Explaining Buddhism to Christians with Clarity and Compassion
1. Introduction
At the very core of Buddhist philosophy lies a teaching that most challenges Western and Christian thought: the doctrine of no-self (anattā) and impermanence (anicca).
To many Christians, the idea that there is no enduring self sounds nihilistic or hopeless. Yet in Buddhism, it is not despair but liberation — freedom from illusion and attachment.
Understanding anattā and anicca helps Christians grasp how Buddhism explains suffering and why it rejects any permanent soul. At the same time, it opens an opportunity to see how the Bible affirms personal identity within divine relationship — not illusion, but creation sustained by God’s love.
2. The Context of the Doctrine
The Buddha formulated the doctrine of anattā in response to two prevailing views of his day:
- Eternalism — the Hindu belief in an unchanging soul (ātman) that migrates through rebirth.
- Materialism — the belief that only the physical world exists and consciousness dies with the body.
He rejected both extremes, teaching instead the Middle Way: that there is no permanent, independent self, yet consciousness continues as a process of causes and conditions.
3. The Three Marks of Existence
All existence, according to Buddhism, is characterised by three universal marks (tilakkhaṇa):
| Mark | Pāli Term | Meaning | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Impermanence | Anicca | Everything changes; nothing endures. | To end attachment and realise transience. |
| Suffering | Dukkha | All existence involves dissatisfaction. | To awaken compassion and detachment. |
| Non-Self | Anattā | No unchanging self or soul exists. | To dissolve ego and attain liberation. |
Together these form Buddhism’s psychological and metaphysical realism — a vision of life as dynamic, interconnected, and transient.
4. The Doctrine of Impermanence (Anicca)
4.1. Everything Changes
All things — material, emotional, mental, even spiritual — arise and pass away.
Nothing is fixed or eternal; all are momentary combinations of conditions.
“All conditioned things are impermanent. When one sees this with wisdom, one turns away from suffering.” (Dhammapada 277)
Impermanence is not meant to induce fear but insight — realising that clinging to changeable things brings pain.
4.2. The Implications of Impermanence
- Attachment leads to sorrow — since all things perish, desire guarantees loss.
- Detachment leads to peace — by accepting change, one gains equanimity.
- Compassion deepens — knowing that all beings are fragile evokes empathy.
For the Buddhist, impermanence reveals the need to live mindfully and kindly, without clinging.
Christian Parallel:
Scripture also recognises transience:
“All people are like grass… the grass withers and the flower falls.” (1 Peter 1:24)
Yet Christianity sees permanence in God:
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)
Where Buddhism dissolves permanence to end suffering, Christianity locates permanence in divine love that redeems suffering.
5. The Doctrine of No-Self (Anattā)
5.1. What It Means
The Buddha taught that what we call “self” is not a single essence but a collection of ever-changing processes, known as the Five Aggregates (pañca-khandha):
- Form (rūpa) – the physical body.
- Feeling (vedanā) – sensations of pleasure, pain, or neutrality.
- Perception (saññā) – recognition and interpretation.
- Mental Formations (saṅkhāra) – thoughts, will, intentions.
- Consciousness (viññāṇa) – awareness of experience.
These aggregates interact moment by moment, producing the illusion of “I” and “mine.”
“Just as a chariot is only a combination of parts, so what we call ‘person’ is only a combination of processes.” (Milindapañha 1.3.5)
Thus, anattā means there is no permanent, independent soul — only flux, conditioned by causes and effects.
5.2. The Practical Purpose
The aim of this teaching is not philosophical speculation but liberation.
By realising that “self” is impermanent, one stops clinging to ego, pride, and fear.
Letting go of the illusion of self dissolves craving and hatred, bringing peace.
“When you see that there is no ‘I’ or ‘mine,’ suffering ends.”
Christian Comparison:
Christianity teaches self-denial but not self-negation.
Jesus said,
“Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:25)
The goal is not to erase selfhood, but to redeem it — turning the self outward in love, rather than inward in attachment.
Where Buddhism dissolves the ego, Christianity transforms it.
6. The Relationship Between Impermanence and No-Self
These two doctrines are inseparable:
- Because everything is impermanent (anicca),
- There can be no fixed self (anattā).
What we call identity is a flowing river, not a static object.
To cling to it is to suffer; to understand its fluidity is to find peace.
Christian Insight:
Paul expresses a similar awareness of change:
“I die daily.” (1 Corinthians 15:31)
and yet affirms enduring identity in Christ:
“It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20)
Thus, Christians may see the Buddhist insight as an ethical truth about humility and impermanence, yet recognise that grace preserves personal identity rather than dissolving it.
7. The Moral and Psychological Dimension
Buddhism’s teaching on anattā is not nihilism; it is moral therapy.
By weakening ego, it nurtures:
- Compassion — when “I” is not absolute, empathy grows.
- Equanimity — when “mine” disappears, loss loses power.
- Wisdom — when “self” is seen as process, delusion fades.
It aims not at denying human value but at freeing it from self-clinging.
Ego is the illusion that isolates; letting go restores unity with all life.
Christian Reflection:
This resonates with Paul’s call to humility:
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition… but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3)
Christian humility, however, springs from awareness of divine image — we are valuable not because we are self-existent, but because we are loved and created by God.
8. Comparing Buddhist and Christian Anthropology
| Aspect | Buddhism | Christianity | Bridge Insight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nature of Self | No permanent soul; dynamic process. | Eternal soul created by God. | Both reject egoism and emphasise transformation. |
| Purpose of Self | To realise non-self and end craving. | To love God and others; become Christ-like. | Both aim to transcend selfishness. |
| Continuity | Stream of consciousness conditioned by karma. | Personal identity preserved by divine grace. | Both affirm moral continuity. |
| Liberation | Peace through detachment. | Redemption through relationship. | Both seek freedom from inner bondage. |
| Ultimate Reality | Impersonal truth (Dharma). | Personal Creator (God). | Both recognise an ultimate ground of being. |
The difference lies in relationship:
Buddhism seeks peace by dissolving self; Christianity by reconciling self to God.
9. Common Misunderstandings
- “Buddhists believe nothing exists.”
– False. Buddhism denies a permanent self, not existence itself. Everything exists as process, not as essence. - “Anattā means human life is meaningless.”
– False. Buddhism affirms moral meaning through karma and compassion; the illusion of ego is the problem, not moral responsibility. - “Christians must reject all Buddhist psychology.”
– Not necessarily. Christians can appreciate insights into attachment, impermanence, and mindfulness, provided they remain grounded in belief in the personal God who sustains identity and love.
10. The Meeting Point: Humility and Transformation
Both faiths call for release from self-centredness:
- The Buddha teaches, “The self is an illusion; let go.”
- Christ teaches, “Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me.”
The Buddha dissolves the self to end ignorance.
Christ redeems the self to fulfil love.
Both aim for compassion and peace — one through detachment, the other through divine union.
“Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:25)
11. Conclusion
The Buddhist teaching of anattā and anicca invites humanity to humility — to let go of ego and embrace impermanence with wisdom.
It perceives that the root of suffering lies in the illusion of permanence and possession.
Christ reveals that beneath impermanence stands eternal love — the unchanging God who gives each soul worth.
Where Buddhism sees emptiness, Christianity sees fullness in God.
Where Buddhism ends the illusion of “I,” Christianity restores the true “I” in divine relationship.
The Buddha shows the peace that comes when self is silent.
Christ shows the joy that comes when love speaks through the self.