作者 (kartṛ, "agent") is a philosophical concept that is subjected to profound analysis and critique in Buddhist scriptures. It specifically refers to the "substantial entity-self that rules over and initiates actions" asserted by non-Buddhist schools.
In the doctrinal system of classical Buddhism, "agent" represents a fundamental misunderstanding of the operating mechanism of life: people habitually assume that behind the ever-changing actions, thoughts, and experiences, there must exist a unique, unchanging "behind-the-scenes master" capable of issuing commands and controlling the whole picture.
What This Concept Is About
To truly understand the meaning of "agent," one must examine it within the framework of the core of the Buddhist path of liberation — 无我 (anātman, "non-self") and 缘起 (pratītyasamutpāda, "dependent origination").
1. Core Definition and Content
In the view of classical non-Buddhist schools (such as ancient Indian Vedic philosophy, the Sāṃkhya school, and the Vaiśeṣika school), regardless of how life transmigrates or how the body ages, there exists deep within the mind a sacred, independent, eternal entity (namely, the "self" / 我, ātman). This entity possesses two key characteristics: * The ruling agent that initiates actions (作者): It is the supreme source of commands that sets in motion all thought, speech, and bodily movement. * The experiencer of karmic results (受者, bhoktṛ): It is the ultimate subject that alone enjoys or endures the consequences of these actions.
2. Its Position in the Path of Liberation: The Crucial Hub for Severing Saṃsāra
The Buddha pointed out in the 《杂阿含经》 (Saṃyuktāgama) and numerous other scriptures and treatises that the root cause of sentient beings' torment within the cycle of birth-and-death lies in 无明 (avidyā, "ignorance") — a mistaken view of the true nature of all dharmas. And "clinging to the existence of a substantial agent (作者执, kartṛ-grāha, 'agent-clinging')" is precisely the central pillar of 我执 (ātma-grāha, "clinging to self") that ignorance gives rise to.
If one affirms the existence of a substantial agent: 1. Arrogance or self-flagellation arises: When something is accomplished, one thinks, "This was done by me (the agent)," breeding greed and arrogance; when things fail, one falls into deep self-reproach and anxiety. 2. One falls into the two extremes of eternalism and annihilationism: If one believes that a substantial agent performs karma and that this agent can traverse past and future lives, one falls into 常见 (śāśvata-dṛṣṭi, "eternalism"); if one believes that after death this agent is utterly destroyed, one falls into 断见 (uccheda-dṛṣṭi, "annihilationism").
The Buddhist path of liberation (such as 四圣谛 (catvāri āryasatyāni, the Four Noble Truths) and 十二因缘 (dvādaśāṅga-pratītyasamutpāda, the twelve links of dependent origination)) exists precisely to shatter the illusion of "agent." The Buddha pointed out:
「有業報而無作者，此陰滅已，異陰相續。」 *"There is karmic retribution but no agent; when this aggregate ceases, another aggregate continues."* （《雜阿含經》卷十三, Saṃyuktāgama, fascicle 13）
Life has no independent "driver"; life itself is a streaming process in which the aggregates are brought together and continued by causes and conditions, ceaselessly arising and perishing (the continuation of 五蕴 (pañcaskandha, the five aggregates) / 惑业苦 (kleśa-karma-duḥkha, "delusion, karma, and suffering")). Only by understanding "no agent" can one completely cut off craving for and attachment to the self, and advance toward the tranquil stillness of 涅槃 (nirvāṇa).
A Walkthrough in Daily Life
Modern life is surrounded by countless "me's": my job title, my KPIs, my children, my health. In everyday scenarios, we can clearly see how the illusion of "agent" is manufactured — and how it gives rise to suffering:
Scenario One: Late-Night Overtime and Work Performance
* Life phenomenon: You work overtime continuously for three weeks in front of the computer and finally complete an extremely complex project. Looking at the perfect data, you think to yourself: "This was all pieced together by my solitary effort, staying up night after night." Or, when the project collapses, you suffer deeply: "I ruined all of this; I am such a failure." * Classic mapping and dismantling: * Where people most easily mis-map: Mistaking "commands issued by the brain" or "the volitional formations among the five aggregates (行蕴, saṃskāra)" for a permanent "substantial agent (self)." * Buddhist walkthrough: The completion of the project is the result of 色蕴 (rūpa-skandha, the form aggregate: computer, keyboard, body), 受蕴 (vedanā-skandha, the feeling aggregate: the experience of mental pressure), 想蕴 (saṃjñā-skandha, the perception aggregate: recognition of logical concepts), 行蕴 (saṃskāra-skandha, the volitional formations: the impulse to complete the task), and 识蕴 (vijñāna-skandha, the consciousness aggregate: clear awareness) arising and converging in dependence upon extremely complex conditions (team collaboration, network stability, client demands, previously accumulated knowledge and skills) — a co-arisen conjunction (缘起和合). There is no independent "you" functioning alone within this. If you claim the credit for this "conjunction of dependent origination" as "the achievement of a substantial agent," you will be severely crushed when the project encounters setbacks.
Scenario Two: Scrolling Short Videos and Losing Control
* Life phenomenon: You intended to go to sleep at 10 p.m., but ended up scrolling through your phone until 2 a.m. Lying in bed, you feel intensely remorseful: "Why am I so lacking in self-discipline? Why can't I control myself?" * Classic mapping and dismantling: * Where people most easily mis-map: Assuming there is a "rational ruling agent" within the mind that should perfectly control all behavior; when behavior slips out of control, one splits the "agent" into "the good me" and "the bad me" for self-criticism. * Buddhist walkthrough: The process of scrolling through the phone is a chain reaction of algorithmic design (external objects / form sense-objects), dopamine secretion in the brain (the feeling and volitional aggregates), and diminished clarity of consciousness when fatigued (the consciousness aggregate). There is simply no "ruling agent" independent of these physiological and psychological reactions. The suffering arises from having imagined an "agent" with 100% control, while being unable to accept the objective fact that life is merely "the continuity of causes and conditions."
Scenario Three: Intimate Relationships and Parenting Communication
* Life phenomenon: Your child fails an exam, or your partner loses emotional control, and you angrily exclaim: "I have given everything for this family, I have done so much — why do you treat me like this?" * Classic mapping and dismantling: * Where people most easily mis-map: Assuming that past contributions are deposited one by one into a fixed "agent," which then demands that the real world repay it in equal measure according to the agent's wishes. * Buddhist walkthrough: The act of giving (karma-making) is the continuous flow of countless past moments of mind and action (意业, mental karma; 身业, bodily karma). The present conflict arises from the other person's present causes and conditions. There is no solidified "benefactor-agent," nor is there a "ruler" who can arbitrarily manipulate others.
Why Contemporary People Need It
Modern society is an era that heavily emphasizes "self," "individualism," and "subjective agency." Algorithmic living, personal branding, self-help, and similar concepts continuously reinforce a message: You are the sole CEO of your destiny; you are the exclusive author of your life story.
While this notion promotes individual effort to a certain degree, it has simultaneously pushed contemporary people into unprecedented spiritual predicaments:
1. Deconstructing the modern person's "hyper-responsibility anxiety" Contemporary society attributes all success and failure to individual ability (i.e., the strength of the "agent"). Success brings extreme inflation and anxiety (fear of falling); failure plunges one into severe self-suppression and depression. Understanding "no agent" frees one from the illusory burden of "everything rests on me," revealing that all things are products of causes and conditions, and teaches one to "do one's utmost (act in accordance with conditions) and accept what comes (receive the fruits of dependent origination)."
2. In dialogue with contemporary technology and neuroscience * The neuroscience and AI parallel: Modern cognitive neuroscience (e.g., free-will experiments) has found that several hundred milliseconds before conscious awareness of "I decided to do this action," the brain's neural network has already completed its electrical impulse preparation. This resonates with the Buddhist insight of "no substantial agent, only the flowing of the five aggregates." An AI system has no "soul ruler," yet through complex neural networks it takes in input and produces output to make extremely precise decisions — a fitting analogy for the possibility of "action and karmic activity without an agent." * Noting the limits of science: It must be emphasized that brain science is based on third-person materialist neural observation, whereas the Buddhist "no-self / no-agent" is liberative wisdom, attained in first-person pure awareness through deep śamatha-vipaśyanā meditation, that completely eradicates afflictions (烦恼, kleśa). Scientific analogies aid understanding, but by no means do they constitute science "proving" the Dharma, nor can the Buddhist path of liberation be reduced to the neurochemical reactions of a material brain.
Common Misreadings and Clarifications
Misreading One: "Since there is no agent, does that mean 'I' no longer need to be responsible for my actions? (Falling into nihilism / annihilationism)"
* Clarification: This is the most common misunderstanding. Non-Buddhists often challenge: "If there is no agent, who performs karma? Who receives retribution?" Buddhism answers: "There is no agent, yet karmic results continue." Although there is no permanent "substantial self" performing karma, the activities of body, speech, and mind generate karmic momentum (like the inertia of a flowing stream). The psychological activity of the previous moment (cause) triggers the experiential feeling of the next moment (result); the continuous operation of this causal chain is extremely rigorous and never fails. The absence of an agent does not mean the absence of cause and effect; on the contrary, precisely because there is no fixed agent, karma can be transformed in accordance with conditions — and cultivating the path to change one's destiny becomes possible.
Misreading Two: "'No agent' means one should completely give up effort in life and become a passive, negative 'lying-flat' person."
* Clarification: "No agent" breaks the clinging to a "substantial self," not the performance of wholesome karma. In Buddhism, right effort (正精进, samyag-vyāyāma), practicing the ten wholesome deeds (十善, daśa-kuśala), and cultivating the six perfections (六度, ṣaḍ-pāramitā) are all extremely important practices. A practitioner who understands "no agent" becomes more focused and pure in action — because one no longer acts to satisfy "my pride," nor becomes disheartened by "my failure." One simply follows pure causes and conditions to perform wholesome karma, just as the 《金刚经》 (Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra, Diamond Sūtra) says: 「应无所住而生其心」 — *"give rise to the mind without abiding anywhere."* This is an extremely refined life-wisdom endowed with powerful capacity for action.
Misreading Three: "'Agent' refers to the author of an article, or the creator of a work of art."
* Clarification: In linguistic translation, the Chinese word 作者 in contemporary usage mostly refers to the subject of literary or artistic creation. But in the classical catalogues of Buddhist philosophy, 「作者」(kartṛ, "agent") is a strict philosophical technical term, specifically meaning "the substantial entity-self (ātman) that initiates actions and rules over life." One must not use the literal meaning of the modern Chinese word to narrow or dilute this profound doctrine.