No Inner Core: An Introduction to the Doctrine of Anatta - BuddhaNet

nition of ego is “the self, particularly the individual’s
conception of himself.” 9 Personality is defined as “the
dynamic organization within the individual of those
psychophysical systems that determine his characteristic
behavior and thought.” 10 Another definition of
personality is “that which permits a prediction of what
a person will do in a given situation.” 11 These psychological
terms correspond to some of the terms used in
Buddhism to deal with the conventional life of sentient
beings. They have a useful purpose as labels, but in the
ultimate sense, these labels are, as we shall see, mere
designations which have only an illusory reality.
In Pàëi, we have the terms satta, puggala, jãva and
atta to describe the conventional psychology of beings.
Satta, according to Nyanatiloka, means “living being.” 12
Puggala means “individual, person, as well as the synonyms:
personality, individuality, being (satta), self
(atta).” 13 Jãva is “life, vital principle, individual soul.” 14
Some uses of atta also fall within the realm of psychology.
Atta can mean, according to Dr. Malalasekera,
“one’s self or one’s own, e.g. attahitàya pañipanno no parahitàya
(acting in one’s own interest, not in the interest
of others) or attanà ‘va akataÿ sàdhu (what is done by
one’s own self is good).” Atta can also mean “one’s own
person, the personality, including body and mind, e.g.
in attabhava (life), attapatilabha (birth in some form of
life).” 15
Pàëi has some terms which correspond to the
psychological notions of traits. For example, the concept
of nature or character is called carita. 16 Using
this term, we can speak of different types of persons.
12