The Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra maintains the classical Buddhist teaching that there is no permanent, independent self, yet it articulates this in a distinctly Yogācāra way. Instead of treating anātman as a purely analytical denial, it roots the sense of “I” in the dynamics of consciousness, especially the storehouse consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna) and the self-grasping mind (manas). Within this framework, both the person and the world of external objects are understood as constructions or projections of consciousness rather than independently existing entities. The no-self doctrine thus becomes inseparable from a “consciousness-only” (vijñapti-mātra) vision, where the apparent solidity of self and world is traced back to the workings of mind.

A further distinguishing feature is the careful integration of anātman with the teaching of Buddha-nature (tathāgatagarbha). The text speaks in positive language of a Buddha-nature or “womb of the Tathāgata,” yet simultaneously warns against taking this as a hidden metaphysical Self. Buddha-nature is presented as the purified, realized aspect of mind, empty of any own-nature, rather than as an eternal essence. In this way, the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra addresses the tension between no-self and Buddha-nature by treating the latter as a skillful means: a way of pointing to the basis of awakening without reifying a permanent soul.

The sutra also extends the no-self teaching beyond the mere denial of a personal self to a strong emphasis on the no-self of dharmas. Not only the “person” but also “things” themselves are described as projections of deluded consciousness, a stance that goes beyond earlier presentations that often focus primarily on the aggregates of the person. Liberation is portrayed as a radical “turning about” (parāvṛtti) in the deepest level of consciousness, where the habitual self-grasping and objectification are overturned. Thus, anātman is not only a doctrinal statement but the description of a profound transformation in how mind operates.

Because of this, the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra’s treatment of no-self is both philosophically subtle and spiritually practical. It neither abandons the classical negation of a self nor slips into affirming a hidden Self under the name of Buddha-nature. Instead, it uses a rich vocabulary of consciousness and positive imagery of Buddha-nature to guide practitioners toward a non-dual realization in which subject and object, self and world, are seen as empty constructions. In that vision, the doctrine of no-self is no longer a mere concept but the lived insight into the nature of mind and reality.