The Meaning of Anatta - A being without the self

Questioner: As we have seen, in the Commentary, the Papancasudani, a simile is used of the four gateways leading to the centre of the city. A person who enters the city can enter through any one of these four gateways. Therefore, some people select a particular object; they develop only mindfulness of the body, not mindfulness of the other subjects of satipatthana.
Sujin: When someone reads the Commentary he ought to understand what panna should know in order to eradicate wrong view, which takes realities for self. There are two kinds of realities: nama and rupa. So long as people do not clearly know the characteristics of nama and rupa, they take them for self. As regards the wording, “while walking, we should know that we are walking,” in reality it is not “I” or self who is walking, but only rupa. When sati is aware of the characteristics of rupas of the body that appear while walking, there is mindfulness of the body (kayanupassana satipatthana). However, people cannot force sati to be aware all the time of rupas appearing through the bodysense. Sati is anatta and it depends on conditions whether it will arise and be aware of a characteristic of nama or rupa. It can be aware of any characteristic of nama or rupa that arises and appears naturally, just as it is. The panna that eradicates wrong view knows clearly the characteristics of nama and rupa as they appear through the six doors and it realizes them as non-self.
We read in the Kindred Sayings ( IV, Salayatana vagga, Kindred Sayings on Sense, Fourth Fifty, Ch III, § 193, Udayin):

Once the venerable Ananda and the venerable Udayin

were staying at Kosambi in Ghosita Park.

Then the venerable Udayin, rising at eventide from his solitude,

went to visit the Venerable Ananda, and on coming to him...

after the exchange of courtesies, sat down at one side.

So seated the venerable Udayin said to the venerable Ananda:

“Is it possible, friend Ananda,

just as this body has in divers ways been defined, explained,

set forth by the Exalted One, as being without the self,

is it possible in the same way to describe the consciousness,

to show it, make it plain, set it forth, make it clear,

analyze and expound it as being also without the self?”

 

“Just as this body has in divers ways been defined, explained,

set forth by the Exalted One, as being without the self, friend Udayin,

so also is it possible to describe this consciousness,

to show it, make it plain, set it forth, make it clear,

analyze and expound it as being also without the self.

Owing to the eye and visible object arises seeing-consciousness,

does it not, friend?”

 

“Yes, friend.”

 

“Well, friend, it is by this method that the Exalted One has explained,

opened up, and shown that this consciousness also is without the self.”

(The same is said with regard to the other doorways).