SN 22.59 The Characteristic of Not-Self – Anattalakkhaṇasutta

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SN 22.59 The Characteristic of Not-Self – Anattalakkhaṇasutta

Linked Discourses 22.59 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 22.59

6. Involvement – 6. Upayavagga

SN 22.59 The Characteristic of Not-Self – Anattalakkhaṇasutta

 

At one time the Buddha was staying near Benares, in the deer park at Isipatana.

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā bārāṇasiyaṁ viharati isipatane migadāye.

There the Buddha addressed the group of five bhikkhū:

Tatra kho bhagavā pañcavaggiye bhikkhū āmantesi:

Bhikkhū!”

“bhikkhavo”ti.

“Venerable sir,” they replied.

“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.

The Buddha said this:

Bhagavā etadavoca:

Bhikkhū, form is not-self.

“Rūpaṁ, bhikkhave, anattā.

For if form were self, it wouldn’t lead to affliction. And you could compel form:

Rūpañca hidaṁ, bhikkhave, attā abhavissa, nayidaṁ rūpaṁ ābādhāya saṁvatteyya, labbhetha ca rūpe:

‘May my form be like this! May it not be like that!’

‘evaṁ me rūpaṁ hotu, evaṁ me rūpaṁ mā ahosī’ti.

But because form is not-self, it leads to affliction. And you can’t compel form:

Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, rūpaṁ anattā, tasmā rūpaṁ ābādhāya saṁvattati, na ca labbhati rūpe:

‘May my form be like this! May it not be like that!’

‘evaṁ me rūpaṁ hotu, evaṁ me rūpaṁ mā ahosī’ti.

Feeling is not-self …

Vedanā anattā.

Vedanā ca hidaṁ, bhikkhave, attā abhavissa, nayidaṁ vedanā ābādhāya saṁvatteyya, labbhetha ca vedanāya:

‘evaṁ me vedanā hotu, evaṁ me vedanā mā ahosī’ti.

Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, vedanā anattā, tasmā vedanā ābādhāya saṁvattati, na ca labbhati vedanāya:

‘evaṁ me vedanā hotu, evaṁ me vedanā mā ahosī’ti.

Perception is not-self …

Saññā anattā …pe…

Saṅkhāra are not-self …

saṅkhārā anattā.

Saṅkhārā ca hidaṁ, bhikkhave, attā abhavissaṁsu, nayidaṁ saṅkhārā ābādhāya saṁvatteyyuṁ, labbhetha ca saṅkhāresu:

‘evaṁ me saṅkhārā hontu, evaṁ me saṅkhārā mā ahesun’ti.

Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā anattā, tasmā saṅkhārā ābādhāya saṁvattanti, na ca labbhati saṅkhāresu:

‘evaṁ me saṅkhārā hontu, evaṁ me saṅkhārā mā ahesun’ti.

Consciousness is not-self.

Viññāṇaṁ anattā.

For if consciousness were self, it wouldn’t lead to affliction. And you could compel consciousness:

Viññāṇañca hidaṁ, bhikkhave, attā abhavissa, nayidaṁ viññāṇaṁ ābādhāya saṁvatteyya, labbhetha ca viññāṇe:

‘May my consciousness be like this! May it not be like that!’

‘evaṁ me viññāṇaṁ hotu, evaṁ me viññāṇaṁ mā ahosī’ti.

But because consciousness is not-self, it leads to affliction. And you can’t compel consciousness:

Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, viññāṇaṁ anattā, tasmā viññāṇaṁ ābādhāya saṁvattati, na ca labbhati viññāṇe:

‘May my consciousness be like this! May it not be like that!’

‘evaṁ me viññāṇaṁ hotu, evaṁ me viññāṇaṁ mā ahosī’ti.

What do you think, bhikkhū?

Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave,

Is form permanent or anicca?”

rūpaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?

Anicca, sir.”

“Aniccaṁ, bhante”.

“But if it’s anicca, is it suffering or happiness?”

“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vā taṁ sukhaṁ vā”ti?

“Suffering, sir.”

“Dukkhaṁ, bhante”.

“But if it’s anicca, suffering, and perishable, is it fit to be regarded thus:

“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, kallaṁ nu taṁ samanupassituṁ:

‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?”

‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’”ti?

“No, sir.”

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.

“Is feeling permanent or anicca?” …

“Vedanā …

“Is perception permanent or anicca?” …

saññā …

“Are saṅkhāra permanent or anicca?” …

saṅkhārā …

“Is consciousness permanent or anicca?”

viññāṇaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?

Anicca, sir.”

“Aniccaṁ, bhante”.

“But if it’s anicca, is it suffering or happiness?”

“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vā taṁ sukhaṁ vā”ti?

“Suffering, sir.”

“Dukkhaṁ, bhante”.

“But if it’s anicca, suffering, and perishable, is it fit to be regarded thus:

“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, kallaṁ nu taṁ samanupassituṁ:

‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?”

‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’”ti?

“No, sir.”

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.

“So you should truly see any kind of form at all—past, future, or present; internal or external; coarse or fine; inferior or superior; far or near: all form—with right understanding: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’

“Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, yaṁ kiñci rūpaṁ atītānāgatapaccuppannaṁ ajjhattaṁ vā bahiddhā vā oḷārikaṁ vā sukhumaṁ vā hīnaṁ vā paṇītaṁ vā yaṁ dūre santike vā, sabbaṁ rūpaṁ: ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṁ.

Any kind of feeling at all …

Yā kāci vedanā atītānāgatapaccuppannā ajjhattā vā bahiddhā vā …pe… yā dūre santike vā, sabbā vedanā: ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṁ.

Any kind of perception at all …

Yā kāci saññā …pe…

Any kind of saṅkhāra at all …

ye keci saṅkhārā atītānāgatapaccuppannā ajjhattaṁ vā bahiddhā vā …pe… ye dūre santike vā, sabbe saṅkhārā: ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṁ.

You should truly see any kind of consciousness at all—past, future, or present; internal or external; coarse or fine; inferior or superior; far or near: all consciousness—with right understanding: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’

Yaṁ kiñci viññāṇaṁ atītānāgatapaccuppannaṁ ajjhattaṁ vā bahiddhā vā oḷārikaṁ vā sukhumaṁ vā hīnaṁ vā paṇītaṁ vā yaṁ dūre santike vā, sabbaṁ viññāṇaṁ: ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṁ.

Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with form, feeling, perception, saṅkhāra, and consciousness.

Evaṁ passaṁ, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako rūpasmimpi nibbindati, vedanāyapi nibbindati, saññāyapi nibbindati, saṅkhāresupi nibbindati, viññāṇasmimpi nibbindati.

Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they’re freed. When they’re freed, they know they’re freed.

Nibbindaṁ virajjati; virāgā vimuccati. Vimuttasmiṁ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ hoti.

They understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is no return to any state of existence.’”

‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānātī”ti.

That is what the Buddha said.

Idamavoca bhagavā.

Satisfied, the group of five bhikkhū were happy with what the Buddha said.

Attamanā pañcavaggiyā bhikkhū bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinanduṁ.

And while this discourse was being spoken, the minds of the group of five bhikkhū were freed from defilements by not grasping.

Imasmiñca pana veyyākaraṇasmiṁ bhaññamāne pañcavaggiyānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ anupādāya āsavehi cittāni vimucciṁsūti.