2) Sutta Selections
- Aniccatā
- Iti 3.36 Stay Focused on Anicca
”Remain focused on the inconstancy of all fabrications … For one who remains focused on the inconstancy of all fabrications, ignorance is abandoned, clear knowing arises.”
- SN 35.82 “The World”
“In what respect does the word ‘world’ apply? Insofar as it disintegrates, monk, it is called the ‘world.’ Now what disintegrates? The eye disintegrates. Forms disintegrate. Consciousness at the eye disintegrates. Contact at the eye disintegrates. And whatever there is that arises in dependence on contact at the eye — experienced as pleasure, pain or neither-pleasure-nor-pain — that too disintegrates.”
- AN 7.70 Similes for the Shortness of Life>
“Next to nothing … is the life of human beings — limited, trifling, of much stress & many despairs. One should touch this [truth] like a sage, do what is skillful, follow the holy life. For one who is born there is no freedom from death. 1) Just as a dewdrop on the tip of a blade of grass quickly vanishes with the rising of the sun and does not stay long, in the same way, brahmans, the life of human beings is like a dewdrop … 2) Just as when the rain-devas send rain in fat drops, and a bubble on the water quickly vanishes and does not stay long … 3) Just as a line drawn in the water with a stick quickly vanishes and does not stay long 4) Just as a river flowing down from the mountains, going far, its current swift, carrying everything with it, so that there is not a moment, an instant, a second where it stands still, but instead it goes & rushes & flows … 5) Just as a strong man forming a drop of spit on the tip of his tongue would spit it out with little effort 6) Just as a sliver of meat thrown into an iron pan heated all day quickly vanishes and does not stay long … 7) Just as a cow to be slaughtered being led to the slaughterhouse, with every step of its foot closer to its slaughtering, closer to death, in the same way … the life of human beings is like a cow to be slaughtered — limited, trifling, of much stress & many despairs. One should touch this [truth] like a sage, do what is skillful, follow the holy life. For one who is born there is no freedom from death.”
- AN 7.70 How Short is Life?
“At present, monks, one who lives a long time is 100 years old or a little bit more. Living 100 years, one lives for 300 seasons … 1,200 months … 2,400 fortnights … 36,000 days … 72,000 meals … Thus, monks, I have reckoned the life of a person living for 100 years … reckoned the seasons, reckoned the years, reckoned the months, reckoned the fortnights, reckoned the nights, reckoned the days, reckoned the meals … Whatever a teacher should do — seeking the welfare of his disciples, out of sympathy for them — that have I done for you. Over there are the roots of trees; over there, empty dwellings. Practice jhana, monks. Don’t be heedless. Don’t later fall into regret. This is our message to you all.”
- Dukkhatā
- SN 56.11 The Wheel of Dhamma – Dukkha
“The Noble Truth of Suffering (dukkha), monks, is this: Birth is suffering, aging is suffering, sickness is suffering, death is suffering, association with the unpleasant is suffering, dissociation from the pleasant is suffering, not to receive what one desires is suffering — in brief the five aggregates subject to grasping are suffering … This suffering, as a Noble Truth, should be fully understood.”
- MN 22 What the Buddha Teaches
“Both formerly and now, monks, I declare only stress (dukkha) and the cessation of stress.”
- AN 6.63 What to Know about Dukkha
“Stress (dukkha) should be known. The cause by which stress comes into play should be known. The diversity in stress should be known. The result of stress should be known. The cessation of stress should be known. The path of practice for the cessation of stress should be known.”
- Anattatā
- SN 22.59 The Discourse on Not-Self (Anattalakkhana SUtta)
”Form, monks, is not self … precisely because form is not self, form lends itself to dis-ease (dukkha). And it is not possible [to say] with regard to form, ‘Let this form be thus. Let this form not be thus’ … Thus, monks, any form whatsoever that is past, future, or present; internal or external; blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near: every form is to be seen as it actually is with right discernment as: ‘This is not mine. This is not my self. This is not what I am (So too with feeling, perception, fabrications, and consciousness) … Seeing thus, the well-instructed disciple of the noble ones grows disenchanted with form, disenchanted with feeling, disenchanted with perception, disenchanted with fabrications, disenchanted with consciousness. Disenchanted, he becomes dispassionate. Through dispassion, he is fully released. With full release, there is the knowledge, ‘Fully released.’ He discerns that ‘Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for this world.’”
- SN 22.99 Not Running Around Self
“But a well-instructed, disciple of the noble ones — who has regard for noble ones, is well-versed & disciplined in their Dhamma; who has regard for people of integrity, is well-versed & disciplined in their Dhamma — doesn’t assume form to be the self, or the self as possessing form, or form as in the self, or the self as in form (So too with feeling, perception, fabrications, and consciousness) … He doesn’t run around or circle around that very form… that very feeling… that very perception… those very fabrications… that very consciousness. He is set loose from form, set loose from feeling… from perception… from fabrications… set loose from consciousness. He is set loose from birth, aging, & death; from sorrows, lamentations, pains, distresses, & despairs. He is set loose, I tell you, from suffering & stress.”
Review (Click text for answer)
“For one who remains focused on the inconstancy of all fabrications, ignorance is abandoned, clear knowing arises.” “Insofar as it disintegrates, monk, it is called the ‘world.’” “The life of human beings is as short as:
1) a dewdrop vanishing with the rising sun,
2) a bubble vanishing on a pond in the rain,
3) a line drawn in the water vanishing,
4) the incessant flowing of a river flowing down a mountain,
5) a drop of spit being spat,
6) a sliver of meat thrown on a hot pan vanishing,
7) the walk of a cow to the slaughterhouse.” “Over there are the roots of trees; over there, empty dwellings. Practice jhana, monks. Don’t be heedless. Don’t later fall into regret. This is our message to you all.” ”Birth is suffering, aging is suffering, sickness is suffering, death is suffering, association with the unpleasant is suffering, dissociation from the pleasant is suffering, not to receive what one desires is suffering — in brief the five aggregates subject to grasping are suffering.” “This suffering, as a Noble Truth, should be fully understood.” “Both formerly and now, monks, I declare only stress (dukkha) and the cessation of stress.” “Precisely because form is not self, form lends itself to dis-ease (dukkha). And it is not possible [to say] with regard to form, ‘Let this form be thus. Let this form not be thus.” A well-instructed, disciple of the noble ones … doesn’t assume:
1) form to be the self, or
2) the self as possessing form, or
3) form as in the self, or
4) the self as in form”
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