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Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa

3.2.10 Anattalakkhaṇasuttaṃ

Characteristics of Not Self

Anattalakkhaṇasuttaṃ	Characteristics of Not Self
Ekaṃ samayaṃ bhagavā bārāṇasiyaṃ viharati isipatane migadāye.	At one time the Bhagavā was staying at Bārāṇasi, in the Deer Park at Isipatana.
Tatra kho bhagavā pañcavaggiye bhikkhū āmantesi:	Here he addressed the pañcavaggiya bhikkhus, the group of five.
‘‘Bhikkhavo’’ti. ‘‘Bhadante’’ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṃ. Bhagavā etadavoca:	“Bhikkhus.” “Bhadante,” they replied. The Bhagavā spoke thus:
‘‘Rūpaṃ, bhikkhave, anattā. Rūpañca hidaṃ, bhikkhave, attā abhavissa, nayidaṃ rūpaṃ ābādhāya saṃvatteyya, labbhetha ca rūpe:	“Bhikkhus, body is not self. Were body self, then this very body would not subject to disease and the body could be obtained thus:
‘Evaṃ me rūpaṃ hotu, evaṃ me rūpaṃ mā ahosī’ti.	‘Let my body be such and such, let my body be not thus.’
Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, rūpaṃ anattā, tasmā rūpaṃ ābādhāya saṃvattati, na ca labbhati rūpe:	But as body is not self, so it is subject to disease, and the body cannot be obtained thus:
‘Evaṃ me rūpaṃ hotu, evaṃ me rūpaṃ mā ahosī’’’ti.	‘Let my body be such and such, let my body be not thus.’
‘‘Vedanā anattā.	“Sensation is not self.
Vedanā ca hidaṃ, bhikkhave, attā abhavissa, nayidaṃ vedanā ābādhāya saṃvatteyya, labbhetha ca vedanāya :	Were sensation self, Bhikkhus, then this very sensation were not to undergo change and sensation could be obtained thus:
‘Evaṃ me vedanā hotu, evaṃ me vedanā mā ahosī’ti.	‘Let my sensation be such and such, let my sensation be not thus.’
Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, vedanā anattā, tasmā vedanā ābādhāya saṃvattati, na ca labbhati vedanāya:	But as sensation is not self, so it undergoes change and sensation cannot be obtained thus:
‘Evaṃ me vedanā hotu, evaṃ me vedanā mā ahosī’’’ti.	‘Let my sensation be such and such, let my sensation be not thus.’
‘‘Saññā anattā…pe…	“Perception is not self. Were perception self, Bhikkhus, then this very perception would not undergo change and perception could be obtained thus: ‘Let my perception be such and such, let my perception be not thus.’ But as perception is not self, so it undergoes change and perception cannot be obtained thus: ‘Let my perception be such and such, let my perception be not thus.’
Saṅkhārā anattā.	“Mental conditioned reaction is not self.
Saṅkhārā ca hidaṃ, Bhikkhave, attā abhavissaṃsu, nayidaṃ saṅkhārā ābādhāya saṃvatteyyuṃ, labbhetha ca saṅkhāresu:	Were mental conditioned reaction self, Bhikkhus, then this very mental conditioned reaction would not undergo change and mental conditioned reaction could be obtained thus:
‘Evaṃ me saṅkhārā hontu, evaṃ me saṅkhārā mā ahesu’nti.	‘Let my mental conditioned reaction be such and such, let my mental conditioned reaction be not thus.’
Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā anattā, tasmā saṅkhārā ābādhāya saṃvattanti, na ca labbhati saṅkhāresu:	But as mental conditioned reaction is not self, so it undergoes change and mental conditioned reaction cannot be obtained thus:
‘Evaṃ me saṅkhārā hontu, evaṃ me saṅkhārā mā ahesu’’’ti.	‘Let my mental conditioned reaction be such and such, let my mental conditioned reaction be not thus.’
‘‘Viññāṇaṃ anattā.	“Consciousness is not self.
Viññāṇañca hidaṃ, bhikkhave, attā abhavissa, nayidaṃ viññāṇaṃ ābādhāya saṃvatteyya, labbhetha ca viññāṇe:	Were consciousness self, Bhikkhus, then this very consciousness would not be subject to change and consciousness could be obtained thus:
‘Evaṃ me viññāṇaṃ hotu, evaṃ me viññāṇaṃ mā ahosī’ti.	‘Let my consciousness be such and such, let my consciousness be not thus.’
Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, viññāṇaṃ anattā, tasmā viññāṇaṃ ābādhāya saṃvattati, na ca labbhati viññāṇe:	But as consciousness is not self, so it is subject to change, and consciousness cannot be obtained thus:
‘evaṃ me viññāṇaṃ hotu, evaṃ me viññāṇaṃ mā ahosī’’’ti.	‘Let my consciousness be such and such, let my consciousness be not thus.’
‘‘Taṃ kiṃ maññatha, bhikkhave, rūpaṃ niccaṃ vā aniccaṃ vā’’ti?	“Now what do you think, Bhikkhus, is body permanent or impermanent?”
‘‘Aniccaṃ, bhante’’. ‘‘Yaṃ panāniccaṃ dukkhaṃ vā taṃ sukhaṃ vā’’ti?	“Impermanent, Bhante.” “Now whatever is impermanent is it painful or pleasant?”
‘‘Dukkhaṃ, bhante’’. ‘‘Yaṃ panāniccaṃ dukkhaṃ vipariṇāmadhammaṃ, kallaṃ nu taṃ samanupassituṃ :	“It is painful, Bhante.” “Now can, whatever is impermanent and what is painful and therefore subject to change, be considered thus:
‘Etaṃ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’’’ti? ‘‘No hetaṃ, bhante’’.	“This is mine, this is I, this is myself?” “No, Bhante.”
‘‘Vedanā… saññā… saṅkhārā… viññāṇaṃ niccaṃ vā aniccaṃ vā’’ti?	“Now what do you think, Bhikkhus, is sensation…; perception…; mental conditioned reaction…; consciousness permanent or impermanent?” —
‘‘Aniccaṃ, bhante’’. ‘‘Yaṃ panāniccaṃ dukkhaṃ vā taṃ sukhaṃ vā’’ti?	“Impermanent, Bhante.” “Now whatever is impermanent is it painful or pleasant?” —
‘‘Dukkhaṃ, bhante’’. ‘‘Yaṃ panāniccaṃ dukkhaṃ vipariṇāmadhammaṃ, kallaṃ nu taṃ samanupassituṃ :	“It is painful, Bhante.” “Now can, whatever is impermanent and what is painful and therefore subject to change, considered thus:
‘Etaṃ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’’’ti? ‘‘No hetaṃ, bhante’’.	‘This is mine, this is I, this is myself?’” “No, Bhante.”
‘‘Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, yaṃ kiñci rūpaṃ atītānāgatapaccuppannaṃ ajjhattaṃ vā bahiddhā vā oḷārikaṃ vā sukhumaṃ vā hīnaṃ vā paṇītaṃ vā yaṃ dūre santike vā, sabbaṃ rūpaṃ :	“Therefore, Bhikkhus, any kind of body whatsoever, whether arisen in the past, future or present, whether gross or subtle, whether internal or external, whether inferior or superior, whether far or near, must be realized with full wisdom in its true characteristic, thus:
‘Netaṃ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti	‘This is not mine, this is not I, this is not myself.’
Evametaṃ yathābhūtaṃ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṃ. Yā kāci vedanā atītānāgatapaccuppannā ajjhattā vā bahiddhā vā…pe… yā dūre santike vā, sabbā vedanā :	“Whatever sensation, whether arisen in the past, future or present, whether gross or subtle, whether internal or external, whether inferior or superior, whether far or near, must be realized with full wisdom in its true characteristic, thus:
‘Netaṃ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti	‘This is not mine, this is not I, this is not myself.’
Evametaṃ yathābhūtaṃ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṃ. ‘‘Yā kāci saññā…pe… ye keci saṅkhārā atītānāgatapaccuppannā ajjhattaṃ vā bahiddhā vā…pe… ye dūre santike vā, sabbe saṅkhārā :	“Whatever perception, whether arisen in the past, future or present, whether gross or subtle, whether internal or external, whether inferior or superior, whether far or near, must be realized with full wisdom in its true characteristic, thus:
‘Netaṃ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti	‘This is not mine, this is not I, this is not myself.’
Evametaṃ yathābhūtaṃ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṃ. ‘‘Yaṃ kiñci viññāṇaṃ atītānāgatapaccuppannaṃ ajjhattaṃ vā bahiddhā vā Oḷārikaṃ vā sukhumaṃ vā hīnaṃ vā paṇītaṃ vā yaṃ dūre santike vā, sabbaṃ viññāṇaṃ –	“Whatever mentally conditioned reactions, whether arisen in the past, future or present, whether gross or subtle, whether internal or external, whether inferior or superior, whether far or near, must be realized with full wisdom in its true characteristic, thus:
‘Netaṃ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti	‘This is not mine, this is not I, this is not myself.’
Evametaṃ yathābhūtaṃ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṃ.	“Whatever consciousness, whether arisen in the past, future or present, whether gross or subtle, whether internal or external, whether inferior or superior, whether far or near, must be realized with full wisdom in its true characteristic, thus: ‘This is not mine, this is not I, this is not myself.’
Evaṃ passaṃ, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako rūpasmimpi nibbindati, vedanāyapi nibbindati, saññāyapi nibbindati, saṅkhāresupi nibbindati, viññāṇasmimpi nibbindati	“Bhikkhus, when a noble follower of the Enlightened One perceives in this way, he gets disgusted with corporality, he gets disgusted by sensation, gets disgusted by perception, gets disgusted by mental conditioned reactions and he gets disgusted by consciousness.
Nibbindaṃ virajjati;	“When he thus gets disgusted, he gets freed from attachment.
virāgā vimuccati.	Being free from attachment, he gets liberated.
Vimuttasmiṃ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṃ hoti.	When thus liberated, knowledge about this very liberation arises and he understands:
‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṃ brahmacariyaṃ, kataṃ karaṇīyaṃ, nāparaṃ itthattāyā’ti pajānātī’’ti.	‘Birth is exhausted, the holy life has been lived, what could be done is done, there will be no further existence.’”
Idamavoca bhagavā. Attamanā pañcavaggiyā bhikkhū bhagavato bhāsitaṃ abhinandunti.	That is what the Bhagavā said. Elated in their minds, the bhikkhus approved his words.
Imasmiñca pana veyyākaraṇasmiṃ bhaññamāne pañcavaggiyānaṃ bhikkhūnaṃ anupādāya āsavehi cittāni vimucciṃsūti.	Now during this exposition, the bhikkhus of the group of five were liberated from all mental impurities and of any further attachment.

Upayavaggo, Khandhavaggo, Saṃyuttanikāyo