Anatta challenges the illusion of a fixed identity, pointing instead to interdependent, momentary processes. In poetry, it appears through deconstruction of ego—mirrors without faces, echoes without speakers. Poets use anatta to dissolve pride, fear, and separation, revealing a fluid, interconnected existence that liberates through its very emptiness.

Anatta (Pali; Sanskrit: anatman) challenges the intuitive notion of a permanent self, asserting that what we call “I” is a transient aggregation of five skandhas (form, sensation, perception, mental formations, consciousness). This doctrine distinguishes Buddhism from Hindu concepts like atman and underpins meditative insight practices. In poetry, anatta inspires verses on impermanence and non-attachment—evident in Zen haiku or Thai forest tradition chants. For literary analysis, recognizing anatta helps interpret Buddhist narratives where identity dissolves, and ethical action arises not from ego but from interdependence.