The only thing unconditioned—in the same way that it is described in the Suttas, as "the unconditioned"—is Nibbāna. For anicca and dukkha, the Buddha describes these characteristics only in relation to conditioned phenomena (sabbe saṅkhārā), because Nibbāna is permanent (cannot be reversed), and therefore anicca doesn't apply to it—and the characteristic of dukkha also doesn't apply, because Nibbāna can't give rise to suffering. The characteristic of anattā, however, applies to both conditioned phenomena and unconditioned phenomena (i.e., Nibbāna), because even Nibbāna itself is anattā/not-self. Therefore, for anattā, "sabbe dhammā" is said instead of "sabbe saṅkhāra."Spiny Norman wrote: ↑Wed Oct 20, 2021 9:11 am As for the tilakkhana, don't these just apply to conditioned existence, with the unconditioned (Nibbana) as the "escape"?
When the Buddha describes the three characteristics of existence (tilakkhaṇa), that all "phenomena are impermanent, suffering and not-self," he doesn't mean that all things, including objects outside of our own mind—through their existence alone—"are" suffering. That doesn't make sense. It's that all things are unsatisfactory and are susceptible to the arising of suffering. In the teaching of the three characteristics of existence/tilakkhaṇa, dukkha is described as a characteristic.Spiny Norman wrote: ↑Wed Oct 20, 2021 9:11 am Is there clear evidence in the suttas for your distinction between what is unsatisfactory and what is suffering? The idea of two types of dukkha?
In numerous other Suttas, however, the Buddha talks about dukkha, in the sense that it is usually understood, as mental pain.
Lakkhaṇa (nt.) [Vedic lakṣman nt. sign; adj. lakṣmaṇa; later Sk. lakṣmaṇa nt. In the defn of grammarians syn. with anka brand, e. g. Dhtp 536 "anka lakkhaṇe lakkha dassane," or Dhtm 748 "lakkha=dassanaanke"; cp. J i.451 lakkhaṇena anketi to brand. — The Sk. Np. Lakṣmaṇa appears also in Prk. as Lakkhaṇa: Pischel, Prk. Gr. § 312] 1. sign, characteristic, mark; esp. a sign as implying something extraordinary or pointing to the future, therefore a prognosticative mark (cp. talisman), a distinguishing mark or salient feature, property, quality
—PTS Dictionary