Saṁyutta Nikāya:
III. Khandhā Vagga:
22: Khandhāsaṁyutta
No ca Me Siyā Suttaṁ
Sutta 152
And If It Be Not Mine1
Thus have I heard:
The Exalted One was once staying near Sāvatthī
at the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.
And there the Exalted One addressed the brethren, saying:
"Brethren!"
"Master!" responded those brethren.
The Exalted One said:
"There being what, brethren,
by clinging to what,
depending upon what,
does this view arise:
'Were I not then,
and if it be not mine,
I shall not be,
and mine it shall not be'?"
"For us, lord, things have the Exalted One as their root
their guide,
their resort.
Well indeed if the meaning of these words
should show itself in the Exalted One."
■
"There being a body, brethren,
by clinging to body,
depending on body,
one holds the view:
'Were I not then,
and if it be not mine,
I shall not be,
and mine it shall not be'.
"There being feeling, brethren,
by clinging to feeling,
depending on feeling,
one holds the view:
'Were I not then,
and if it be not mine,
I shall not be,
and mine it shall not be'.
"There being perception, brethren,
by clinging to perception,
depending on perception,
one holds the view:
'Were I not then,
and if it be not mine,
I shall not be,
and mine it shall not be'.
"There being the activities, brethren,
by clinging to the activities,
depending on the activities,
one holds the view:
'Were I not then,
and if it be not mine,
I shall not be,
and mine it shall not be'.
"There being consciousness, brethren,
by clinging to consciousness,
depending on consciousness,
one holds the view:
'Were I not then,
and if it be not mine,
I shall not be,
and mine it shall not be'.
■
As to that, what think ye, brethren?
Is body permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"That which is impermanent,
is it weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Then without a clinging
to what is impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable,
could such a view as this arise:
'Were I not then,
and if it be not mine,
I shall not be,
and mine it shall not be'?"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Is feeling permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"That which is impermanent,
is it weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Then without a clinging
to what is impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable,
could such a view as this arise:
'Were I not then,
and if it be not mine,
I shall not be,
and mine it shall not be'?"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Is perception permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"That which is impermanent,
is it weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Then without a clinging
to what is impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable,
could such a view as this arise:
'Were I not then,
and if it be not mine,
I shall not be,
and mine it shall not be'?"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Are the activities permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"That which is impermanent,
is it weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Then without a clinging
to what is impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable,
could such a view as this arise:
'Were I not then,
and if it be not mine,
I shall not be,
and mine it shall not be'?"
"Surely not, lord."
■
"Is consciousness permanent or impermanent?"
"Impermanent, lord."
"That which is impermanent,
is it weal or woe?"
"Woe, lord."
"Then without a clinging
to what is impermanent,
woeful,
by nature changeable,
could such a view as this arise:
'Were I not then,
and if it be not mine,
I shall not be,
and mine it shall not be'?"
"Surely not, lord."
"Wherefore, brethren, he who thus sees
conceives disgust at body,
at feeling,
at perception,
at the activities,
at consciousness.
Being disgusted
he is repelled by them;
by that repulsion he is released;
by that release he is set free;
knowledge arises:
in the freed man is the freed thing,
and he knows:
"Destroyed is rebirth;
lived is the righteous life;
done is the task;
for life in these conditions
there is no hereafter."
1 No ca me siyā. Cf. sup. §§ 55, 81, where this view is praised as being the determination of a person to end the round of rebirth. But here I am not sure whether the words should be translated in the same way.