samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā yaṃ loke piyarūpaṃ sātarūpaṃ taṃ niccato addakkhuṃ sukhato addakkhuṃ attato addakkhuṃ ārogyato addakkhuṃ khemato addakkhuṃ. Te taṇhaṃ vaḍḍhesuṃ. Ye taṇhaṃ vaḍḍhesuṃ te upadhiṃ vaḍḍhesuṃ. Ye upadhiṃ vaḍḍhesuṃ te dukkhaṃ vaḍḍhesuṃ. Ye dukkhaṃ vaḍḍhesuṃ te na parimucciṃsu jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi, na parimucciṃsu dukkhasmāti vadāmi.
SN 22.20
“Bhikkhus, form is nonself. The cause and condition for the arising of form is also nonself. As form has originated from what is nonself, how could it be self? (feeling, etc… - khandhas).
“Rūpaṃ, bhikkhave, anattā. Yopi hetu yopi paccayo rūpassa uppādāya, sopi anattā. Anattasambhūtaṃ, bhikkhave, rūpaṃ kuto attā bhavissati.
SN 22.45
“Bhikkhus, form (feeling, etc…) is impermanent. What is impermanent is suffering. What is suffering is nonself. What is nonself should be seen as it really is with correct wisdom thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’ When one sees this thus as it really is with correct wisdom, the mind becomes dispassionate and is liberated from the taints by nonclinging.
“Rūpaṃ, bhikkhave, aniccaṃ. Yadaniccaṃ taṃ dukkhaṃ; yaṃ dukkhaṃ tadanattā; yadanattā taṃ ‘netaṃ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti evametaṃ yathābhūtaṃ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṃ. Evametaṃ yathābhūtaṃ sammappaññāya passato cittaṃ virajjati vimuccati anupādāya āsavehi.
“If, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu’s mind has become dispassionate towards the form element (feeling element, etc…), it is liberated from the taints by nonclinging.
Rūpadhātuyā ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno cittaṃ virattaṃ vimuttaṃ hoti anupādāya āsavehi.
SN 22.46
Same as first paragraph above.
When one sees this thus as it really is with correct wisdom, one holds no more views concerning the past. When one holds no more views concerning the past, one holds no more views concerning the future. When one holds no more views concerning the future, one has no more obstinate grasping. When one has no more obstinate grasping, the mind becomes dispassionate towards form, feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness, and is liberated from the taints by nonclinging.
Evametaṃ yathābhūtaṃ sammappaññāya passato pubbantānudiṭṭhiyo na honti. Pubbantānudiṭṭhīnaṃ asati, aparantānudiṭṭhiyo na honti. Aparantānudiṭṭhīnaṃ asati, thāmaso parāmāso na hoti. Thāmase parāmāse asati rūpasmiṃ … vedanāya … saññāya … saṅkhāresu … viññāṇasmiṃ cittaṃ virajjati vimuccati anupādāya āsavehi.
SN 22.55
“He does not understand as it has come to be selfless form as ‘selfless form’ … selfless feeling as ‘selfless feeling’ … selfless perception …
Anattaṃ rūpaṃ ‘anattā rūpan’ti yathābhūtaṃ nappajānāti, anattaṃ vedanaṃ ‘anattā vedanā’ti yathābhūtaṃ nappajānāti, anattaṃ saññaṃ…
Note:
Also
- He does not understand as it has come to be > impermanent.
- He does not understand as it has come to be > painful.
- He does not understand as it has come to be > conditioned (saṅkhata).
- He does not understand as it has come to be > to be eliminated (vibhavissatīti).
Note 2: In SN 22.85,there is an additionnal
- He does not understand as it has come to be > murderous (vadhaka).
SN 22.59
Bhikkhus, form (feeling, etc…) is nonself. For if, bhikkhus, form were self, this form would not lead to affliction, and it would be possible to have it of form: ‘Let my form be thus; let my form not be thus.’ But because form is nonself, form leads to affliction, and it is not possible
Rūpaṃ, bhikkhave, anattā. Rūpañca hidaṃ, bhikkhave, attā abhavissa, nayidaṃ rūpaṃ ābādhāya saṃvatteyya, labbhetha ca rūpe: ‘evaṃ me rūpaṃ hotu, evaṃ me rūpaṃ mā ahosī’ti.
SN 22.68
Bhikkhu, you should abandon desire for whatever is nonself.”
“Yo kho, bhikkhu, anattā; tatra te chando pahātabbo”ti.
Note: Because form, (etc…) are impermanent.
SN 22.69
“Bhikkhu, you should abandon desire for whatever does not belong to self.
Yaṃ kho, bhikkhu, anattaniyaṃ; tatra te chando pahātabbo”ti.
SN 22.82
Now on that occasion the following reflection arose in the mind of a certain bhikkhu: “So it seems that form is nonself, feeling is nonself, perception is nonself, volitional formations are nonself, consciousness is nonself. What self, then, will deeds done by what is nonself affect?”
Tena kho pana samayena aññatarassa bhikkhuno evaṃ cetaso parivitakko udapādi: “iti kira bho rūpaṃ anattā, vedanā … saññā … saṅkhārā … viññāṇaṃanattā; anattakatāni kammāni kathamattānaṃ phusissantī”ti. Atha kho bhagavā tassa bhikkhuno cetasā ceto parivitakkamaññāya bhikkhū āmantesi:
“What do you think, bhikkhu, is form permanent or impermanent?”—“Impermanent, venerable sir.”…
—“Is feeling permanent or impermanent?… Is perception permanent or impermanent? … Are volitional formations permanent or impermanent?… Is consciousness permanent or impermanent?”—“Impermanent, venerable sir.”—“Is what is impermanent suffering or happiness?”—“Suffering, venerable sir.”—“Is what is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change fit to be regarded thus: ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self’?”—“No, venerable sir.”
Taṃ kiṃ maññatha, bhikkhave, rūpaṃ niccaṃ vā aniccaṃ vā”ti? “Aniccaṃ, bhante”. “Vedanā …
saññā … saṅkhārā … viññāṇaṃ 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”
“Therefore … Seeing thus … He understands: ‘… there is no more for this state of being.’”
Tasmātiha … pe … evaṃ passaṃ … pe … nāparaṃ itthattāyāti pajānātī”ti.
SN 22.122
Friend Koṭṭhita, a virtuous bhikkhu should carefully attend to the five aggregates subject to clinging as impermanent, as suffering, as a disease, as a tumour, as a dart, as misery, as an affliction, as alien, as disintegrating, as empty, as nonself.
Sīlavatāvuso, koṭṭhika, bhikkhunā pañcupādānakkhandhā aniccato dukkhato rogato gaṇḍato sallato aghato ābādhato parato palokato suññato anattato yoniso manasi kātabbā.
SN 35.3
Bhikkhus, the eye (nose, etc. - ajjhatikāni āyatanāni) is nonself. What is nonself should be seen as it really is with correct wisdom thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
Cakkhuṃ, bhikkhave, aniccaṃ. Yadaniccaṃ taṃ dukkhaṃ; yaṃ dukkhaṃ tadanattā. Yadanattā taṃ ‘netaṃ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti evametaṃ yathābhūtaṃ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṃ.
SN 35.1 >> the eye is impermanent.
SN 35.2 >> the eye is suffering…
SN 35.9
Bhikkhus, the eye is nonself, both of the past and the future, not to speak of the present. Seeing thus … … The mind is nonself … for its fading away and cessation.”
Cakkhuṃ, bhikkhave, anattā atītānāgataṃ; ko pana vādo paccuppannassa. Evaṃ passaṃ, … manassa nibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya paṭipanno hotī’ti.
SN 35.167
Bhikkhu, when one knows and sees the eye as impermanent, the view of self is abandoned.”
When one knows and sees forms as impermanent … eye-consciousness as impermanent … eye-contact as impermanent … whatever feeling arises with mind-contact as condition … as impermanent, wrong view is abandoned. It is when one knows and sees thus that the view of self is abandoned.”
Cakkhuṃ kho, bhikkhu, anattato jānato passato attānudiṭṭhi pahīyati. Rūpe anattato jānato passato attānudiṭṭhi pahīyati. Cakkhuviññāṇaṃ anattato jānato passato attānudiṭṭhi pahīyati. Cakkhusamphassaṃ anattato jānato passato attānudiṭṭhi pahīyati. Yampidaṃ cakkhusamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṃ sukhaṃ vā dukkhaṃ vā adukkhamasukhaṃ vā tampi anattato jānato passato attānudiṭṭhi pahīyati … pe … jivhaṃ anattato jānato passato attānudiṭṭhi pahīyati … pe … manaṃ anattato jānato passato attānudiṭṭhi pahīyati. Dhamme … manoviññāṇaṃ … manosamphassaṃ … yampidaṃ manosamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṃ sukhaṃ vā dukkhaṃ vā adukkhamasukhaṃ vā tampi anattato jānato passato attānudiṭṭhi pahīyatī”ti.
SN 44.10
If, Ānanda, when I was asked by the wanderer Vacchagotta, ‘Is there a self?’ I had answered, ‘There is a self,’ would this have been consistent on my part with the arising of the knowledge that ‘all phenomena are nonself’?
Ahañcānanda, vacchagottassa paribbājakassa ‘atthattā’ti puṭṭho samāno ‘atthattā’ti byākareyyaṃ, api nu me taṃ, ānanda, anulomaṃ abhavissa ñāṇassa uppādāya: ‘sabbe dhammā anattā’ti?
And if, when I was asked by him, ‘Is there no self?’ I had answered, ‘There is no self,’ the wanderer Vacchagotta, already confused, would have fallen into even greater confusion, thinking, ‘It seems that the self I formerly had does not exist now.
Ahañcānanda, vacchagottassa paribbājakassa ‘natthattā’ti puṭṭho samāno ‘natthattā’ti byākareyyaṃ, sammūḷhassa, ānanda, vacchagottassa paribbājakassa bhiyyo sammohāya abhavissa: ‘ahuvā me nūna pubbe attā, so etarahi natthī’ti.
SN 55.3
Venerable sir, as to these six things that partake of true knowledge that have been taught by the Blessed One, these things exist in me, and I live in conformity with those things. For, venerable sir, I dwell contemplating impermanence in all formations, perceiving suffering in what is impermanent, perceiving nonself in what is suffering, perceiving abandonment, perceiving fading away, perceiving cessation.
Yeme, bhante, bhagavatā cha vijjābhāgiyā dhammā desitā, saṃvijjante dhammā mayi, ahañca tesu dhammesu sandissāmi. Ahañhi, bhante, sabbasaṅkhāresu aniccānupassī viharāmi, anicce dukkhasaññī, dukkhe anattasaññī pahānasaññī virāgasaññī nirodhasaññī.