Three Dharma Seals

Category: Dharma

From Buddhist Encyclopedia

• Chinese :  三法印
• Pali :  tilakkhana
• Sanskrit :  trilaksana
• Thai :  ไตรลักษณ์

The Buddha taught that everything (physicaly, phenomenoly and psychologicaly) is marked by three characteristics, called the Three Dharma Seals, which are :

• Anicca (impermanence), refers not only to the fact that all conditioned things eventually cease to exist, but also that all conditioned things are in a constant state of flux. A convenient way to visualize this would be to recall that the cells that constituting our body are constantly being replaced.
• Dukkha (unsatisfactoriness, pain or stress). Nothing found in the physical world or even the psychological realm can bring lasting deep satisfaction.
• Anatta (impersonality, or non-self). The human personality, the soul, or self, is only a conventional appellation applied to the assembly of physical and psychological components, each individually subject to constant flux; there is no central core or essence self.

By bringing the three seals into moment-to-moment experience through concentrated awareness, is to achieve wisdom and understanding of the true nature of the universe.

There is also a fourth Dharma Seal :

• Nirvana, is the liberation to the other shore from the Three Dharma Seals of samsara.

The Mahayana also considered compassion as a Dharma Seal, that is to help all beings on the path to nirvana.

In the Prajna Paramita Sutra :

• (Sanskrit: sūnyata laksana) is mentioned as Seal of Emptiness.