In short: Buddhism describes three features shared by everything we experience, called the three marks of existence: impermanence, suffering and not-self. They sound abstract, but you can check each one against your own life in a minute.
The three verses
The Dhammapada gives the three marks in three matching verses. Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato, on SuttaCentral (Dhp 277-279).
| Pāli | English |
|---|---|
| Sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā | All conditions are impermanent |
| Sabbe saṅkhārā dukkhā | All conditions are suffering |
| Sabbe dhammā anattā | All things are not-self |
Each verse continues the same way: "when this is seen with wisdom, one grows disillusioned with suffering: this is the path to purity."
Read the full guide
1. Impermanence (anicca)
Everything made of causes and conditions changes: moods, bodies, relationships, seasons. Nothing stays the same for two moments. This is not bad news in itself. Pain changes too, and so do we, which is why growth is possible.
Try: notice one feeling you have right now, and watch it shift within a minute.
2. Suffering (dukkha)
Dukkha is wider than pain. It includes the low hum of dissatisfaction: the meal that is good but not quite enough, the success that does not last. Because conditioned things change, they cannot give lasting satisfaction. That is the second of the Four Noble Truths.
Try: notice one small "not quite right" today, without fixing it.
3. Not-self (anattā)
Look for a fixed, controllable self and you will not find one: the body ages without asking, thoughts arrive uninvited, feelings come and go. Not-self does not mean you do not exist. It means you are a changing process, not a thing you own. Notice the wording: the first two verses say "all conditions", the third says "all things", wider still.
Try: next time a thought says "I am an anxious person", answer: "Anxiety is here right now."
Why it helps
Seeing the three marks clearly is not meant to make life gray. It loosens clinging. If things change and cannot be owned, you can enjoy them without gripping, and let them go with less pain. Many people find it brings lightness, gratitude and patience.
A 2-minute reflection
- Sit and take three slow breaths.
- Say silently: "This breath is changing." Feel it.
- "This body is changing." Feel it.
- "This mood is changing." Notice it.
- End: "May I hold things lightly today."
Read the Five Remembrances for an evening version, or begin with a 1-minute breath.
Read the Buddha's final words on impermanence: the Buddha's last words.
The Buddha's discourse on not-self, in full: the Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta.
The three verses come from Dhammapada chapter 20, The Path.
A practical teaching on pain: the second arrow.
Five unforgettable images: the foam simile.
What a person is made of: the five aggregates.
How the perception of impermanence works: the farmer's plough.
More on not-self: ego in Buddhism.
All the key words: Buddhist terms explained.
Questions people ask
What are the three marks of existence?
Impermanence (anicca): everything conditioned changes. Suffering or unsatisfactoriness (dukkha): nothing conditioned can fully satisfy. Not-self (anattā): nothing can be held as a fixed, controllable self.
Does not-self mean I don't exist?
No. It means that nothing you experience, body, feelings or thoughts, is a permanent, separate self that you own and control. You still exist and act; you are a changing process, not a fixed thing.
Why are the three marks important?
Seeing them clearly loosens clinging. If things change and cannot be owned, holding on tightly only brings pain. The Dhammapada calls this seeing 'the path to purity'.