tri-lakshana
|tri-lak-sha-na|
🇺🇸
/ˌtriː ləkˈʃɑnə/
🇬🇧
/ˌtriː ləkˈʃɑːnə/
the three marks (three characteristics) of existence
Etymology
'tri-lakshana' originates from Sanskrit, specifically the word 'tri‑lakṣaṇa', where 'tri-' meant 'three' and 'lakṣaṇa' meant 'mark' or 'characteristic'.
'tri-lakṣaṇa' appears in classical Sanskrit and related Pali forms (Pali: 'ti‑lakkhaṇa') in Buddhist texts, and entered modern English usage through scholarly transliteration as 'tri-lakshana'.
Initially it meant 'three marks' in the doctrinal sense in early Buddhist literature; over time it has retained that specialized doctrinal meaning in English scholarship.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a Sanskrit term meaning 'three marks' or 'three characteristics'; in Buddhism, it denotes the three marks of existence: impermanence (anicca), suffering (dukkha), and non-self (anatta).
In early Buddhist texts, the tri-lakshana are described as the fundamental characteristics of all conditioned phenomena.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/20 04:19