Anatta

In Buddhism, the term anattā (Pali) or anātman (Sanskrit) refers to the perception of "not-self", recommended as one of the seven beneficial perceptions, which along with the perception of dukkha and impermanence is also formally classified among the three marks of existence.

Anatta in the Nikayas

The ancient Indian word for self or essence is attā (Pāli) or ātman (Sanskrit), and is often thought to be an eternal substance that persists despite death. Hence the term anatta is often interpreted as referring to the denial of a self or essence. Anatta is used in the early Buddhist texts as a strategy to view the perception of self as conditioned processes (or even an action) instead of seeing it as an entity or an essence.

Taken together with the perceptions of anicca "impermanence" and dukkha "imperfection", anatta is the last of the three marks of existence, which, when grasped strategically, leads to dispassion (nibbida). Dispassion then causes the mind to naturally tend to the deathless, and this is called release (vimutti).

Anatman (Hinduism)

Anātman in Sanskrit means that "which is different from atman" or "non-self". In Hinduism, the former definition is found in some texts, while in Buddhism, anātman or anattā means non-self.

Advaita concept of Anātman

According to Śrī Candraśekhara Bhāratī of Śringeri, Shankara does not use the term anātman to mean non-soul or anti-soul. The Atman is formless and partless whose true nature cannot be perceived, while the anātman has form, has parts and whose nature can be perceived. Anātman, a creation of Brahman which is non-different from Brahman and has no existence apart from Brahman. To discriminate ātman and anātman is to become liberated.

In order to realise the self-existent eternal Atman, the seeker after Truth uses "Neti, neti", that is "not this, not this" on Anatman, to reach that which remains as Atman.

Buddhist concept of Anatman or Anatta

Buddhists believe that there is no permanent underlying substance called self or soul (Atman) in human beings. They believe that anattā/anātman (non-self), impermanence and dukkha (suffering) are the three characteristics (trilakkhana) of all existence, and understanding of these three constitutes right understanding. "The anātman doctrine was in no sense an addendum, since it was fundamental to the other two doctrines; that is, because there is no real human self, there is no duration in human experience; and because there is no duration in human experience, there is no genuine happiness."