Thus I heard:

On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Sāvatthi in the Palace of Migāra’s mother, the Eastern Park.

Now on that occasion it was the Uposatha day of the fifteenth on the night when the moon was full and the Blessed One was seated in the open surrounded by the Sangha of bhikkhus.

Then a certain bhikkhu rose from his seat, and arranging his robe on one shoulder, he raised his hands palms together towards the Blessed One, and he said: “Venerable sir, I would ask the Blessed One a question if the Blessed One would grant me an answer to the question.”

“Sit on your own seat, bhikkhu, and ask what you like,”

So the bhikkhu sat on his own seat, and he said to the Blessed One:

“There are, venerable sir, are there not, these five aggregates affected by clinging, that is to say, the form aggregate affected by clinging, the feeling aggregate affected by clinging, the perception aggregate affected by clinging, the formations aggregate affected by clinging, the consciousness aggregate affected by clinging?”

“There are, bhikkhu, these five aggregates affected by clinging, that is to say… the consciousness aggregate affected by clinging.”

Saying, “Good, venerable sir,” the bhikkhu was satisfied and he delighted in the Blessed One’s words. Then he asked him a further question:

“But, venerable sir, what do these five aggregates affected by clinging have as their root?”

“These five aggregates affected by clinging, bhikkhu, have desire as their root.”

“Venerable sir, is that clinging the same as these five aggregates affected by clinging, or is the clinging something apart from these five aggregates affected by clinging?”

“Bhikkhu, that clinging is neither the same as these five aggregates affected by clinging, nor is it something apart from these five aggregates affected by clinging. It is the desire and lust comprised in these five aggregates affected by clinging that is the clinging there.”

“But, venerable sir, might there be particular diversity in the desire and lust comprised in these five aggregates affected by clinging?”

“There might be, bhikkhu,” the Blessed One said. “Here, bhikkhu, someone thinks thus: ‘May my form be such in the future. May my feeling be such in the future. May my perception be such in the future. May my formations be such in the future. May my consciousness be such in the future.’ Thus, bhikkhu, there is particular diversity in the desire and lust comprised in these five aggregates affected by clinging.”

“But, venerable sir, in what way is ‘aggregate’ a term for the aggregates?”

“Any kind of form whatever, whether past, future or present, in oneself or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near—that is the form aggregate.

“Any kind of feeling…

“Any kind of perception…

“Any kind of formation…

“Any kind of consciousness whatever, whether past, future or present in oneself or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near—this is the consciousness aggregate.

“It is in this way that ‘aggregate’ is a term for the aggregates.”

“What is the reason, venerable sir, what is the condition, for describing the form aggregate?… the feeling aggregate?… the perception aggregate?… the formations aggregate? What is the reason, what is the condition for describing the consciousness aggregate?”

“The four great primary elements are the reason, bhikkhu, the four great primary elements are the condition, for describing the form aggregate.

“Contact is the reason, contact is the condition, for describing the feeling aggregate.

“Contact is the reason, contact is the condition, for describing the perception aggregate.

“Contact is the reason, contact is the condition, for describing the formations aggregate.

“Name-and-form is the reason, name-and-form is the condition for describing the consciousness aggregate.”

“But, venerable sir, how does there come to be the embodiment view?”

“Here, bhikkhu, an untaught ordinary man who has no regard for the Noble Ones and is unconversant with their Dhamma and undisciplined in it, who has no regard for True Men and is unconversant with their Dhamma and undisciplined in it, sees form as self, or self as possessed of form, or form in self, or self in form. He sees feeling as self, or self as possessed of feeling, or feeling in self, or self in feeling. He sees perception as self, or self as possessed of perception, or perception in self, or self in perception. He sees formations as self, or self as possessed of formations, or formations in self, or self in formations. He sees consciousness as self, or self as possessed of consciousness or consciousness in self, or self in consciousness. That is how there comes to be the embodiment view.”

“But, venerable sir, how does there not come to be the embodiment view?”

“Here, bhikkhu, Noble disciple who has regard for Noble Ones and is conversant with their Dhamma and disciplined in it, who has regard for True Men and is conversant with their Dhamma and disciplined in it, does not see form as self, or self as possessed of form, or form in self, or self in form. He does not see feeling as self, or self as possessed of feeling, or feeling in self, or self in feeling. He does not see perception as self or self as possessed of perception, or perception in self, or self in perception. He does not see formations as self, or self as possessed of formations, or formations in self, or self in formations. He does not see consciousness as self, or self as possessed of consciousness, or consciousness in self, or self in consciousness. That is how there does not come to be the embodiment view.”

“What, venerable sir, is the gratification, what is the danger, what is the escape, in the case of form?… in the case of feeling?… in the case of perception?… in the case of formations? What is the gratification, what is the danger, what is the escape, in the case of consciousness?”

“The bodily pleasure and mental joy, bhikkhu, that arise in dependence on form—this is the gratification in the case of form. Form is impermanent, painful, and subject to change—this is the danger in the case of form. The removal of desire and lust, the abandonment of desire and lust, for form—this is the escape in the case of form.

“The bodily pleasure and mental joy that arise in dependence on feeling…

“… in dependence on perception…

“… in dependence on formations…

“… in dependence on consciousness… this is the escape in the case of consciousness.”

“But venerable sir, how does a man know, how does he see, that there come to be in him no underlying tendencies to conceive this body with its consciousness and all external signs in terms of ‘I’ and ‘mine’?”

“Any kind of form whatever, whether past, future or present, in oneself or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near, he sees all of it with right understanding as it is, thus: ‘This is not mine, this is not I, this is not my self.’

“Any kind of feeling whatever…

“Any kind of perception whatever…

“Any kind of formations whatever…

“Any kind of consciousness whatever… ‘This is not myself.’

“It is when a man knows thus, bhikkhu, sees thus, that there comes to be in him no underlying tendencies to conceive this body with its consciousness and all external signs in terms of ‘I’ and ‘mine’.”

Then in a certain bhikkhu’s mind this thought arose: “So, it seems, form is not self, feeling is not self, perception is not self, formations are not self, consciousness is not self. Then what self will the kammas done by the not-self touch?”

Then the Blessed One knew in his mind the thought in that bhikkhu’s mind, and he addressed the bhikkhus thus: “It is possible, bhikkhus, that some misguided man unknowing and ignorant, with his mind dominated by craving, might fancy that he could outstrip the Master’s teaching thus: ‘So, it seems, form is not self… then what self will kammas done by the not-self touch?’ Now, bhikkhus, you have been trained by me in dependent conditionality in various instances.

“Bhikkhus, how do you conceive this, is form permanent or impermanent?”

“Impermanent, venerable sir.”

“But is what is impermanent painful or pleasant?”

“Painful, venerable sir.”

“But is what is impermanent, painful and subject to change fit to be regarded thus: ‘This is mine, this is I, this is myself?’”

“No, venerable sir.”

“Bhikkhus, how do you conceive this, is feeling permanent…

“… perception…

“… formations…

“… consciousness…”

“No, venerable sir.”

“Therefore, bhikkhus, any kind of form whatever, whether past… far or near, in fact all form should be seen as it is with right understanding thus: ‘This is not mine, this is not I, this is not my self.’

“Any kind of feeling… perception… formations… consciousness… ‘… not my self’.

“When he sees thus, the well taught noble disciple becomes dispassionate towards form, becomes dispassionate towards feeling, becomes dispassionate towards perception, becomes dispassionate towards formations, becomes dispassionate towards consciousness.

“Being dispassionate, his greed fades; with the fading of greed he is liberated; when he is liberated, there comes the knowledge: ‘It is liberated’. He understands: ‘Birth is exhausted, the life divine has been lived, what was to be done is done. There is no more of this to come.’”

But while this discourse was being spoken, the minds of as many as Sixty bhikkhus were liberated from taints by not clinging.