{"id":"sn22.59","title":"The Characteristic of Not-Self","languageCodes":["en","pi"],"languageNotes":{"en":"Bhikkhu Sujato · CC0","pi":"Mahāsaṅgīti edition · SuttaCentral"},"chapters":[{"id":"sn22.59","title":"The Characteristic of Not-Self","units":[{"id":"sn22.59:0","sourceIds":["sn22.59:0.1","sn22.59:0.2","sn22.59:0.3"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Saṁyutta Nikāya 22.59\n6. Upayavagga\nAnattalakkhaṇasutta","en":"Linked Discourses 22.59\n6. Involvement\nThe Characteristic of Not-Self"}},{"id":"sn22.59:1","sourceIds":["sn22.59:1.1","sn22.59:1.2","sn22.59:1.3","sn22.59:1.4","sn22.59:1.5"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā bārāṇasiyaṁ viharati isipatane migadāye.\nTatra kho bhagavā pañcavaggiye bhikkhū āmantesi:\n“bhikkhavo”ti.\n“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.\nBhagavā etadavoca:","en":"At one time the Buddha was staying near Varanasi in the deer park at Isipatana.\nThere the Buddha addressed the group of five mendicants:\n“Mendicants!”\n“Venerable sir,” they replied.\nThe Buddha said this:"}},{"id":"sn22.59:2","sourceIds":["sn22.59:2.1","sn22.59:2.2","sn22.59:2.3","sn22.59:2.4","sn22.59:2.5"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"“Rūpaṁ, bhikkhave, anattā.\nRūpañca hidaṁ, bhikkhave, attā abhavissa, nayidaṁ rūpaṁ ābādhāya saṁvatteyya, labbhetha ca rūpe:\n‘evaṁ me rūpaṁ hotu, evaṁ me rūpaṁ mā ahosī’ti.\nYasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, rūpaṁ anattā, tasmā rūpaṁ ābādhāya saṁvattati, na ca labbhati rūpe:\n‘evaṁ me rūpaṁ hotu, evaṁ me rūpaṁ mā ahosī’ti.","en":"“Mendicants, form is not-self.\nFor if form were self, it wouldn’t lead to affliction. And you could compel form:\n‘May my form be like this! May it not be like that!’\nBut because form is not-self, it leads to affliction. And you can’t compel form:\n‘May my form be like this! May it not be like that!’"}},{"id":"sn22.59:3","sourceIds":["sn22.59:3.1","sn22.59:3.2","sn22.59:3.3","sn22.59:3.4","sn22.59:3.5"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Vedanā anattā.\nVedanā ca hidaṁ, bhikkhave, attā abhavissa, nayidaṁ vedanā ābādhāya saṁvatteyya, labbhetha ca vedanāya:\n‘evaṁ me vedanā hotu, evaṁ me vedanā mā ahosī’ti.\nYasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, vedanā anattā, tasmā vedanā ābādhāya saṁvattati, na ca labbhati vedanāya:\n‘evaṁ me vedanā hotu, evaṁ me vedanā mā ahosī’ti.","en":"Feeling is not-self …"}},{"id":"sn22.59:4","sourceIds":["sn22.59:4.1","sn22.59:4.2","sn22.59:4.3","sn22.59:4.4","sn22.59:4.5","sn22.59:4.6"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Saññā anattā …pe…\nsaṅkhārā anattā.\nSaṅkhārā ca hidaṁ, bhikkhave, attā abhavissaṁsu, nayidaṁ saṅkhārā ābādhāya saṁvatteyyuṁ, labbhetha ca saṅkhāresu:\n‘evaṁ me saṅkhārā hontu, evaṁ me saṅkhārā mā ahesun’ti.\nYasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā anattā, tasmā saṅkhārā ābādhāya saṁvattanti, na ca labbhati saṅkhāresu:\n‘evaṁ me saṅkhārā hontu, evaṁ me saṅkhārā mā ahesun’ti.","en":"Perception is not-self …\nChoices are not-self …"}},{"id":"sn22.59:5","sourceIds":["sn22.59:5.1","sn22.59:5.2","sn22.59:5.3","sn22.59:5.4","sn22.59:5.5"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Viññāṇaṁ anattā.\nViññāṇañca hidaṁ, bhikkhave, attā abhavissa, nayidaṁ viññāṇaṁ ābādhāya saṁvatteyya, labbhetha ca viññāṇe:\n‘evaṁ me viññāṇaṁ hotu, evaṁ me viññāṇaṁ mā ahosī’ti.\nYasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, viññāṇaṁ anattā, tasmā viññāṇaṁ ābādhāya saṁvattati, na ca labbhati viññāṇe:\n‘evaṁ me viññāṇaṁ hotu, evaṁ me viññāṇaṁ mā ahosī’ti.","en":"Consciousness is not-self.\nFor if consciousness were self, it wouldn’t lead to affliction. And you could compel consciousness:\n‘May my consciousness be like this! May it not be like that!’\nBut because consciousness is not-self, it leads to affliction. And you can’t compel consciousness:\n‘May my consciousness be like this! May it not be like that!’"}},{"id":"sn22.59:6","sourceIds":["sn22.59:6.1","sn22.59:6.2","sn22.59:6.3","sn22.59:6.4","sn22.59:6.5","sn22.59:6.6","sn22.59:6.7","sn22.59:6.8","sn22.59:6.9","sn22.59:6.10","sn22.59:6.11","sn22.59:6.12","sn22.59:6.13","sn22.59:6.14","sn22.59:6.15","sn22.59:6.16","sn22.59:6.17","sn22.59:6.18"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave,\nrūpaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?\n“Aniccaṁ, bhante”.\n“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vā taṁ sukhaṁ vā”ti?\n“Dukkhaṁ, bhante”.\n“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, kallaṁ nu taṁ samanupassituṁ:\n‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’”ti?\n“No hetaṁ, bhante”.\n“Vedanā …\nsaññā …\nsaṅkhārā …\nviññāṇaṁ niccaṁ vā aniccaṁ vā”ti?\n“Aniccaṁ, bhante”.\n“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vā taṁ sukhaṁ vā”ti?\n“Dukkhaṁ, bhante”.\n“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, kallaṁ nu taṁ samanupassituṁ:\n‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’”ti?\n“No hetaṁ, bhante”.","en":"What do you think, mendicants?\nIs form permanent or impermanent?”\n“Impermanent, sir.”\n“But if it’s impermanent, is it suffering or happiness?”\n“Suffering, sir.”\n“But if it’s impermanent, suffering, and perishable, is it fit to be regarded thus:\n‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?”\n“No, sir.”\n“Is feeling permanent or impermanent?” …\n“Is perception permanent or impermanent?” …\n“Are choices permanent or impermanent?” …\n“Is consciousness permanent or impermanent?”\n“Impermanent, sir.”\n“But if it’s impermanent, is it suffering or happiness?”\n“Suffering, sir.”\n“But if it’s impermanent, suffering, and perishable, is it fit to be regarded thus:\n‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?”\n“No, sir.”"}},{"id":"sn22.59:7","sourceIds":["sn22.59:7.1"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"“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.","en":"“So you should truly see any kind of form at all—past, future, or present; internal or external; solid or subtle; inferior or superior; far or near: all form—with right understanding: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’"}},{"id":"sn22.59:8","sourceIds":["sn22.59:8.1"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"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.","en":"Any kind of feeling at all …"}},{"id":"sn22.59:9","sourceIds":["sn22.59:9.1","sn22.59:9.2"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Yā kāci saññā …pe…\nye 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.","en":"Any kind of perception at all …\nAny kind of choices at all …"}},{"id":"sn22.59:10","sourceIds":["sn22.59:10.1"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"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.","en":"You should truly see any kind of consciousness at all—past, future, or present; internal or external; solid or subtle; inferior or superior; far or near: all consciousness—with right understanding: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’"}},{"id":"sn22.59:11","sourceIds":["sn22.59:11.1","sn22.59:11.2","sn22.59:11.3"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Evaṁ passaṁ, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako rūpasmimpi nibbindati, vedanāyapi nibbindati, saññāyapi nibbindati, saṅkhāresupi nibbindati, viññāṇasmimpi nibbindati.\nNibbindaṁ virajjati; virāgā vimuccati. Vimuttasmiṁ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ hoti.\n‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānātī”ti.","en":"Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness.\nBeing disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they’re freed. When they’re freed, they know they’re freed.\nThey understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.’”"}},{"id":"sn22.59:12","sourceIds":["sn22.59:12.1","sn22.59:12.2","sn22.59:12.3","sn22.59:12.4"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Idamavoca bhagavā.\nAttamanā pañcavaggiyā bhikkhū bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinanduṁ.\nImasmiñca pana veyyākaraṇasmiṁ bhaññamāne pañcavaggiyānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ anupādāya āsavehi cittāni vimucciṁsūti.\nSattamaṁ.","en":"That is what the Buddha said.\nSatisfied, the group of five mendicants approved what the Buddha said.\nAnd while this discourse was being spoken, the minds of the group of five mendicants were freed from defilements by not grasping."}}]}],"sourceRevision":"afdafa92450cfe7573b280da50382888323666d2","sourceUrl":"https://suttacentral.net/sn22.59/en/sujato","licence":"CC0 1.0","licenceUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/","editionNote":"Full supplied source file; inherited abbreviations are preserved. Not a reconstructed expansion of every repetition. No Malay or Mandarin translation is implied."}