Anattas

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The concept in Buddhism denying any permanent, unchanging self or soul; the principle that no individual identity exists independently; a teaching emphasizing impermanence of all entities
2. A foundational Buddhist doctrine rejecting the existence of an everlasting self; the idea that personal identity is an illusion created by transient phenomena; a viewpoint stressing non-self in spiritual thought
3. The philosophical notion in Buddhist thought that no enduring ego or essence persists; the understanding that beings are composed of constantly changing elements; a belief underlining the absence of a fixed self across existence

Etymology: "Anattas" is simply the plural of "anatta", so its history is that of the singular form. "Anatta" comes from Pali "anattan", which derives from Sanskrit "anātman", meaning "no soul". The Sanskrit term is built from "an-", a negating prefix meaning "non-" or "un-", joined to "ātman", "soul" or "self". The word therefore names a doctrine by negation: it defines the central Buddhist claim that there is no permanent self by stating what is absent, rather than by describing what is present. The Pali form, used in the early Buddhist scriptures, carries the same sense of a self that is not found.

Synonyms: non-self, no-soul, anatman, egolessness, selflessness

Antonyms: atta, self, soul, ego, selfhood