Saṃyutta Nikāya
3. Khandha Vagga
22. Khandha Saṃyutta
5. Atta-Dīpa Vagga
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
3. The Book Called the Khandhā-Vagga
Containing Kindred Sayings on the Elements of Sensory Existence and other Subjects
22. Kindred Sayings on Elements
5. On Being an Island to Self
Sutta 45
Paṭhama Aniccatā Suttaṃ
Impermanence (1)
Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
For details see Terms of Use.
The Exalted One was staying at Sāvatthī.
The Exalted One said:
"Body, brethren, is impermanent.
What is impermanent,
that is suffering.
What is suffering,
that is without the self.
What is without the self,
'That is not mine,
I am not that,
not of me is this self'.
Thus should one view it
by perfect insight
as it really is.
For the one who thus sees it
as it really is
by perfect insight,
his heart turns away,
is released[1] from it
by not grasping at the āsavas.[2]
■
"Feeling, brethren, is impermanent.
What is impermanent,
that is suffering.
What is suffering,
that is without the self.
What is without the self,
that is not mine,
I am not that,
not of me is this self.
Thus should one view it
by perfect insight
as it really is.
For the one who thus sees it
as it really is
by perfect insight,
his heart turns away,
is released from it
by not grasping at the āsavas.
■
"Perception, brethren, is impermanent.
What is impermanent,
that is suffering.
What is suffering,
that is without the self.
What is without the self,
that is not mine,
I am not that,
not of me is this self.
Thus should one view it
by perfect insight
as it really is.
For the one who thus sees it
as it really is
by perfect insight,
his heart turns away,
is released from it
by not grasping at the āsavas.
■
"The activities, brethren, are impermanent.
What is impermanent,
that is suffering.
What is suffering,
that is without the self.
What is without the self,
that is not mine,
I am not that,
not of me is this self.
Thus should one view it
by perfect insight
as it really is.
For the one who thus sees it
as it really is
by perfect insight,
his heart turns away,
is released from it
by not grasping at the āsavas.
■
"Consciousness, brethren, is impermanent.
What is impermanent,
that is suffering.
What is suffering,
that is without the self.
What is without the self,
that is not mine,
I am not that,
not of me is this self.
Thus should one view it
by perfect insight
as it really is.
For the one who thus sees it
as it really is
by perfect insight,
his heart turns away,
is released from it
by not grasping at the āsavas.
§
But if, brethren, a brother's heart turns away from the material element,
and is released from it
by not grasping at the āsavas:
if a brother's heart turns away from the feeling element,[ed1]
and is released from it
by not grasping at the āsavas:
if a brother's heart turns away from the perception element,
and is released from it
by not grasping at the āsavas:
if a brother's heart turns away from the activities element,
and is released from it
by not grasping at the āsavas:
if a brother's heart turns away from the from consciousness element,
and is released from it
by not grasping at the āsavas;
then by its release[3] it is steadfast;
by its steadfastness it is happy;
by its happiness it is not troubled;
not being troubled,
of its own self it is utterly well;
so that he knows:
'Destroyed is rebirth,
lived is the righteous life,
done is the task,
for life in these conditions
there is no hereafter.'"
[1] Cf. S. ii, 48; K.S. ii, 37. Comy. explains, 'he turns away at the moment of realizing the Path, and is released at the moment of realizing the Fruits of the Path.
[2] Comy., anuppāda-nirodena niruddhehi āsavehi agahtivā.
[3] Reading for vimyuttatā, vimuttattā.
[ed1] From here Woodward neglects the 'element' (dhātuyā) connected with each of the following.
