Buddhism · Sutta Pitaka · Linked Discourses (Saṁyutta)

SN 22.68

Not-Self · Anattasutta

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At Sāvatthī. Then a mendicant went up to the Buddha … and asked him, “Sir, may the Buddha please teach me Dhamma in brief. When I’ve heard it, I’ll live alone, withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute.” “Mendicant, give up desire for what is not-self.” “Understood, Blessed One! Understood, Holy One!”

Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Atha kho aññataro bhikkhu …pe… ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “sādhu me, bhante, bhagavā saṅkhittena dhammaṁ desetu …pe… ātāpī pahitatto vihareyyan”ti. “Yo kho, bhikkhu, anattā; tatra te chando pahātabbo”ti. “Aññātaṁ, bhagavā, aññātaṁ, sugatā”ti.

“But how do you see the detailed meaning of my brief statement?” “Sir, form is not-self; I should give up desire for it. Feeling … Perception … Choices … Consciousness is not-self; I should give up desire for it. That’s how I understand the detailed meaning of the Buddha’s brief statement.”

“Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, mayā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāsī”ti? “Rūpaṁ kho, bhante, anattā; tatra me chando pahātabbo. Vedanā … saññā … saṅkhārā … viññāṇaṁ anattā; tatra me chando pahātabbo. Imassa khvāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa evaṁ vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāmī”ti.

“Good, good, mendicant! It’s good that you understand the detailed meaning of what I’ve said in brief like this. Form is not-self; you should give up desire for it. Feeling … Perception … Choices … Consciousness is not-self; you should give up desire for it. This is how to see the detailed meaning of what I said in brief.” … And that mendicant became one of the perfected.

“Sādhu sādhu, bhikkhu. Sādhu kho tvaṁ, bhikkhu, mayā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāsi. Rūpaṁ kho, bhikkhu, anattā; tatra te chando pahātabbo. Vedanā … saññā … saṅkhārā … viññāṇaṁ anattā; tatra te chando pahātabbo. Imassa kho, bhikkhu, mayā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa evaṁ vitthārena attho daṭṭhabbo”ti …pe… aññataro ca pana so bhikkhu arahataṁ ahosīti. Chaṭṭhaṁ.