The Ananththa Lakkana Sutta: More striking today for freedom seekers

By Vipula Wanigasekera
It was a few weeks following the Enlightenment, Lord Buddha gave his first discourse to the five ascetics whom he had been associated with for over six years. They were Kondañña, Baddiya, Vappa, Mahanama, and Assaji. The first discourse was all about the middle and the Eightfold Path that leads to Enlightenment where the Buddha went on to explain the Truths of life, namely, Dukka, Cause of Dukka, Annihilation of Dukka and the Path to Freedom.

Then came the core teaching of Buddhism, which is subtle but beyond the insight into the impermanence and Dukka of everything that was subject to conditioned origin. This was Buddha’s second discourse which centres around the five aggregates that make the perceived being viz material form, feelings, perceptions, mental formations and consciousness. The Ananththa Lakkana Sutta is also called no-self characteristic of existence.
In other words, there is no self that exists within us except for form which is temporary. This is said to be deeper than the law of impermanence (Anichcha) and Unsatisfactoriness (Dukka) in understanding and realisation. For others, the message of Anaththa Lakkana is simple. Many of those who have come across Buddhism from the West seem to have been able to see the Ananththa Lakkana in early days of their practice hence the theory that Ananththa Lakkana is deep cannot be comprehended.
Enlightenment
Realisation of the law of Impermanence would obviously make the realiser free from being subject to vicissitudes of life. Understanding Dukka also helps people to reduce desires when all material happiness turn to be a pain at some point of time as the coin turns. Therefore full realisation or enlightenment cannot occur unless one is able to see that there is no self thus detaching from it where the need to be reborn does not arise.
Ananththa or No-self would mean that there is no permanent self or eternal entity in a being. The body changes every second and it decays. The mind is also a faculty which creates millions of thoughts and a process of thinking which is again not permanent by nature. It is only when a true being is found without the body and mind functions one could see the truth in existence which is simply called Nirvana.
Buddha was one of the greatest orators lived undoubtedly. He touched on the five aggregates to explain the aggregates to establish that none of these aggregates contribute to a formation of a permanent self.
As the Buddhist scriptures go, Lord Buddha had explained: “Monks, rupa or form is not-self. If it were self, then this rupa would not be subject to impermanence. One should then be able to say ‘Let my rupa be thus, let my rupa be not thus’. None can say this.”
Similarly he said: “Vedana (sensation) is not-self. If it is self, it will not be subject to change and so on.” The Buddha said sanna or perception is also not-self as it has arising and disappearing characteristics. If perception is to be self, one would be able to say, ‘Let my perception be thus, let my perception be not thus.’ The same was described for other two aggregates viz sankhara (kamma-activities) as well as vinnana (consciousness).
Commitment
All these may sound too complex and too complicated. That is the assumption of many Buddhists who tend to believe that reaching enlightenment or full realisation can occur in many lives to come after annihilation of all bad kammas, etc. This needs to be examined firstly as to how people such as Sopaka, Son of Anepindu and many others attained Magga pala after listening to Buddha for a short while. They did not have to go through years of Bikkuhood to attain this stage. All that was necessary was the commitment to understand the reality of what the Buddha was preaching.
Secondly, there is a need to view Ananththa Lakkana in today’s context. The conflicting world whether business or otherwise has arisen from the position of total rejection of Ananththa Lakkana knowingly or unknowingly. If every action taken with the mindfulness that self has no permanency, conflicting situations cannot possibly arise in today’s world.
Let us take the physical appearance and lifespan of body. Buddha asked the question during the Sutta,
“What do you think of this, O monks? Is form permanent or impermanent?” “Impermanent, O Lord.” Said the monks. “Now, that which is impermanent, is it unsatisfactory or satisfactory?” asked the Buddha. “Unsatisfactory, O Lord,” said the monks.
When Buddha asked “Now, that which is impermanent, unsatisfactory, subject to change, is it proper to regard that as: ‘This is mine, this I am, this is myself?’”
“Indeed, not that, O Lord,” was the answer of the monks.
The same questions went on for other four aggregates and the answer to all those from the monks was that there is nothing to be called myself or mine. This reality does not arise in people in today’s world who are indulged in seeking power, comforts and wealth. Unfortunately, society has grown with a collective versions revolving around gaining material benefits but everyone faces the truth finally while the society goes on and on.
Total freedom
Another reason for implied rejection of the Ananththa Lakkana is the notion that the truth is negative. People in the West who have come to Asia seeking more about Buddhism have found out the total reverse of this belief. In fact it is a bliss that one experiences with the realisation of Ananththa Lakkana in life of all beings with total freedom of the bondage of attachments and emotions.
They haven’t become monks or gone through tedious process of practice to know this before returning to their country to experience pain free life until the death of their physical bodies. They continue to live in society from whom the whole world benefits.
(The writer is a former
Sri Lankan Diplomat, currently attached to the Sri Lanka Tourism Authority. He can be reached via vwanigasekera@gmail.com.)