#2. Impermanence

Ānanda asks the Buddha what exactly is meant when we say that things cease. The Buddha explains it as the cessation of the aggregates.At Sāvatthī. Then Venerable Ānanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to the Buddha: “Sir, they speak of ‘cessation’. The cessation of what things does this refer to?” “Ānanda, form is impermanent, conditioned, dependently originated, liable to end, vanish, fade away, and cease. [Read More]

Since the causes of the aggregates are not-self, how can the aggregates be self?At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, form is not-self. The cause and condition that gives rise to form is also not-self. Since form is produced by what is not-self, how could it be self? Feeling is not-self … Perception is not-self … Choices are not-self … Consciousness is not-self. The cause and condition that gives rise to consciousness is also not-self. [Read More]

Since the causes of the aggregates are suffering, how can the aggregates be free of suffering?At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, form is suffering. The cause and condition that gives rise to form is also suffering. Since form is produced by what is suffering, how could it be happiness? Feeling is suffering … Perception is suffering … Choices are suffering … Consciousness is suffering. The cause and condition that gives rise to consciousness is also suffering. [Read More]

Since the causes of the aggregates are impermanent, how can the aggregates be permanent?At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, form is impermanent. The cause and condition that gives rise to form is also impermanent. Since form is produced by what is impermanent, how could it be permanent? Feeling is impermanent … Perception is impermanent … Choices are impermanent … Consciousness is impermanent. The cause and condition that gives rise to consciousness is also impermanent. [Read More]

One should truly understand the five aggregates as not-self.At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, form is not-self. And what’s not-self should be truly seen with right understanding like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’ Feeling is not-self … Perception is not-self … Choices are not-self … Consciousness is not-self. And what’s not-self should be truly seen with right understanding like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self. [Read More]

One should truly understand the five aggregates as suffering, etc.At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, form is suffering. What’s suffering is not-self. And what’s not-self should be truly seen with right understanding like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’ Feeling is suffering … Perception is suffering … Choices are suffering … Consciousness is suffering. What’s suffering is not-self. And what’s not-self should be truly seen with right understanding like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self. [Read More]

One should truly understand the five aggregates as impermanent, etc.At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, form is impermanent. What’s impermanent is suffering. What’s suffering is not-self. And what’s not-self should be truly seen with right understanding like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’ Feeling is impermanent … Perception is impermanent … Choices are impermanent … Consciousness is impermanent. What’s impermanent is suffering. What’s suffering is not-self. [Read More]

Because the aggregates are not-self, a noble disciple becomes disillusioned with them.At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness are not-self. Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness. Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they’re freed. When they’re freed, they know they’re freed. 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. [Read More]

Because the aggregates are impermanent, a noble disciple becomes disillusioned with them.So I have heard. At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness are impermanent. Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness. Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they’re freed. When they’re freed, they know they’re freed. 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. [Read More]