Lesson 6: THE THREE CHARACTERISTICS OF EXISTENCE

When we try to acquire 'Right Understanding' (samma ditthi), what we are trying to become aware of is the Three Characteristics of Existence / The Three Marks of Being / The Three Signs of Being.
These three basic facts of all existence are:
Anicca - Impermanence (or Change)
Dukkha - Suffering (or Unsatisfactoriness)
Anatta - Not-self (or Insubstantiality)
To begin with we can try to understand this on an intellectual level, through reading or being taught second-hand. However, the best form of wisdom comes from a direct experience. One of the Buddha's Nuns became enlightened and discovered by her own personal investigation, "The world is nothing but vibration and combustion."
In the practice of meditation we are using our body and our mind as a laboratory. We are observing what is going on from moment to moment in the body or in the mind. With development of this practice we can begin to get direct experience of change.
Impermanence (anicca) is the easiest characteristic to experience directly, so that is where the practice focusses - in becoming aware of impermanence.
That leads on to Dukkha; the Buddha said "Whatever is impermanent is also Dukkha" because if something is impermanent, it must be, in an ultimate sense unsatisfactory - it cannot give us lasting happiness.
Impermanence also helps us to get insight into the third of these characteristic - anatta. Unlike the concept of 'a soul' 'the Atman' that many religions teach, where a soul continues on after death. But the Buddha says no. No soul. No Atman (Anatta); just the Five Aggregates....
This dhamma class was recorded with Richard Jones at the London Buddhist Vihara. 2016

[@khamano]

*verse 354 from the **_Dhammapada_*
A gift of Dhamma conquers all gifts;
the taste of Dhamma, all tastes;
a delight in Dhamma, all delights;
the ending of craving, all suffering & stress.
🙏🙏🙏

[@katatammochannel8699]

Sathu​ anumotami.. 🙏

[@UsSpiritual]

There seems to be some contradiction, Sir. In the earlier videos, you described different realms of existence. Who then takes foam in those realms, once we die depending on the parameters mentioned earlier in the four-fold of kamma. E,g, - In one of your lectures, you mentioned Buddha gave Abhidhamma teaching to her mother in higher realms. Kindly clarify, what did Buddha mean when he said Atman.

[@aceoffools86]

It is supposed there will be corruption in dhamma in this time. I think its is a job for honest seeker to find true answer inside. Especially atman is very deep mystery i would say and i doubt that there is someone in this world now who is able to properly explain it. I think only chance to get this answer is to reach enlightenment.