The Anatta Debate: Critiquing Thanissaro Bhikkhu’s Strategic Interpretation

Thanissaro Bhikkhu (Geoffrey DeGraff), an American-born Theravada monk and prolific translator, stands as a significant yet controversial figure in modern Buddhism. Revered for his accessible translations and pragmatic teaching style, he has also drawn substantial criticism from Buddhist scholars and fellow practitioners on doctrinal grounds, particularly concerning his interpretation of the core Buddhist doctrine of *anatta* (not-self). While Thanissaro presents his view as a return to the Buddha’s original, pragmatic intent, his critics argue that it constitutes a radical departure from the prevailing consensus of both traditional Theravada orthodoxy and modern Buddhist scholarship. The primary criticisms focus on his characterization of anatta as a mere “strategy” rather than an ontological truth, his consequent ambiguous stance on the existence of a self, and his selective use of the Pali Canon to support a view that risks re-introducing a subtle essentialism the doctrine was designed to dismantle.

The Mainstream Consensus: Anatta as Ontological Fact

The cornerstone of the mainstream understanding of anatta, as articulated by scholars like Walpola Rahula, Steven Collins, and Peter Harvey, is its nature as one of the three universal characteristics of…