The Three Characteristics

The Three Characteristics (tilakkhaṇa) are the three marks the Buddha said are true of all conditioned things: anicca (impermanence — everything changes), dukkha (unsatisfactoriness — nothing changing can give us lasting fulfillment), and anattā (not-self — nothing we cling to is a solid, owned "me"). They matter because seeing these clearly is what gently loosens our grasping and leads toward peace. A simple touchstone: think of a favorite song — it begins, ends, can't be held onto, and isn't really "yours," yet the moment is still lovely.