Saṃyutta Nikāya
3. Khandha Vagga
22. Khandha Saṃyutta
10. Puppha 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
10. On Flowers
Sutta 102
Anicca-Saññā Suttaṃ aka Aniccatā (or Sañña)
Impermanence (or Perception)
Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
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The Exalted One was once staying near Sāvatthī
at the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.
And there the Exalted One addressed the brethren, saying:
"Brethren!"
"Master!" responded those brethren.
The Exalted One said:
"The perceiving of impermanence, brethren,
if practised and enlarged,
wears out[1] all sensual lust,
wears out all lust for body,
all lust of rebirth,
all ignorance,
wears out,
tears out,
all conceit of 'I am.'
Just as, brethren, in the autumn season
a ploughman
ploughing with a great ploughshare,
cuts through the spreading roots
as he ploughs;
even so, brethren,
the perceiving of impermanence,
if practised and enlarged,
wears out all sensual lust,
wears out all lust for body,
all lust for rebirth,
wears out all ignorance,
wears out,
tears out,
all conceit of 'I am.'
Just as, brethren, a reed-cutter
cuts down a reed,
and grasping it by the end
shakes it up and down
and to and fro
and tosses it aside;[2];
even so, brethren,
the perceiving of impermanence,
if practised and enlarged,
wears out all sensual lust,
wears out all lust for body,
all lust for rebirth,
wears out all ignorance,
wears out,
tears out,
all conceit of 'I am.'
Just as, brethren, when a bunch of mangoes
is cut from the stalk,
all the mangoes that are joined to the stalk
go along with it;
even so, brethren,
the perceiving of impermanence,
if practised and enlarged,
wears out all sensual lust,
wears out all lust for body,
all lust for rebirth,
wears out all ignorance,
wears out,
tears out,
all conceit of 'I am.'
Just as, brethren, in a peaked house[3]
all rafters whatsoever
go together to the peak,
slope to the peak,
join in the peak,
and of them all
the peak holds chief place;
even so, brethren,
the perceiving of impermanence,
if practised and enlarged,
wears out all sensual lust,
wears out all lust for body,
all lust for rebirth,
wears out all ignorance,
wears out,
tears out,
all conceit of 'I am.'
Just as, brethren, of all scented woods
the dark sandalwood
is reckoned chief;
even so, brethren,
the perceiving of impermanence,
if practised and enlarged,
wears out all sensual lust,
wears out all lust for body,
all lust for rebirth,
wears out all ignorance,
wears out,
tears out,
all conceit of 'I am.'
Just as, brethren, of all scented heart-woods
the red sandalwood
is reckoned chief;
even so, brethren,
the perceiving of impermanence,
if practised and enlarged,
wears out all sensual lust,
wears out all lust for body,
all lust for rebirth,
wears out all ignorance,
wears out,
tears out,
all conceit of 'I am.'
[133] Just as, brethren, of all scented flowers
the jasmine
is reckoned chief;
even so, brethren,
the perceiving of impermanence,
if practised and enlarged,
wears out all sensual lust,
wears out all lust for body,
all lust for rebirth,
wears out all ignorance,
wears out,
tears out,
all conceit of 'I am.'
Just as, brethren, all petty princes whatsoever
are subject to[4] a universal monarch;
just as the universal monarch
is reckoned chief of them;
even so, brethren,
the perceiving of impermanence,
if practised and enlarged,
wears out all sensual lust,
wears out all lust for body,
all lust for rebirth,
wears out all ignorance,
wears out,
tears out,
all conceit of 'I am.'
Just as, brethren, of all starry bodies whatsoever
the radiance does not equal
one-sixteenth part of the moon's radiance,
just as the moon
is reckoned chief of them;
even so, brethren,
the perceiving of impermanence,
if practised and enlarged,
wears out all sensual lust,
wears out all lust for body,
all lust for rebirth,
wears out all ignorance,
wears out,
tears out,
all conceit of 'I am.'
Just as, brethren, in the autumn season,
when the sky[5] is opened up
and cleared of clouds,
the sun,
leaping up into the firmament,[6]
drives away all darkness from the heavens,
and shines
and burns
and flashes forth;
even so, brethren,
the perceiving of impermanence,
if practised and enlarged,
wears out all sensual lust,
wears out all lust for body,
all lust for rebirth,
wears out all ignorance,
wears out,
tears out,
all conceit of 'I am.'
And in what way, brethren,
does it so wear them out?
It is by seeing:
'Such is body,
such is the arising of body,
such is the ceasing of body,
Such is feeling,
such is the arising of feeling,
such is the ceasing of feeling,
Such is perception,
such is the arising of perception,
such is the ceasing of perception,
Such are the activities,
such is the arising the activities,
such is the ceasing the activities,
Such is consciousness,
such is the arising of consciousness,
such is the ceasing of consciousness.'
Even so, brethren,
the perceiving of impermanence,
if practised and enlarged,
wears out all sensual lust,
wears out all lust for body,
all lust for rebirth,
wears out all ignorance,
wears out,
tears out,
all conceit of 'I am.'"
[1] Pariyādiyati Cf. K.S. ii, 95: 'wholly finished'; Vin. Texts i, 20: 'conquers.'
[2] Nicchodtti. Cf. J.P.T.S. 1917, 53.
[3] Kūṭaninnā. Cf. do. 47 and S. v, 43.
[4] Anuyantā, 'following after.' At S. v, 44, the reading is anuyuttā, 'subject to.' We find the same interchange of readings at § 96 supra (text, 145).
[5] Devo. B. 'ākāsa' the (sky) god. Cf. S. i, 65: K.S. i, 89. At Itiv. 20 the reading is nabhe for deve.
[6] Text has abbhussukkamāno ('energizing'), but Itiv. 20 and Pāli Dict. read abbhussakamāno, 'springing up into the sky.'
