A Comparative Study of Anatta in Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism: Implications for Liberation Paradigms in the Modern World

Abstract

This academic article aims primarily to conduct a comparative analysis of the concept of non-self (anattā) in Theravāda Buddhism and the concept of emptiness (śūnyatā) in Madhyamaka Buddhism within the Mahāyāna tradition. It seeks to explore their underlying unity of insight, as well as to examine the implications for their application in the modern global context, which is increasingly confronted with crises of ego and extreme individualism. The study is based on primary textual sources and contemporary Buddhist scholarship.
The findings indicate that both Buddhist traditions share a common essential aim: the deconstruction of the illusion of self-attachment (ego-transcendence), which leads to spiritual freedom and liberation from suffering. However, they differ in their modes of expression and levels of linguistic articulation, shaped by distinct historical and cultural contexts. Theravāda Buddhism emphasizes an analytical and reductionist approach through the framework of the Five Aggregates (khandhas), demonstrating the absence of intrinsic essence and the lack of any controlling “entity” (ghana). In contrast, Mahāyāna Buddhism, particularly the Madhyamaka school, develops a relational and holistic perspective through the doctrine of emptiness (śūnyatā), highlighting the absence of inherent existence (svabhāva), which in turn gives rise to boundless compassion (mahākaruṇā).