masculine & atta (the latter is the form used in compn.)
I. Inflection
- of attan- (n. stem); the foll. cases are the most freq:
■ acc. attānaṃ DN.i.13, DN.i.185; SN.i.24; Snp.132 Snp.451
■ gen. dat. attano Snp.334, Snp.592 etc., also as abl AN.iii.337 (attano ca parato ca as regards himself and others)
■ instr. abl. attanā SN.i.24; Snp.132, Snp.451; Dhp-a.ii.75; Pv-a.15, Pv-a.214 etc. On use of attanā see below iii.1 C
■ loc. attani SN.v.177; AN.i.149 (attanī metri causa); AN.ii.52 (anattani); AN.iii.181; MN.i.138; Snp.666, Snp.756 Snp.784; Vb.376 (an˚) - of atta- (a-stem) we find the foll. cases:
■ acc. attaṃ Dhp.379
■ instr. attena SN.iv.54
■ abl. attato SN.i.188; Pts.i.143; Pts.ii.48; Vb.336.
II. Meanings
- The soul as postulated in the animistic theories held in N India in the 6th and 7th cent. B.C. It is described in the Upanishads as a small creature, in shape like a man, dwelling in ordinary times in the heart. It escapes from the body in sleep or trance; when it returns to the body life and motion reappear. It escapes from the body at death, then continues to carry on an everlasting life of its own. For numerous other details see Rh. D. Theory of Soul in the Upanishads J.R.A.S. 1899. Bt. India 251–255. Buddhism repudiated all such theories, thus differing from other religions. Sixteen such theories about the soul DN.i.31. Seven other theories DN.i.34. Three others DN.i.186–DN.i.186. A ʻsoulʼ according to general belief was some thing permanent, unchangeable, not affected by sorrow SN.iv.54 = Kv.67; Vin.i.14; MN.i.138 See also MN.i.233; MN.iii.265, MN.iii.271; SN.ii.17, SN.ii.109; SN.iii.135; AN.i.284; AN.ii.164, AN.ii.171; AN.v.188; SN.iv.400. Cp. ātuman, tuma puggala, jīva, satta, pāṇa and nāma-rūpa.
- Oneself, himself, yourself. Nom. attā, very rare. SN.i.71, SN.i.169; SN.iii.120; AN.i.57, AN.i.149 (you yourself know whether that is true or false. Cp. Manu viii.84. Here attā comes very near to the European idea of conscience. But conscience as a unity or entity is not accepted by Buddhism