The Three Characteristics of Existence
The Three Characteristics, or Three Marks of Existence, are aspects of everything we experience. Although this is a core teaching of the Buddha, it’s often lost in more secular mindfulness practices. I believe it’s one of the most foundational teachings, and one that can ultimately lead us to freedom from attachment and suffering.
These Three Characteristics are incorporated into the Discourse on Establishing Mindfulness (Satipatthana Sutta) and the Discourse on Establishing Mindfulness of Breathing (Anapanasati Sutta). The Buddha also covered these in his second sermon, the Anicca Sutta, and the Dhammapada. They’re mentioned quite frequently, and worth investigating.
I’ll offer an introductino to the Three Characteristics below, followed by how they work, why they matter, and how we can begin to truly know them. We’ll wrap with a few common misunderstandings about them.
The Three Characteristics
The Three Characteristics are three qualities that all things and experiences share. When we speak of delusion in Buddhism (one of the Three Unwholesome Roots, the chief causes of suffering), we are specifically speaking of not seeing the Three Characteristics clearly. The Buddha identified this as one of the major causes for suffering. As such, we are called to truly understand and know these Three Marks in order to relieve suffering.
Impermanence (Anicca)
Anicca, or impermanence, is perhaps the simplest of the three. The idea is quite simple: everything is in a state of flux. Nothing stays the same forever. Even things that seem permanent (an emotion that won’t go away, chronic pain, solid rocks or mountains) are actually changing. Some things change more quickly than others, but everything does change.
In meditation, we are called to see this quality clearly. We can see the arising and passing of thoughts, emotions, feeling tones, sensations, etc. As with all of the Three Characteristics, we can’t think our way into an understanding of impermanence. We have to actually know it through experience.
Unsatisfactoriness (Dukkha)
The second Characteristic is dukkha, which is most often translated as suffering. That’s not what the Buddha said here. In fact, I think dukkha can be better translated as dis-ease or unsatisfactoriness. I cover the term dukkha more and what it means in my post Life is Suffering? Understanding the First Noble Truth.
The teaching here is that nothing leads to a lasting satisfaction. Not only do we create dukkha by clinging to things and craving, there’s also the point that everything is impermanent. As such, we can’t ever find lasting satisfaction in anything. No mental state, thought, item, or experience is free from dukkha. Nibbana (or nirvana in Sanksrit) is unconditioned, beyond impermanence, and therefore the only lasting satisfaction.
Below is an old episode of our podcast, recorded at the One Mind Dharma center in California in which we talk about the First Noble Truth, which is the Truth of Dukkha. It offers more thoughts and insights about this quality.
Non-Self (Anatta)
The final one, anatta, is often the one people have difficulty with. This teaching isn’t that you don’t exist. It’s that everything is impermanent, made up of interconnected parts, and constructed by the mind. Let’s take the example of your desk. Yes, it is what we would call a desk. But it’s really only temporarily a combination of wood, metal screws, perhaps some glue, some metal handles, etc. And in another 500 years, it will likely cease to be anything resembling a desk.
Humans are the same. Who are you? What are you? Are you your thoughts? Or your emotions? Are you the body? Maybe you are the awareness or consciousness? Really “we” are the combination of these things. The conventional truth is that I, Matthew, am writing this post, and you are reading it. The ultimate truth is that both of us are just an amalgamation of so many different things.
Of course impermanence ties in here as well. Other than a few clusters in the brain, heart, and eyes, the cells in your body are literally not the same cells as when you were a child. The neural connections have changed. Thoughts change, emotions change, and bodily experiences change. We hold onto a permenent “self” that is really just illusory.
Connecting the Three Characteristics
As you may have already noticed, these Three Characteristics are clearly connected. Impermanence is often offered as the gateway into insight. It’s perhaps the most easily known for many people, and informs the others. As we grow to understand impermanence, insight into dukkha and anatta comes more naturally. Seeing and knowing impermanence can lead to a natural releasing of attachment, paving the way for a deeper understanding of the other two.
And of course they are all interconnected. As we grow to see the non-self nature of what we call “us,” we will inevitably see the dukkha and impermanence. When we begin to notice and recognize one of these Three Characteristics experientially in meditation, the ball often starts rolling on the other two.
Why the Three Marks are So Important
So, why is this teaching so important? It’s mentioned in multiple suttas in prominent spots. This is because it is the way in which we actually cultivate wisdom and understanding. In fact, the Buddha pointed to this on multiple occasions (mentioned earlier in the intro). The point of insight and mindfulness practice in Buddhism is ultimately to see the Three Characteristics!
The Buddha taught in the Anattalakkhana Sutta that as we see the Three Marks, we become disenchanted, and disenchantment leads to dispassion (the fading away of craving), and dispassion leads to liberation. Similarly, the repeated refrain in the Satipatthana Sutta encourages insight into both non-self and impermanence. Knowing these Three Characteristics is the purpose of mindfulness-based practices as it leads to liberation.
Building Insight
It’s one thing to understand these points intellectually. But the instructions are to know them experientially. We are called to observe the Three Marks and see them in play. In my personal experience both as a meditator and teacher, the place to start is with impermanence. Here are a few tips for beginning to work with the Three Characteristics in your practice.
Recognize the Impermanent Aspect
First, we can practice recognizing the impermanent aspect of an experience. You might do this in or out of meditation with experiences like sounds, feeling tones, or even thoughts. You don’t have to clear your mind to meditate. In fact, you can build insight into impermanence by watchign thoughts.
Rather than getting sucked into experiences, see if you can tune into the impermanent nature of it. Can you notice the arising of a thought? Can you see the thought change, and eventually fade? With practice, we can touch the impermanent nature with awareness. As we do so repeatedly, it becomes easier and easier to know.
Leave the Magnifying Glass
At the same time, our job isn’t to overanalyze every experience or go looking for impermanence constantly. When we do so, our attitude is imbued with craving. Sayadaw U Tejaniya would call this “wrong attitude” for practice. We should just seek to observe what is arising and what comes into our awareness. With continuity, the impermanent nature of experience will arise into your awareness.
Be mindful of when you are actively seeking understanding. This is often a form of craving, one of the Three Poisons. This can come up in the form of forcing, tension, or overanalyzing. Just pay attention. Recognize your moment-to-moment experience naturally and with ease, and you will see the arising and passing naturally.
Don’t Interfere, Just Observe
Finally, don’t interfere with your experience. We are called to practice with equanimity. Observe. Let the mind and experience do it’s natural thing. We don’t need to manufacture impermanence; it is happening naturally. In mindfulness practice, our task is to observe how the mind and experience behaves naturally. If we are constantly intervening, we don’t get to see the natural state of things.
Common Misunderstandings
These are a few common misunderstandings I have heard over the years talking to students, teaching groups, and in mindfulness coaching sessions. I believe these common misunderstandings can help us better understand the Three Characteristics.
Impermanence Means Nothing Matters
Some people grow negatively nihilistic when it comes to impermanence. If nothing lasts or matters, why should we care about anything? Perhaps we can take a more positively nihilistic stance. If nothing matters, why not focus on joy, kindness and presence?
Impermanence doesn’t mean nothing matters anyway. It means that nothing is permanent! It’s that simple. What we do with that information and knowing is up to us. Turning toward practice and understanding the other Characteristics is the work. Again, we meet experience with equanimity. We recognize impermanence, but don’t react with aversion or craving.
Life is Suffering
As mentioned, the First Noble Truth and the Characteristic of dukkha can sometimes be misunderstood as everything is suffering. Suffering is a poor translation to begin with in my understanding. Also, we don’t need to be so black and white with this thinking. Do you not have moments of joy, ease, love, and safety?
The teaching here is not that all of life is unsatisfactory. We have moments of satisfaction. The teaching is that nothing leads to ultimate, lasting satisfaction. We cannot find that anywhere but liberation. We can enjoy time with our loved ones, while recognizing it will not bring satisfaction forever. Eventually we will be separated one way or the other.
Not-Self Means I Don’t Exist
This is another common misunderstanding that I see quite frequently. I have literally had people comment on YouTube videos things like, “You should stop using the word ‘I’ in your talks as it is feeding the delusion of a self.” Well, by that same logic the word “you” shouldn’t be used in your critique!
It’s important to understand the difference between ultimate and conventional truth. Conventionally, we call this person Matthew. Ultimately, yes, it is a combination of various factors in a state of flux. Non-self isn’t a teaching that says you or I don’t exist; it’s saying it ultimately is a delusion of attachment to the Five Aggregates. You clearly exist.
Understanding These Concepts Leads to Insight
Finally, some people end up feeling as if they understand these teachings and have insight just by reading them and contemplating. The Three Characteristics are offered in the context of meditation, mindfulness, and truly knowing with experience. We can certainly benefit from listening to dharma talks, sitting with a meditation group, or reading about the Three Characteristics.
But in order to really incorporate these insights into our being, we must know them. We must touch them with our awareness and observe them. In this way, we grow to know them not just intellectually, but foundationally.
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Matthew Sockolov is a Buddhist meditation teacher who trained at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California. Completing the Dharma Leader training program in 2017, Matthew was given power to teach in the Insight Meditation tradition by Jack Kornfield, Kittisaro, Thanissara, and others. You can learn more about Matthew here.