Saṁyutta Nikāya 22.59
Translators: sujato
Linked Discourses 22.59
6. Upayavagga
6. Involvement
Anattalakkhaṇasutta
The Characteristic of Not-Self
Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā bārāṇasiyaṁ viharati isipatane migadāye.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Varanasi, in the deer park at Isipatana.
Tatra kho bhagavā pañcavaggiye bhikkhū āmantesi:
There the Buddha addressed the group of five mendicants:
“bhikkhavo”ti.
“Mendicants!”
“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.
“Venerable sir,” they replied.
Bhagavā etadavoca:
The Buddha said this:
“Rūpaṁ, bhikkhave, anattā.
“Mendicants, form is not-self.
Rūpañca hidaṁ, bhikkhave, attā abhavissa, nayidaṁ rūpaṁ ābādhāya saṁvatteyya, labbhetha ca rūpe:
For if form were self, it wouldn’t lead to affliction. And you could compel form:
‘evaṁ me rūpaṁ hotu, evaṁ me rūpaṁ mā ahosī’ti.
‘May my form be like this! May it not be like that!’
Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, rūpaṁ anattā, tasmā rūpaṁ ābādhāya saṁvattati, na ca labbhati rūpe:
But because form is not-self, it leads to affliction. And you can’t compel form:
‘evaṁ me rūpaṁ hotu, evaṁ me rūpaṁ mā ahosī’ti.
‘May my form be like this! May it not be like that!’
Vedanā anattā.
Feeling is not-self …
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.
Saññā anattā …pe…
Perception is not-self …
saṅkhārā anattā.
Choices are not-self …
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.
Viññāṇaṁ anattā.
Consciousness is not-self.
Viññāṇañca hidaṁ, bhikkhave, attā abhavissa, nayidaṁ viññāṇaṁ ābādhāya saṁvatteyya, labbhetha ca viññāṇe:
For if consciousness were self, it wouldn’t lead to affliction. And you could compel consciousness:
‘evaṁ me viññāṇaṁ hotu, evaṁ me viññāṇaṁ mā ahosī’ti.
‘May my consciousness be like this! May it not be like that!’
Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, viññāṇaṁ anattā, tasmā viññāṇaṁ ābādhāya saṁvattati, na ca labbhati viññāṇe:
But because consciousness is not-self, it leads to affliction. And you can’t compel consciousness:
‘evaṁ me viññāṇaṁ hotu, evaṁ me viññāṇaṁ mā ahosī’ti.
‘May my consciousness be like this! May it not be like that!’
Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave,
What do you think, mendicants?
rūpaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?
Is form permanent or impermanent?”
“Aniccaṁ, bhante”.
“Impermanent, sir.”
“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vā taṁ sukhaṁ vā”ti?
“But if it’s impermanent, is it suffering or happiness?”
“Dukkhaṁ, bhante”.
“Suffering, sir.”
“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, kallaṁ nu taṁ samanupassituṁ:
“But if it’s impermanent, suffering, and perishable, is it fit to be regarded thus:
‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’”ti?
‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?”
“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“No, sir.”
“Vedanā …
“Is feeling permanent or impermanent?” …
saññā …
“Is perception permanent or impermanent?” …
saṅkhārā …
“Are choices permanent or impermanent?” …
viññāṇaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?
“Is consciousness permanent or impermanent?”
“Aniccaṁ, bhante”.
“Impermanent, sir.”
“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vā taṁ sukhaṁ vā”ti?
“But if it’s impermanent, is it suffering or happiness?”
“Dukkhaṁ, bhante”.
“Suffering, sir.”
“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, kallaṁ nu taṁ samanupassituṁ:
“But if it’s impermanent, suffering, and perishable, is it fit to be regarded thus:
‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’”ti?
‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?”
“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“No, sir.”
“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.
“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: <em>all</em> form—with right understanding: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’
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 feeling at all …
Yā kāci saññā …pe…
Any kind of perception 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.
Any kind of choices at all …
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.
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: <em>all</em> consciousness—with right understanding: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’
Evaṁ passaṁ, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako rūpasmimpi nibbindati, vedanāyapi nibbindati, saññāyapi nibbindati, saṅkhāresupi nibbindati, viññāṇasmimpi nibbindati.
Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness.
Nibbindaṁ virajjati; virāgā vimuccati. Vimuttasmiṁ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ hoti.
Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they’re freed. When they’re freed, they know they’re freed.
‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānātī”ti.
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.’”
Idamavoca bhagavā.
That is what the Buddha said.
Attamanā pañcavaggiyā bhikkhū bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinanduṁ.
Satisfied, the group of five mendicants approved what the Buddha said.
Imasmiñca pana veyyākaraṇasmiṁ bhaññamāne pañcavaggiyānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ anupādāya āsavehi cittāni vimucciṁsūti.
And while this discourse was being spoken, the minds of the group of five mendicants were freed from defilements by not grasping.
Sattamaṁ.