08z | CR Book III, Chapter 5

of this formula. When we apply the standard of
'this is not my self', we start with an idea of
what my self should be like to be worthy of be-
ing called a self - an idea from the more perma-
nent, and from the innermost longings of our
hearts. Then you find that where you look for
selfhood (atta) and its constituents (atta-niya=
what belongs to a self, and vhat would make a
self a self), there is nothing worthy of that
name. Anything that appaers as the self or as
belonging to it, can, by comparison with this
normative concept, be shown not to belond to it
(see bk vii ch 3 and bk viii ch 3).

Compared with what is the best and most des-
irable condition we can thing of, or with the
best of all possible selves, or with the final
aim, goal, or purpose of existence (parāyanam), an-
ything in us easily appears as almost nothing,
as insignificant, trivial, inane, yes false (ritta-
to, tucchato). Insight into the presence of
the other two characteristics of oppressive e-
xistence then easily leads to further insight
into anatta. Compared with the self-identity of
our self (dhuva, nicca, sassata, a-viparinama
dhammata) and of our destiny (samata, amatam, ajram
accutam), anything in us is revealed as imperman-
ent (aniccam) and subject to rise and fall. Com-
pared with the Ease (sukham) of our self-being,
it is seen as un-ease, dis-ease, or as excluding
from ease. Finally, compared with the purity
(subha) of the pure light of selfhood, many fea-
tures of this present self of ours stand out
as asubha, i.e. unclean, foul, corruptible and
corrupted.