Khajjaniya Sutta

SN 22.79 Being Devoured

Translated from the Pali by John D. Ireland

“Those recluses or brahmanas, Bhikkhus, who remember a number of former lives, they all remember one or another of these five aggregates of grasping. ’In the past I had this sort of body’: thus remembering, it is just body he remembers. ’In the past I had this sort of feeling’: thus remembering, it is just feeling he remembers. ’In the past I had this sort of perception’: thus remembering, it is just perception he remembers. ’In the past I had this sort of mental activity’: thus remembering, it is just mental activity he remembers. ’In the past I had this sort of consciousness’: thus remembering, it is just consciousness he remembers.

“And why, Bhikkhus, do you say ’body’? ’It is afflicted’ (ruppati), Bhikkhus, therefore it is called ’body’ (rupa). Afflicted by what? Afflicted by cold and heat, hunger and thirst, afflicted by coming into contact with gnats, mosquitoes, wind, sun and snakes. ’It is afflicted,’ Bhikkhus, therefore it is called ’body.’

“And why, Bhikkhus, do you say ’feeling’? ’It is felt’ (vediyati), Bhikkhus, therefore it is called ’feeling’ (vedana). What is felt? Pleasure is felt, pain is felt, neutral feeling is felt. ’It is felt,’ Bhikkhus, therefore it is called ’feeling.’

“And why, Bhikkhus, do you say ’perception’? ’It is perceived’ (sañjanati), Bhikkhus, therefore it is called ’perception’ (sañña). What is perceived? Blue is perceived, yellow is perceived, red is perceived, white is perceived. ’It is perceived,’ Bhikkhus, therefore it is called ’perception.’

“And why, Bhikkhus, do you say ’mental activities’? They activate that which is formed and conditioned (sankhatam abhisankharonti), Bhikkhus, therefore they are called ’mental activities’ (sankhara). What is the formed and conditioned that they activate? They activate body in its corporeal nature, feeling in its nature of feeling, perception in its perceptual nature, mental activities in their activating [directing] nature, consciousness in its cognitive nature. They activate that which is formed and conditioned, Bhikkhus, therefore they are called ’mental activities.’

“And why, Bhikkhus, do you say ’consciousness’? ’It cognizes’ (vijanati), Bhikkhus, therefore it is called ’consciousness’ (viññana). What does it cognize? It cognizes sour and bitter, acid and sweet, alkaline and non-alkaline, salty and non-salty. ’It cognizes,’ Bhikkhus, therefore it is called ’consciousness.’

“As to this, Bhikkhus, the instructed noble disciple reflects thus: ’I am being consumed by the body now. Just as in the past I was consumed by the body. And if in the future I should have an expectation of pleasure from the body, so in the future would I be consumed by the body just as I am now in the present. ’ Thus reflecting he has no yearning for a past body, he has no expectation of pleasure from a future body and towards the present body he cultivates dispassion, detachment, cessation.

“What do you think, Bhikkhus, is the body permanent or impermanent?”

“Impermanent, Sir.”

“What is impermanent, is that dissatisfying or satisfying?”

“Dissatisfying, Sir.”

“What is impermanent, dissatisfying, of a nature to change, is it suitable to regard as, ’This is mine,’ ’I am this,’ ’This is myself’?”

“No, Sir.”

“Is feeling … perception … mental activities … consciousness permanent or impermanent?”

“Impermanent, Sir.”

“What is impermanent, dissatisfying, of a nature to change, is it suitable to regard as, ’This is mine.’ ’I am this,’ ’This is myself’?”

<p style="text-align:justify">“No, Sir.”

<p style="text-align:justify">“Therefore, Bhikkhus, I say, whatsoever body … feeling … perception … mental activities … consciousness, past, future or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near, should be looked upon as, ’This is not mine,’ ’I am not this,’ ’This is not myself.’ In this manner it should be seen according to actuality with perfect wisdom.”