Ti-lakkhaṇa

Ti-lakkhaṇa (Skt. Trilakṣaṇa) three characteristics of Buddhist thought. The characteristics

(tilakkhaṇa) of existence or existing things of the phenomenal world are anicca

(impermanence), dukkha (suffering or misery), and anattā (soullessness or insubstantiality or

unreality). It is said by Buddha in the Aṅguttara Nikāya (I.p. 286): Whether Perfect ones

(Tathāgata) appear in the world, or whether perfect ones do not appear in the world, it still

remains firm condition, an immutable fact and fixed law (ṭhitā va sā dhātu dhammaṭṭhitatā

dhamma-niyāmatā) that all karmic formations are impermanent (sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā), that

all karmic formations are subject to suffering (sabbe saṅkhārā dukkhā), that all worldly

phenomena i.e., five aggregates (pañca-khandhā) what constitute living body are without soul

(sabbe dhammā anattā).

According to the Dhammapada (vs. 277-279); when one realises the impermanence, misery

and unreality of all created things (saṅkhārā), this is the way to purity (visuddhi).

Anicca (Skt. Anitya/ Impermanent)- According to the Theravāda Buddhist doctrine anicca is

the first of the three characteristics (Ti-lakkhaṇa) or the general characteristics (sāmañña-

lakkhaṇa). Anicca is derived from the negative prefix ‘a’ plus nicca, (Skt. Nitya from prefix

‘ni’ meaning onward, downward). The Visuddhimagga-aṭṭhakathā (p.285) explains, “because

it denies everlastingness it is not permanent, thus it is impermanent” (na niccan ti aniccaṃ).

Main definitions of anicca given in the canonical texts are as follows:

“Impermanent, impermanent” it is said by the Lord (Bhagavā), What is impermanent?

Corporeality (Rūpa) is impermanent, Rādha, and so are feeling (Vedanā) and perception

(Saññā) and formations (Saṅkhāra) and Consciousness (Viññāṇa; Saṃyutta Nikāya, III, 195).

According to the Buddha, the five aggregates (Pañca-khandha) are impermanent in the sense

of rise and fall (udaya-vaya). Again, “all is impermanent” (sabbaṃ aniccaṃ).

Now question arrives that what is that all is impermanent? –

The eye is impermanent (cakkhuṃ aniccaṃ), visible object is impermanent (rūpa anicca),

eye consciousness is impermanent (cakkhu-viññāṇa anicca), eye contact impermanent

(cakkhusamphasso anicco), whatever is felt (vedayita) as pleasant or unpleasant, or neither

pleasant nor unpleasant born of eye contact is impermanent (cakkhusamphassopaccayā

uppajjam vedayitaṃ sukhaṃ vā dukkhaṃ vā adukkhamasukhaṃ tam pi aniccaṃ). Likewise

the ear (sota), sound (sadda), nose (ghāna), smell (gandha), tongue (jihvā), taste (rasa), body

(kāya), contact or touch (phassa) and mind (mana) and thought (dhamma) are impermanent

(Saṃyutta N. IV. P.28) or quiet briefly “All formations are impermanent (sabbe saṅkhārā

aniccā; Majjhima N. I. p.230, Dhammapada 277) and whatever is inseparable from the idea

of origination is inseparable from the idea of cessation (yaṃkiñci samudayadhamaṃ sabbaṃ

taṃ nirodhadhammaṃ, Vinaya P. I, p.II), (Majjhima N. I. p.380).

Impermanence (anicca) is a basic feature of all conditioned phenomena, be they material or

mental, coarse or subtle, one’s own or external: All formations are impermanent. The

Papañcasūdānī (I. p.37), commentary on the Majjhima Nikāya further adds “Materiality, etc.

are impermanent in the sense of exhaustion”.

That the totality of existence is impermanent, is also often stated in terms of aggregates

(Khandha). The twelve internal and external sense bases (āyatana) etc. Only Nibbāna which is

unconditioned and not a formation (asaṅkhata) is permanent (nicca, dhuva).

Impermanence (anicca) is one of the three characteristics of existence. Because everything is

subject to the law of cause and effect, therefore, impermanancy of things is the rising, passing

and changing of things or the disappearance of things that have become or arisen. The meaning

is that these things of the world never persist in the same way, but they are vanishing or

dissolving from moment to moment (Kṣanikattavāda).

A man who performs an action at one moment does not remain the same at the next moment.

Buddha throughout his life repeatedly reminded his disciples that all things are impermanent

and subject to origin and decay.

“Bhikkhus, when a man sees as impermanent the eye (and the rest), which is impermanent,

then he has a right view” (Aṅguttara N. II. 142).

Bhikkhus, formations are impermanent, they are not lasting, they provide no real comfort; so

much so that is enough for a man to become dispassionate, for his lust to fade out, and for him

to be liberated (Aṅguttara N. IV, p. 100).

What is perception of impermanence? Buddha answered to Ānanda that when a bhikkhu went

to the forest or to the root of a tree or to a room that is void, considers thus: Materiality is

impermanent, feeling……perception, formations…..consciousness is impermanent. He abides

by contemplating in this way impermanence in the five categories affected by clinging

(Aṅguttara N. V. 109).

And “what is the perception of impermanence in the world of all? – when a bhikkhu is

humiliated, ashamed, and disgusted with respect to all formations. “Perception of

impermanence should be maintained in being for the elimination of the conceit ‘I am’ since the

perception of not-self becomes established in one who perceives impermanence, and it is

perception of not-self that arrives at the elimination of the conceit ‘I am’, which is nibbāna here

and now.

Now to maintain the perception of impermanence in being and developed so that all lust for

sensual desires (kāma), for materiality (rūpa), and for being (bhava) and also all ignorance are

ended and so that all kinds of conceit.

Here feelings, perception, thoughts (vitakka), materiality, and origin all are known to him as

they appear present, known as they disappear. Maintenance of this kind of concentration

conduces to mindfulness and full awareness.

When a man abides thus mindful and fully aware, diligent, ardent and self-controlled, then if a

pleasant feeling arises in him, he therefore able to understand that pleasant feeling arising is

dependent on the body which is impermanent, formed, and dependently originated. Now the

person is able to understand clearly that everything is impermanent; cessation and fall are

treated in a paralleled manner, and this treatment is applied to the four remaining categories

but substituting contact for nutrient in the cases of feeling, perception and formations and

mentality-materiality (nāma-rūpa) for nutrient in the case of consciousness.

The Visuddhimagga makes the contemplation of rise and fall (udayabbayānupassanā) the basis

for the development of all three characteristics, and not only of impermanence that will be

reviewed under Tilakkhaṇa.

Aniccānupassanā (Skt. Anityānupaśyanā)

Contemplation of impermanence. It is one of the seven kinds of contemplations adopted by a

Buddhist as a mental culture and practice in order to achieve the insight of truth (Vipassanā).

Aniccasaññā (Skt. Anitya-saṃjñā)

Perception of Impermanence. It is defined in the Girimānanda sutta of Aṅguttara Nikāya (V,

p.109) as meditation on the impermanance of the five groups of existence (Pañcakkhandha). It

is further said, “Though with a faithful heart one takes refuge in the Buddha, his teaching

(dhamma) and community of monks (saṅgha) or with a faithful heart observes rules of morality,

or develops a mind full of loving kindness, by far more meritorious it is if one cultivates the

perception impermanence, and be it only for a moment”.

Now the second of the three characteristics (Ti-lakkhaṇa) or the general characteristic

(sāmañña-lakkhaṇa) is Dukkha. Buddha mentioned the Four Noble Truths (Cattāri Ariya

Saccāni) as (1) Life in the world is full of suffering (Dukkha). (2) There is a cause of suffering

(Dukkha Samudaya). (3) It is possible to stop suffering (Dukkha Nirodha/ Cessation of

Suffering). (4) There is a path that leads to the cessation of suffering (Dukkha Nirodha Gāminī

Paṭipadā/ A way leading to the cessation of Suffering).

Dukkha-Ariyasacca (Skt. Duḥkha-āryasatya/ Suffering)- This is the first Āryam truth of

suffering or conflict, that is to say, a universal fact but not the absolute truth that all component

objects are full of suffering (sabbe saṅkhārā dukkhā), it is a conditional truth that everything

is sorrowful, it things are component, they cannot form a harmonious whole. All component

things are by nature disharmonious. It is thus lack of harmony which is the essence of Dukkha,

conflict.

There is Suffering (Dukkha). Life is full of misery and pain as birth is painful, old age is painful,

sickness is painful, death is painful, contact with unpleasant thing is painful, separation from

pleasant things is painful and not getting what one wishes is also painful; therefore five

skandhas of grasping are painful.

The traditional statement of suffering (Dukkha) is found in the Dhammacakkapavattana sutta

first and also others of the Nikāyas. The logic as propounded by the Buddha reveals that the

association with uncongenial and undesired objects or state of things, separation with things,

desired objects or state of things and disappointment from not obtaining the desired object is

suffering. Thus in every state of human life which is full of problems, there exists suffering

(Dukkha) in the form of disharmony or insufficiency. Every person is living in the world of

problems and sufferings, the problems of an individual, the problems of each family, or of

community or of country or nation. Problems of food, clothing and shelter, problems of social

life and surroundings are confronting us continuously and at every moment many new

problems are cropping us before us in some form or other as we see ourselves.

Again, dissatisfaction of human mind makes these problems all over more acute, complex and

longstanding. This dissatisfaction and discontent further bring forth distrust and friction not

only among the individuals but also among the communities and nations. Therefore, there is a
constant struggle amongst different nations of the world. Sad doubts and distrust have grown

in the pessimistic people of the world. Constant arms race has been going on among the nations.

The distrust and misunderstanding, hatred, malice and enmity in the mind of the people are the

resultant of the frustration due to dissatisfaction. According to Buddhism, life is full of

sufferings. Through sense faculties man is attracted to sense objects. But the pleasures derived

from sensual gratifications and enjoyments are not lasting but bring forth suffering (dukkha).

Conflict or suffering (dukkha) may assume different forms. It may be sorrow (śoka) which is

suffering resulting from loss (vyāsanā) of relations (ñāti), wealth (bhoga), health (aroga),

virtue (śīla) or opinions (diṭṭhi), (Dīgha N. III. P. 235; Aṅguttara N. III. P. 147; Vinaya Piṭaka

IV p. 277). Here the conflict (dukkha) arises from the untoward circumstances arising in life’s

associations. Pain (dukkha) is physical discomfort (kāyika asāta) in which the conflict is due

to feelings repugnant to the senses. Grief (domanassa) is mental suffering (cetasika asāta), a

conflict arising from regret at failure. Despair (upāyāsa) is a mental reflection on external

circumstances which have gone beyond control. It is the absence of hope. Disharmony is also

conflict, whether it is the dwindling of vitality (āyuno saṃhāni) which is called old age and

decay (jarā) or complete dissolution of the aggregates of the composition (khandhānaṃ bheda)

which is called death (maraṇa). In the Dīgha Nikāya (II p.305) it is said “To be associated with

things one dislikes, to be separated from things one likes, not to get what one wishes that also

is conflict.”

All this, however, is suffering (dukkha) and disharmony in life, life is complex and any

complex is a conflict (dukkha). Thus the Buddha’s first Noble Truth is not a mere statement

about disharmony in life, it cultivates in his statement that life itself is disharmonious “the five

aggregates of clinging, i.e. the entire psycho-physical combination of an individual life, are

suffering” (pañcūpādānakkhandha dukkha).

The very fact of striving, proves the existence of a conflict even in happiness. That is why

happiness never satisfies. One always wants more, both in depth and duration, in space and in

time. But in the midst of enjoyment and bliss there creeps in the fear of final frustration and

impermanence. That is life, the complex life, which bears in itself the seed of conflict. The

struggle for life is also the essence of life. And that indeed is called conflict (idaṃ vuccati

dukkhaṃ).

Dukkha Samudaya (Cause of Suffering)- Everything has a cause (Dukkha Samudaya). Nothing

comes out of nothing. Craving which leads to rebirth, combined with pleasure and lust, finding

pleasure here and there, namely the craving for passion, the craving for existence, the craving

for non-existence.

Everything in this world is conditional, relative, limited. ‘This being, that arises’, ‘the cause

being present, the effect arises’, is the causal law of Dependent Origination.

Dukkha Nirodha (Cessation of Suffering) - The third Noble Truth is the cessation of Suffering

(Dukkha Nirodha). Because everything arises depending on some causes and conditions,

therefore if these causes and conditions are removed the effect must also cease.

The cause being removed, the effect ceases to exist. Everything being conditional and relative

is necessarily momentary and momentary things are for must perish.

That which is born must die. Production implies destruction.

Dukkha Nirodha Gāminī Paṭipadā (Away leading to the cessation of Suffering) - The fourth Noble Truth is

way leading to this cessation of suffering (Dukkha Nirodha Gāminī Paṭipadā). There is an

ethical and spiritual path by following which misery may be removed and liberation attained.

This is the Noble Eight-fold Path (Ariya Aṭṭhāṇgika Magga).