The Three Dharma Seals: The Touchstone for Distinguishing True and False Dharma

Seals of Ancient India

In ancient India, important documents needed to be stamped with a seal to be effective. The king's edict needed the royal seal, and the merchant's contract needed a signet. The seal was a proof, indicating that the document was authentic, authoritative, and trustworthy.

After the Buddha entered Parinirvana, the Dharma began to spread widely. Various theories appeared one after another; some were spoken by the Buddha himself, some were elaborated by disciples, and some were mixed in by non-Buddhists. How to distinguish which are the true Dharma and which are not?

When the Buddha was alive, he had already foreseen this problem. He said: No matter what teaching, as long as it meets three standards, it can be recognized as the Dharma; if it does not meet them, it is not the Dharma. These three standards are like three seals, which can prove the authenticity of a teaching.

These are the "Three Dharma Seals":

All conditioned phenomena are impermanent (Anicca). All phenomena are non-self (Anatta). Nirvana is perfect stillness (Nirvana).

Let us understand these three seals one by one.

The First Seal: All Conditioned Phenomena Are Impermanent

"All conditioned phenomena are impermanent" is the first of the Three Dharma Seals.

"Conditioned phenomena" refer to all phenomena born of causes and conditions. "Impermanent" means changing and not lasting. Together, "All conditioned phenomena are impermanent" means: All phenomena born of causes and conditions are constantly changing and will not exist forever.

This sounds like common sense. We all know that flowers will wither, people will grow old, and buildings will collapse. But the impermanence spoken of in Buddhism is much deeper than what we usually understand.

Buddhism divides impermanence into two types:

Gross Impermanence—Obvious changes, such as a person changing from young to old, from healthy to sick, from alive to dead. This kind of impermanence is relatively easy to observe.

Subtle Impermanence—The arising and passing away in every instant. No phenomenon remains in the same state for two instants. Even things that look static, like a stone, have molecules in constant motion, and it is changing slightly every instant.

Subtle impermanence is the emphasis of Buddhism. It tells us: Nothing is "fixed," everything is in flux. The "I" you think is unchanging is actually changing every moment.

What is the use of the principle of impermanence?

First, it helps us let go of attachment. We suffer largely because we try to hold on to things that won't stay. We want happiness to last forever, youth never to age, and loved ones never to leave. But these are impossible. Recognizing impermanence, we can face changes more calmly.

Second, impermanence also brings hope. If everything is impermanent, then suffering is also impermanent. No matter how difficult it is now, the situation will change. Moreover, through practice, we can change ourselves—because we are also impermanent, not fixed.

Finally, impermanence makes us cherish the present. Precisely because everything is passing, this moment appears precious. Instead of clinging to the past or worrying about the future, it is better to live fully in the present.

The Second Seal: All Phenomena Are Non-self

"All phenomena are non-self" is the second of the Three Dharma Seals.

"All phenomena" has a wider scope than "all conditioned phenomena"; it includes everything that exists, whether conditioned or unconditioned. "Non-self" means without an independent, eternal, unchanging self-nature.

The meaning of "All phenomena are non-self" is: All phenomena do not have an independent, self-existing, eternal, and unchanging essence or subject.

This seal is most easily misunderstood. Many people think "non-self" means "I don't exist," and then fall into nihilism, feeling that nothing has meaning. This is a wrong understanding.

The "non-self" spoken of in Buddhism denies a specific concept of "self"—that independent, eternal, unchanging "self" that can dominate everything. Such a "self" indeed does not exist. But Buddhism does not deny that there is a "continuum of body-mind phenomena" experiencing life.

To use a metaphor: A river exists; you can see it, swim in it, and irrigate with its water. But if you ask "what is the essence of the river," you cannot find a "river self" independent of the water and the riverbed. The river is the flow of water; it is a process, not a fixed thing.

"I" is the same. "I" is the continuous flow of the Five Aggregates (Form, Feeling, Perception, Mental Formations, Consciousness); it is a process, not a fixed entity. We can use the word "I" to conveniently refer to this process, but we should not treat it as a truly existing, independent subject.

What is the benefit of understanding non-self?

The biggest benefit is liberation. Most of our suffering comes from attachment to "self." Because there is "I," there is "mine"—my property, my reputation, my family. When "mine" is threatened, we suffer. If there is no such "I" at all, suffering has no foundation.

Non-self also brings compassion. When we no longer see ourselves as an independent individual separated from others, it is easier to connect with others and easier to generate empathy and compassion.

The Third Seal: Nirvana Is Perfect Stillness

"Nirvana is perfect stillness" is the third of the Three Dharma Seals.

"Nirvana" is the cessation of afflictions and the end of samsara. "Perfect stillness" is serenity, peace, and lack of disturbance.

"All conditioned phenomena are impermanent" speaks of the truth of the world—everything is changing. "All phenomena are non-self" speaks of the truth of existence—there is no independent self. "Nirvana is perfect stillness" speaks of the truth of liberation—there is a state beyond impermanence and suffering that can be attained.

If there were only the first two seals, Buddhism would become a pessimistic philosophy: Everything is impermanent and non-self, so what is the meaning of living? "Nirvana is perfect stillness" answers this question: Although the world is suffering, suffering can be ended; although samsara is endless, samsara can be exited.

What kind of state is Nirvana?

The Buddha rarely described Nirvana in positive language because Nirvana transcends our language and concepts. He used more negative ways: Nirvana is unborn, undying, without suffering, without happiness (worldly happiness), without coming, without going.

But this does not mean that Nirvana is "nothing." Nirvana exists, and it is the most real existence. It just transcends our habitual dualistic way of thinking.

From the perspective of practice, Nirvana can be personally experienced. When afflictions are cut off, when ignorance is broken, when the mind is no longer stained by greed, hatred, and delusion, that state of purity, serenity, and freedom is the taste of Nirvana.

The revelation of "Nirvana is perfect stillness" is: Liberation is possible, real, and worth pursuing. This is the greatest hope Buddhism gives to sentient beings.

The Overall Meaning of the Three Dharma Seals

The Three Dharma Seals are not three independent dogmas; they are a whole, interrelated and supporting each other.

Relationship between Impermanence and Non-self: Precisely because everything is impermanent, there is no eternal and unchanging self. If there were an eternal self, it would not be impermanent, which would be a contradiction.

Relationship between Non-self and Nirvana: Precisely because there is no substantial self, the suffering of "I" can be ended. If there were a substantial, essential "suffering self," suffering could never be eliminated.

Relationship between Impermanence and Nirvana: Nirvana transcends impermanence. Conditioned phenomena are impermanent, but Nirvana is unconditioned Dharma, unaffected by arising, passing, and changing. Nirvana is not the opposite of impermanence (which would become "permanence"), but transcends the duality of permanence and impermanence.

The Three Dharma Seals are like the three vertices of a triangle, indispensable. Knowing only impermanence may turn into pessimism; knowing only non-self may turn into nihilism; knowing only Nirvana may turn into escapism. The combination of the three is the complete Buddhist view.

How to Use the Three Dharma Seals

The most direct use of the Three Dharma Seals is to distinguish Buddhism from non-Buddhism.

When you hear a teaching, you can use the Three Dharma Seals to test it:

Does this teaching acknowledge that all conditioned phenomena are impermanent? If it says there is something in the world that is eternal and unchanging, then it does not conform to "All conditioned phenomena are impermanent."

Does this teaching acknowledge that there is no independent, eternal self? If it says there is an eternal soul, Atman, or True Self, then it does not conform to "All phenomena are non-self."

Does this teaching point to liberation and the cessation of suffering? If it only lets you pursue worldly benefits and does not involve ultimate liberation, then it does not conform to "Nirvana is perfect stillness."

Of course, using the Three Dharma Seals requires wisdom. Some teachings may seem not to conform to the Three Dharma Seals on the surface, but after deep understanding, they are found to be consistent. For example, the Pure Land School says that Amitabha Buddha's lifespan is infinite. Does this seem to violate impermanence? But with deep understanding, Amitabha Buddha is a Sambhogakaya Buddha, and the "infinite lifespan" of the Sambhogakaya is not eternity in the worldly sense, but the state of Nirvana transcending birth and death.

The Three Dharma Seals can also be used for self-reflection. When we suffer, we can ask ourselves: Am I attached to some kind of eternity? Am I attached to an "I"? Have I forgotten the possibility of liberation?

And the Four Dharma Seals

Some Buddhist traditions, especially Tibetan Buddhism, speak of "Four Dharma Seals," adding "All defiled phenomena are suffering" (Dukkha) to the Three Dharma Seals.

Actually, "All defiled phenomena are suffering" (all feelings carry the nature of suffering) is also an important doctrine of Buddhism, but in the Southern tradition of the Three Dharma Seals, it is included in "All conditioned phenomena are impermanent"—because impermanence itself implies suffering.

Whether it is Three Dharma Seals or Four Dharma Seals, the core spirit is consistent: Recognizing the truth of the world (Impermanence, Suffering, Non-self) and pointing to transcendence (Nirvana).

Conclusion

The Three Dharma Seals are the essence of Buddhism and the standard for testing Buddhism.

All conditioned phenomena are impermanent, letting us not attach to anything in the world, because they will all change.

All phenomena are non-self, letting us not attach to the illusion of "I," because it never existed.

Nirvana is perfect stillness, letting us know that an ultimate peace can be attained, giving us hope and direction.

These three seals are stamped on every true Buddhist doctrine. When you encounter doubts and don't know if a teaching is credible, take out these three seals to test it, and you won't be misled.

More importantly, the Three Dharma Seals are not only used to test others' teachings but also to contemplate our own lives. When you truly experience impermanence and non-self, when you touch the edge of Nirvana, the Three Dharma Seals are no longer abstract theories, but living wisdom.

May the wisdom of the Three Dharma Seals illuminate the path of practice for each of us.