Linked Discourses 35
1. Impermanence
1. The Interior as Impermanent
So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!”
“Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:
“Mendicants, the eye 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.’
The ear is impermanent. …
The nose is impermanent. …
The tongue is impermanent. …
The body is impermanent. …
The mind 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.’
Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. 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.’”
2. The Interior as Suffering
“Mendicants, the eye 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.’
The ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind are 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.’
Seeing this … They understand: ‘… there is no return to any state of existence.’”
3. The Interior as Not-Self
“Mendicants, the eye 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.’
The ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind are 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.’
Seeing this … They understand: ‘… there is no return to any state of existence.’”
4. The Exterior as Impermanent
“Mendicants, sights are 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.’
Sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and thoughts are 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.’
Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and thoughts. 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.’”
5. The Exterior as Suffering
“Mendicants, sights are 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.’ …”
6. The Exterior as Not-Self
“Mendicants, sights are 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.’ …”
7. The Interior as Impermanent in the Three Times
“Mendicants, the eye of the past and future is impermanent, let alone the present.
Seeing this, a learned noble disciple doesn’t worry about the eye of the past, they don’t look forward to enjoying the eye in the future, and they practice for disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding the eye in the present.
The ear … nose … tongue … body … mind of the past and future is impermanent, let alone the present.
Seeing this, a learned noble disciple doesn’t worry about the mind of the past, they don’t look forward to enjoying the mind in the future, and they practice for disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding the mind in the present.”
8. The Interior as Suffering in the Three Times
“Mendicants, the eye of the past and future is suffering, let alone the present.
Seeing this, a learned noble disciple doesn’t worry about the eye of the past, they don’t look forward to enjoying the eye in the future, and they practice for disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding the eye in the present. …”
9. The Interior as Not-Self in the Three Times
“Mendicants, the eye of the past and future is not-self, let alone the present.
Seeing this, a learned noble disciple doesn’t worry about the eye of the past, they don’t look forward to enjoying the eye in the future, and they practice for disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding the eye in the present. …”
10. The Exterior as Impermanent in the Three Times
“Mendicants, sights of the past and future are impermanent, let alone the present. …”
11. The Exterior as Suffering in the Three Times
“Mendicants, sights of the past and future are suffering, let alone the present. …”12. The Exterior as Not-Self in the Three Times
“Mendicants, sights of the past and future are not-self, let alone the present. …”
