The 3 characteristics zandtao is talking about are what are known as the 3 characteristics of Buddhism - anatta, dukkha and anicca. These characteristics are rattled off along with the many numbers of Buddhism - 4 Noble Truths, 3 kilesa, 4 upadanas, 5 nivarana, Noble 8-Fold path, etc. There is no attempt here to belittle the importance of these “numbers” in their place, but is that importance always recognised?
For zandtao the 3 characteristics of Buddhism had not been recognised sufficiently until he had the problems with agitation that led to these various understandings concerning dukkha and suffering - Humility Agitation and Solitude, Khandhas-dukkha, Dukkha Giving, and Dukkha - Anxiety and Depression. When he started to expand his understanding of dukkha, he started to see dukkha more as a characteristic of consciousness. When vinnana (consciousness) enters the khandhas it attaches to form these characteristics - ego, suffering and clinging - descriptions of attachments to anatta, dukkha and anicca. For zandtao what was important about this khandha-entering recognition is that consciousness acts 24/7, and therefore ego, suffering and clinging can be occurring 24/7; it is ongoing conditioning.
If we are not mindful dukkha can always be causing suffering because it is an aspect of consciousness. Zandtao described dukkha as a spectrum (check sub-heading in this zeersight), and here “whenever consciousness (vinnana) is used with the khandhas it can leave an attachment. This attachment can be as little as a “residue” but it can accumulate”. Dukkha can leave as little as an ill-at-ease residue yet if we are not mindful dukkha attachments could accumulate to anxiety and depression. But as with attachment to the other characteristics that dump on us 24/7 we can learn, for our liberation we release these characteristics in all their forms - then there is just liberation - consciousness without ego, suffering or clinging.
With all the psychological issues that can arise from dukkha attaching, we might start to question why dukkha is a part of consciousness. But used with anicca dukkha is concerned with awareness. If we learn to become aware of how we experience the spectrum of dukkha, we can see warnings arising in our awareness such as anxiety. Be anxious, be aware and let go - no clinging. If we examine the attributes of the spectrum of dukkha we can see them all as warnings, ways of advising us, and we can see them all becoming suffering if we are not mindful of how we use another characteristic of consciousness, anicca - if we use it as clinging. So even though dukkha can become attached and lead to anxiety and depression when we live in the increasing distortions and dysfunctional mess of patriarchy, it is actually an important part of liberating consciousness if we can become aware and use it appropriately. Why is the characteristic called dukkha if dukkha is just suffering, the characteristic, dukkha, is a characteristic of consciousness that is an adviser, it warns you that the consequences are suffering if instead of acting with grace you allow yourself to become attached.
Anatta is the characteristic that zandtao has most often considered because we “intuitively think of ourselves”. So when the Buddha came along and says there is no-self, it’s a bit of a mind-blower. Buddhadasa taught zandtao about this. It was the first time he thought about khandhas, and Buddhadasa asked him to say what else there was except khandhas - nothing but consciousness with khandhas as vihara - vehicle. This changed his practice as to focus on the 5 Dhamma comrades (what he now calls graces) - mindfulness/sati, love/karuna, wisdom/panna, concentration/samadhi and embodiment/sampajanna, and using these graces to release attachments to ego, suffering and clinging.
This is the first time he has described anicca as clinging. Dogma said that nothing is permanent - anicca, and what makes stuff permanent - clinging, clinging to egos, clinging to dukkha. It has been part of his practice to release the 4 upadanas but previously he has not seen these as attachments arising from the characteristic of anicca.
So this short zeersight is the beginning of recognition about how important all the characteristics of Buddhism - consciousness - are 24/7. Paticcasamuppada is the law concerning anatta and anicca, but dukkha needs seeing as far more central to daily life - more than just a recognition that we could live in a dysfunctional mess of suffering.
Why would consciousness have dukkha if it only caused suffering? Why would consciousness have anatta if it only caused ego? Why is the characteristic called anicca - nothing permanent? Because if we listen to the warnings of dukkha and don’t attach - cling, if we do not cling to potential egos then consciousness is liberated. The characteristics are anatta, dukkha, and anicca - egos, suffering and clinging are the consequences if we do not pay attention to the characteristics, and the characteristics bring liberation.
Examining Pali derivation might give some understanding as to the 3 characteristics - anatta, dukkha and anicca. First of all zandtao has started calling them the 3 characteristics of consciousness whereas they are usually called characteristics of Buddhism. So a characteristic of Buddhism could be suffering but a characteristic of consciousness cannot be suffering. Zandtao calls them characteristics of consciousness because in so doing it gives him greater meaning but for that meaning there needs to be examination of the Pali.
The word anatta is going to guide me on this understanding. Anatta is an-atta, no-self, no ego. For anatta to describe consciousness we have some usage considerations. Firstly anatta gives clarity to reincarnation because it says there is no soul - atta - that reincarnates. Gary Zukav for example uses soul as consciousness - avoiding the Buddhist semantics. But this soul that Gary talks of is not a vehicle for reincarnation. For zandtao his path is now about consciously-evolving-consciousness, and it is this that makes “reincarnation” clear. If purpose is to consciously evolve consciousness, then on death that purpose ends; but consciousness has been evolved and therefore that is the continuation - no need for a self or a soul-vehicle.
Now let's look at anicca as a characteristic of consciousness- nothing permanent. This might be seen as an-icca if icca meant permanent but as far as zandtao knows that is not the case.
“Very briefly, the meanings are as follows. Icca means desire. If we believe that it is possible to fulfill that desire and be happy, that is the perception of nicca. The opposite of nicca is anicca.
Buddha taught us that our world is of anicca nature. That means we will never be content with “any existence in this world.” We may be able to fulfill some expectations in this life, but all that will have to be given up at death. Then we start all over in new birth.
We note that the word “icca” plays a key role in Pa?icca Samuppada. The word “Pa?icca” comes from “pa?i” + “icca.”
…. origins in “attaching to worldly pleasures with desire (icca).” See, “Pa?icca Samuppada – ‘pa?i+ichcha’ + ‘Sama+uppada’.” URL
This adds to his understanding of anicca - an-nicca - no (permanent) happiness if there is clinging to desire - 4 Noble Truths. This also makes it reasonable for zandtao to have used clinging as the “downside” of anicca above.
So this opens up consideration of the word dukkha in Buddhism and as part of consciousness. Zandtao started talking of dukkha as a spectrum of suffering but consciousness cannot be spectrum of suffering even when we understand that this spectrum of suffering contains advice or warnings. Following the Pali pattern there might well be an-dukkha as a characteristic of consciousness, and the dukkha as spectrum of suffering; as a characteristic of Buddhism, 3 marks of existence, this an-dukkha does not matter, dukkha can just be a term in Buddhism to be a mark of existence but it cannot be a description of consciousness. What zandtao is going to use is that dukkha is an aspect of consciousness - dukkha-consciousness (sometimes defined as cause of suffering), and that any form of attachment or clinging will be a part of the spectrum of suffering. From now on zandtao will use dukkha and dukkha-consciousness synonymously claiming that special meaning for the Pali word. If there were a need for clarification there would be dukkha as dukkha-consciousness and attachment to dukkha being the spectrum of suffering. The clarity this brings is that dukkha as consciousness is beneficial even though it might give rise to pain on the spectrum of suffering.
Words and semantics do not matter per se, but by examining the Pali in this way zandtao has gained greater understanding as to the meaning of these 3 characteristics of consciousness - 3 characteristics of Buddhism - 3 marks of existence.
Had a strange day yesterday trying to deal with dukkha after the heart and back issues. It kind of felt I got somewhere with it.
But then drifted into 3 characteristics - still not comfortable with dukkha-consciousness for a characteristic of consciousness. Began thinking of freedom - freedom for all from suffering is compassion, and compassion is clearly a characteristic of consciousness. Freedom from clinging is freedom from desire - anicca, and anatta is freedom from attachment. So 3 freedoms area anatta, dukkha and anicca as freedom from attachment, suffering and clinging. Prefer this to 3 characteristics.
And where do these 3 freedoms lead? Liberation, and with liberation comes vision - seeing what is without any attachment, suffering or clinging. Vision.
To get vision the body needs to be free of attachment, dukkha and clinging. Sounds fine.
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