The sutta questions the notion of “true self”, by reviewing each of the five kkhandas (aggregates) and pointing out how little control one has over this so-called true self, eventually concluding there is no such thing.

Listened to the episode from Simple Sutta [part1, part2, part3]. Those are notes on “The Characteristic of Nonself”, [SN 22.59]

How to translate anatta? not self, non-self, non-ego, soulless, not soul?

“Form (rupa) is nonself”

• form can be diformed by heat, pain, etc
• form is related to the four elements (solids, liquids, gazes, energy)
• rupa = “stuff”

Which form are we talking about here? There’s no question you might confuse external objects with your “true self”. The problem is with the body, internal form.
External objects (coffee cup) is made of the same elements as the body, and there is porosity between the two (dring, eat external bodies and it becomes your body).

The argument of the sutta, “you cannot control form”, is fuzzy.

• The point: If you consider your body as your “true self” you are going to suffer.
• Objection: “I don’t have total control over my body, but I have some control” – yes, but you are not the king of that kingdom. Especially if we talk about aging, illness, death.

“Vedana is nonself”

• vedana = feeling, can be positive or negative, feeling tone, “hedonic tone”
• vedana comes through the six bases (of contact, phassa, see paticcasamuppada)

Advertising could say “what you love is your true you”.

What are the consequences of considering vedana as your true self?

• when feeling changes, where have you gone?
• if feelings completely disappears, would there be any thing that would claim “I am”?
• can I really chose to reset my vedana?

“Perception (sanna) is nonself”

• sanna is perception, sense consciousness perception (related to papanca)

Considering perception as self: “I am the one that perceives” -> the perceiver is not the self. Relation with MN 1?

“Sankhara is nonself”

• see notes on sankhara, definition is complex

Considering sankhara as self: “I am the one who decides my action”.

• intentions change, where do I go away?
• if I was a bad person in the past, how can I be good now?
• intentions never go away

Look at a music partition, there are a million choices there. Composing is hard because if you want to justify all your choices you loop endlessly. You have to let go being the one making all the choices.

I decide, but am I my decisions?

“Vinna is nonself”

• vinna rendered as consciousness
• need contact via six bases (of contact, phassa, see paticcasamuppada)

On all the previous kkhandas, we more or less looked at the next one to discard it as nonself. Vinna is the last one… how to nonself it?

The way to perceive anatta in vinna seems to be through practice, like through the jhanas.