22.18 Impermanent with Cause

SN 22:18 Impermanent with Cause

Translated from the Pali by John D. Ireland

“The body, Bhikkhus, is impermanent. That which is the cause, that which is the condition, for the appearing of the body, that is also impermanent. How could the body, produced by what is impermanent, ever be permanent?

“Feeling is impermanent … Perception … Mental activities … Consciousness is impermanent. That which is the cause, that which is the condition, for the appearing of consciousness, that is also impermanent. How could consciousness, produced by what is impermanent, ever be permanent?

“So seeing, Bhikkhus, the instructed noble disciple is dispassionate towards the body, dispassionate towards feeling, dispassionate towards perception, dispassionate towards mental activities, dispassionate towards consciousness. Being dispassionate he detaches himself, being detached he is released and in release is the knowledge of being released and he knows: finished is birth, lived is the holy life, done is what had to be done, there is no more of this or that state.”