SN 22.43

Attadīpasutta

Sāvatthinidānaṁ. “Attadīpā, bhikkhave, viharatha attasaraṇā anaññasaraṇā, dhammadīpā dhammasaraṇā anaññasaraṇā. Attadīpānaṁ, bhikkhave, viharataṁ attasaraṇānaṁ anaññasaraṇānaṁ, dhammadīpānaṁ dhammasaraṇānaṁ anaññasaraṇānaṁ yoni upaparikkhitabbā ‘Kiṁjātikā sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā, kiṁpahotikā’ti?

Be Your Own Island

At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, be your own island, your own refuge, with no other refuge. Let the teaching be your island and your refuge, with no other refuge. When you live like this, you should examine rationally: ‘From what are sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress born and produced?’

Kiṁjātikā ca, bhikkhave, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā, kiṁpahotikā? Idha, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano ariyānaṁ adassāvī ariyadhammassa akovido ariyadhamme avinīto, sappurisānaṁ adassāvī sappurisadhammassa akovido sappurisadhamme avinīto, rūpaṁ attato samanupassati, rūpavantaṁ vā attānaṁ; attani vā rūpaṁ, rūpasmiṁ vā attānaṁ. Tassa taṁ rūpaṁ vipariṇamati, aññathā ca hoti. Tassa rūpavipariṇāmaññathābhāvā uppajjanti sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā. Vedanaṁ attato samanupassati, vedanāvantaṁ vā attānaṁ; attani vā vedanaṁ, vedanāya vā attānaṁ. Tassa sā vedanā vipariṇamati, aññathā ca hoti. Tassa vedanāvipariṇāmaññathābhāvā uppajjanti sokaparideva …pe… pāyāsā. Saññaṁ attato samanupassati … saṅkhāre attato samanupassati … viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassati, viññāṇavantaṁ vā attānaṁ; attani vā viññāṇaṁ, viññāṇasmiṁ vā attānaṁ. Tassa taṁ viññāṇaṁ vipariṇamati, aññathā ca hoti. Tassa viññāṇavipariṇāmaññathābhāvā uppajjanti sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā.

And, mendicants, from what are sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress born and produced? It’s when an unlearned ordinary person has not seen the noble ones, and is neither skilled nor trained in the teaching of the noble ones. They’ve not seen true persons, and are neither skilled nor trained in the teaching of the true persons. They regard form as self, self as having form, form in self, or self in form. But that form of theirs decays and perishes, which gives rise to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. They regard feeling as self … They regard perception as self … They regard choices as self … They regard consciousness as self, self as having consciousness, consciousness in self, or self in consciousness. But that consciousness of theirs decays and perishes, which gives rise to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.

Rūpassa tveva, bhikkhave, aniccataṁ viditvā vipariṇāmaṁ virāgaṁ nirodhaṁ, ‘pubbe ceva rūpaṁ etarahi ca sabbaṁ rūpaṁ aniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhamman’ti, evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya passato ye sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā te pahīyanti. Tesaṁ pahānā na paritassati, aparitassaṁ sukhaṁ viharati, sukhavihārī bhikkhu ‘tadaṅganibbuto’ti vuccati. Vedanāya tveva, bhikkhave, aniccataṁ viditvā vipariṇāmaṁ virāgaṁ nirodhaṁ, ‘pubbe ceva vedanā etarahi ca sabbā vedanā aniccā dukkhā vipariṇāmadhammā’ti, evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya passato ye sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā te pahīyanti. Tesaṁ pahānā na paritassati, aparitassaṁ sukhaṁ viharati, sukhavihārī bhikkhu ‘tadaṅganibbuto’ti vuccati. Saññāya … saṅkhārānaṁ tveva, bhikkhave, aniccataṁ viditvā vipariṇāmaṁ virāgaṁ nirodhaṁ, ‘pubbe ceva saṅkhārā etarahi ca sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā dukkhā vipariṇāmadhammā’ti, evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya passato ye sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā te pahīyanti. Tesaṁ pahānā na paritassati, aparitassaṁ sukhaṁ viharati, sukhavihārī bhikkhu ‘tadaṅganibbuto’ti vuccati. Viññāṇassa tveva, bhikkhave, aniccataṁ viditvā vipariṇāmaṁ virāgaṁ nirodhaṁ, ‘pubbe ceva viññāṇaṁ etarahi ca sabbaṁ viññāṇaṁ aniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhamman’ti, evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya passato ye sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā te pahīyanti. Tesaṁ pahānā na paritassati, aparitassaṁ sukhaṁ viharati, sukhavihārī bhikkhu ‘tadaṅganibbuto’ti vuccatī”ti.

Sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress are given up when you understand the impermanence of form—its perishing, fading away, and cessation—and you truly see with right understanding that all form, whether past or present, is impermanent, suffering, and perishable. When these things are given up there’s no anxiety. Without anxiety you live happily. A mendicant who lives happily is said to be quenched in that respect. Sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress are given up when you understand the impermanence of feeling … perception … choices … consciousness—its perishing, fading away, and cessation—and you truly see with right understanding that all consciousness, whether past or present, is impermanent, suffering, and perishable. When these things are given up there’s no anxiety. Without anxiety you live happily. A mendicant who lives happily is said to be quenched in that respect.”