The Buddha’s rejection of the ātman, or eternal self, brought one of the most profound transformations in the history of spiritual practice.

When Buddhism replaced the belief in a soul with the doctrine of anatta (non-self), the entire structure of meditation, ethics, and moral psychology shifted from self-realization to the dissolution of ego-centered identity. 

The Shift from Selfhood to Process

Before the Buddha’s teaching, Indian spirituality was largely based on discovering the true self (ātman) and its unity with the cosmic principle (Brahman). By denying an enduring soul, Buddhism turned attention away from metaphysical speculation to direct insight into experience. Spiritual practice became a study of process, not permanence—understanding the constituents of being (skandhas) as impermanent, interdependent phenomena.

This shift redirected effort from affirming an inner essence to observing how sensations, perceptions, and thoughts arise and vanish. The aim was not to find the self but to witness its constructed, empty nature.

Transformation in Meditation Practices

Buddhist meditation evolved notably through the insight practices of Vipassanā (Insight Meditation). Unlike earlier Vedic meditation aiming for union with the divine, Buddhist contemplation focuses on recognizing impermanence (anicca), suffering (dukkha), and non-self (anatta) in all experiences.

Monks and practitioners are taught to observe the body, feelings, and consciousness without identifying with them:
“Feeling is not self; perception is not self,” the Buddha repeatedly declared. Through this observation, practitioners weaken attachment and aversion, realizing freedom not by acquiring something eternal but by releasing the illusion of “I”.

Change in Ethical and Ritual Orientation

The denial of ātman also reshaped Buddhist ethics. If the self is not fixed, then moral conduct is not about purifying an immortal soul but about reducing ego-centric craving and compassionate interdependence. This understanding deepened sīla (ethical discipline), emphasizing kindness, empathy, and humility since the boundary between “self” and “others” became fluid.

Rituals in Buddhism became symbolic acts of impermanence—offerings, chanting, and contemplation of death (maranasati) remind devotees that life is transient and liberation lies not in preserving identity but in letting go.

Rebirth Without a Soul

Perhaps the most radical transformation concerns rebirth. Buddhism retained the idea of rebirth, but without a transmigrating soul. Continuity across lives is explained as a stream of dependent origination (paṭicca-samuppāda), where karmic causes give rise to new forms of consciousness without a fixed entity traveling between lives. Rebirth thus reflects the momentum of actions, not the movement of a soul.

The Modern Implication

In contemporary practice, the insights of non-self have encouraged mindfulness, compassionate ethics, and psychological freedom. The practitioner learns to face impermanence with grace rather than denial, living fully in the present without clinging to identity.

Conclusion

The denial of ātman transformed Buddhism from a path of self-discovery into one of self-liberation.

Meditation shifted toward direct awareness of moment-by-moment change, ethics became rooted in interconnection, and rebirth was reinterpreted as causal continuity rather than soul transfer.

By removing the concept of a permanent self, the Buddha opened the human mind to a freer, more compassionate understanding of existence—one where liberation means awakening to emptiness, not eternal essence.