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

ut one word, buddha, with the suffix -tta combined
with the ablative case termination, à, which means ‘because
of’. The word buddhattà therefore means ‘because of
the state of being one who knows’.
It would be better to say that one does not believe
in the anattà doctrine and that Buddha was wrong
about it than to try to say that Buddha taught a religion
with atta in it. It is not accurate to say that Buddha did
not deny atta. In fact, there are many places in the Pàëi
canon where atta is denied by Buddha. For example,
Buddha once said, “I do not see a soul theory which, if
accepted, does not lead to the arising of grief, lamentation,
suffering, distress, and tribulations.” Buddha also
said, “Since neither self nor anything pertaining to self
can truly be found, is not the speculative view that
the universe is atta wholly and completely foolish?” 48
Buddha teaches that belief in atta is a wrong view (ditthi
or miccha-ditthi) which will lead to misery. Wrong
views must be rejected because they are a source of
wrong and evil aspirations and conduct.
In Majjhima Nikàya 49a , Buddha describes the belief
in atta as an idea which leads to selfishness and pride:
“The Perfect One is free from any theory (diññhigata), for
the Perfect One has seen what corporeality is, and how
it arises and passes away. He has seen what feeling…
perception… mental formations… consciousness are,
and how they arise and pass away. Therefore I say that
the Perfect One has won complete deliverance through
the extinction, fading away, disappearance, rejection
and casting out of all imaginings and conjectures, of
all inclinations to the vainglory of ‘I’ and ‘mine’.” 49b
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