Three Marks of Existence Flashcards
What do the Three Marks of Existence describe?
Three characteristics of existence which are common to all beings. They explain what reality is like according to the Buddha.
What is Anicca?
Anicca translates to impermanence meaning that all things in life are constantly changing. This includes living things (eg death), non-living things (eg the weather) and the mind (intelligence). Buddha says that us humans have an illusion of permanence in objects and exemplifies mountains as eroding. He argues that our attachment to the impermanent means suffering.
Describe the story of Kisa Gotami and the Mustard Seed
Kisa’s child suddenly dies, she has heard of the Buddha as some religious leader so goes to see him in order to try and bring her son back.
Buddha tells her that he will bring her child back if she finds him a mustard seed from a house with no death.
She goes house to house yet everyone has experienced death so she can’t collect the seed.
She revisits Buddha and is taught a valuable lesson about impermanence and how everyone experiences change.
What does the story of Kisi Gotami teach Buddhists?
All things are impermanent (including humans), Impermanence affects everybody as no house could give Kisa a mustard seed. However, this unites us as a universal truth to all. Attachment to ideas/things will only cause our suffering when they change. We need to experience Buddha’s teachings to help us understand and develop wisdom about our reality.
What is Anatta?
Anatta argues that there is no self as we are simply a collection of parts. There is also no permanent or fixed self as parts of us are always changing (eg height).
Describe the story of Nagasena and the Chariot
The King asks a servant his name, he replies “Nagasena, but this is only a name”. The King is confused so Nagasena points to the King’s chariot. “The Chariot is not axel, or wheel but the whole thing. Chariot is name given to a collection of parts.”
Similarly, ‘I’ is a collection of parts.
What are the five khandas?
The Buddha taught people are made up of five parts collectively known as the five khandas.
These are:
Form (our physical self- body, hair, height)
Mental formation (thoughts-likes, dislikes)
Sensation(our feelings - anger, happiness)
Perception (our recognition of what things are- experiences, memories)
Consciousness (our awareness of things-awareness of existence)
Everything that we point to as ‘us’ goes into one of these categories.
What is dukkha?
Dukkha means suffering. Buddhists believe that tanha (craving) and attachment is the root cause of our suffering. There are 3 separate types of suffering:
Dukkha-Dukka (emotional or mental suffering)
Dukkha-Viparinama (suffering because of change)
Dukkha-Sankhara (suffering because of our existence)
What is the purpose of the Three Marks of Existence?
The purpose of the marks of existence is to describe the nature of existence to help Buddhists’ understanding of reality. This helps to develop the right view of reality which is essential to the eightfold path as Buddhists need to rid themselves of ignorance to become enlightened.
Another purpose of the 3ME is to develop wisdom about reality and giving up craving which helps to get rid of the root poisons of ignorance and greed which fuel samsara. Therefore, the purpose is to help Buddhists break free from the cycle of samsara and become enlightened.
