1. Impermanence

The Interior as Impermanent

sn35.1:1 So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

sn35.1:2 “Mendicants, the eye is impermanent. What’s impermanent is suffering. What’s suffering is not-self. And what’s not-self should be truly seen with right understanding like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’ The ear is impermanent. … The nose is impermanent. … The tongue is impermanent. … The body is impermanent. … The mind is impermanent. What’s impermanent is suffering. What’s suffering is not-self. And what’s not-self should be truly seen with right understanding like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’ Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they’re freed. When they’re freed, they know they’re freed. They understand: ‘Attachment to the world is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.’”

1. Impermanence

The Interior as Suffering

sn35.2:1 “Mendicants, the eye is suffering. What’s suffering is not-self. And what’s not-self should be truly seen with right understanding like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’ The ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind are suffering. What’s suffering is not-self. And what’s not-self should be truly seen with right understanding like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’ Seeing this … They understand: ‘… there is nothing further for this place.’”

1. Impermanence

The Interior as Not-Self

sn35.3:1 “Mendicants, the eye is not-self. And what’s not-self should be truly seen with right understanding like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’ The ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind are not-self. And what’s not-self should be truly seen with right understanding like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’ Seeing this … They understand: ‘… there is nothing further for this place.’”

1. Impermanence

The Exterior as Impermanent

sn35.4:1 “Mendicants, sights are impermanent. What’s impermanent is suffering. What’s suffering is not-self. And what’s not-self should be truly seen with right understanding like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’ Sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and ideas are impermanent. What’s impermanent is suffering. What’s suffering is not-self. And what’s not-self should be truly seen with right understanding like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’ Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and ideas. Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they’re freed. When they’re freed, they know they’re freed. They understand: ‘Attachment to the world is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.’”

1. Impermanence

The Exterior as Suffering

sn35.5:1 “Mendicants, sights are suffering. What’s suffering is not-self. And what’s not-self should be truly seen with right understanding like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’ …”

1. Impermanence

The Exterior as Not-Self

sn35.6:1 “Mendicants, sights are not-self. And what’s not-self should be truly seen with right understanding like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’ …”

1. Impermanence

The Interior as Impermanent in the Three Times

sn35.7:1 “Mendicants, the eye of the past and future is impermanent, let alone the present. Seeing this, a learned noble disciple is not concerned with the eye of the past, they don’t look forward to enjoying the eye in the future, and they practice for disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding the eye in the present. The ear … nose … tongue … body … mind of the past and future is impermanent, let alone the present. Seeing this, a learned noble disciple doesn’t worry about the mind of the past, they don’t look forward to enjoying the mind in the future, and they practice for disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding the mind in the present.”

1. Impermanence

The Interior as Suffering in the Three Times

sn35.8:1 “Mendicants, the eye of the past and future is suffering, let alone the present. Seeing this, a learned noble disciple is not concerned with the eye of the past, they don’t look forward to enjoying the eye in the future, and they practice for disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding the eye in the present. …”

1. Impermanence

The Interior as Not-Self in the Three Times

sn35.9:1 “Mendicants, the eye of the past and future is not-self, let alone the present. Seeing this, a learned noble disciple is not concerned with the eye of the past, they don’t look forward to enjoying the eye in the future, and they practice for disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding the eye in the present. …”

1. Impermanence

The Exterior as Impermanent in the Three Times

sn35.10:1 “Mendicants, sights of the past and future are impermanent, let alone the present. …”

1. Impermanence

The Exterior as Suffering in the Three Times

sn35.11:1 “Mendicants, sights of the past and future are suffering, let alone the present. …”

1. Impermanence

The Exterior as Not-Self in the Three Times

sn35.12:1 “Mendicants, sights of the past and future are not-self, let alone the present. …”

2. Pairs

Before My Awakening (Interior)

sn35.13:1 At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, before my awakening—when I was still unawakened but intent on awakening—I thought: ‘What’s the gratification, the drawback, and the escape when it comes to the eye … ear … nose … tongue … body … and mind?’ Then it occurred to me: ‘The pleasure and happiness that arise from the eye: this is its gratification. That the eye is impermanent, suffering, and perishable: this is its drawback. Removing and giving up desire and greed for the eye: this is its escape. The pleasure and happiness that arise from the ear … nose … tongue … body … mind: this is its gratification. That the mind is impermanent, suffering, and perishable: this is its drawback. Removing and giving up desire and greed for the mind: this is its escape.’

sn35.13:2 As long as I didn’t truly understand these six interior sense fields’ gratification, drawback, and escape in this way for what they are, I didn’t announce my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its angels, devils, and archangels, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its angels and humans. But when I did truly understand these six interior sense fields’ gratification, drawback, and escape in this way for what they are, I announced my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its angels, devils, and archangels, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its angels and humans. Knowledge and vision arose in me: ‘My freedom is unshakable; this is my final earthly life; I shall return to my Lord in peace.’”

2. Pairs

Before My Awakening (Exterior)

sn35.14:1 “Mendicants, before my awakening—when I was still unawakened but intent on awakening—I thought: ‘What’s the gratification, the drawback, and the escape when it comes to sights … sounds … smells … tastes … touches … and ideas?’ …”

2. Pairs

In Search of Gratification (Interior)

sn35.15:1 “Mendicants, I went in search of the eye’s gratification, and I found it. I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of the eye’s gratification. I went in search of the eye’s drawback, and I found it. I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of the eye’s drawback. I went in search of escape from the eye, and I found it. I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of escape from the eye. I went in search of the ear’s … nose’s … tongue’s … body’s … mind’s gratification, and I found it. I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of the mind’s gratification. I went in search of the mind’s drawback, and I found it. I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of the mind’s drawback. I went in search of escape from the mind, and I found it. I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of escape from the mind.

sn35.15:2 As long as I didn’t truly understand these six interior sense fields’ gratification, drawback, and escape for what they are, I didn’t announce my supreme perfect awakening … But when I did truly understand … Knowledge and vision arose in me: ‘My freedom is unshakable; this is my final earthly life; I shall return to my Lord in peace.’”

2. Pairs

In Search of Gratification (Exterior)

sn35.16:1 “Mendicants, I went in search of the gratification of sights, and I found it. …”

2. Pairs

If There Were No Gratification (Interior)

sn35.17:1 “Mendicants, if there were no gratification in the eye, sentient beings wouldn’t be aroused by it. But since there is gratification in the eye, sentient beings are aroused by it. If the eye had no drawback, sentient beings wouldn’t grow disillusioned with it. But since the eye has a drawback, sentient beings do grow disillusioned with it. If there were no escape from the eye, sentient beings wouldn’t escape from it. But since there is an escape from the eye, sentient beings do escape from it. If there were no gratification in the ear … nose … tongue … body … mind, sentient beings wouldn’t be aroused by it. But since there is gratification in the mind, sentient beings are aroused by it. If the mind had no drawback, sentient beings wouldn’t grow disillusioned with it. But since the mind has a drawback, sentient beings do grow disillusioned with it. If there were no escape from the mind, sentient beings wouldn’t escape from it. But since there is an escape from the mind, sentient beings do escape from it.

sn35.17:2 As long as sentient beings don’t truly understand these six interior sense fields’ gratification, drawback, and escape for what they are, they haven’t escaped from this world—with its angels, devils, and archangels, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its angels and humans—and they don’t live detached, liberated, with mind free of boundaries. But when sentient beings truly understand these six interior sense fields’ gratification, drawback, and escape for what they are, they’ve escaped from this world—with its angels, devils, and archangels, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its angels and humans—and they live detached, liberated, with mind free of boundaries.”

2. Pairs

If There Were No Gratification (Exterior)

sn35.18:1 “Mendicants, if there were no gratification in sights, sentient beings wouldn’t be aroused by them. …”

2. Pairs

Taking Pleasure (Interior)

sn35.19:1 “Mendicants, if you take pleasure in the eye, you take pleasure in suffering. If you take pleasure in suffering, you’re not free from suffering, I say. If you take pleasure in the ear … nose … tongue … body … mind, you take pleasure in suffering. If you take pleasure in suffering, you’re not free from suffering, I say.

sn35.19:2 If you don’t take pleasure in the eye, you don’t take pleasure in suffering. If you don’t take pleasure in suffering, you’re free from suffering, I say. If you don’t take pleasure in the ear … nose … tongue … body … mind, you don’t take pleasure in suffering. If you don’t take pleasure in suffering, you’re free from suffering, I say.”

2. Pairs

Taking Pleasure (Exterior)

sn35.20:1 “Mendicants, if you take pleasure in sights, you take pleasure in suffering. If you take pleasure in suffering, you’re not free from suffering, I say. …”

2. Pairs

The Arising of Suffering (Interior)

sn35.21:1 “Mendicants, the arising, continuation, and manifestation and regeneration of the eye is the arising of suffering, the continuation of diseases, and the manifestation of old age and death. The arising, continuation, and manifestation and regeneration of the ear … nose … tongue … body … and mind is the arising of suffering, the continuation of diseases, and the manifestation of old age and death.

sn35.21:2 The cessation, settling, and disappearance of the eye is the cessation of suffering, the settling of diseases, and the disappearance of old age and death. The cessation, settling, and disappearance of the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind is the cessation of suffering, the settling of diseases, and the disappearance of old age and death.”

2. Pairs

The Arising of Suffering (Exterior)

sn35.22:1 “Mendicants, the arising, continuation, and manifestation and regeneration of sights is the arising of suffering, the continuation of diseases, and the manifestation of old age and death. The arising, continuation, and manifestation and regeneration of sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and ideas is the arising of suffering, the continuation of diseases, and the manifestation of old age and death.

sn35.22:2 The cessation, settling, and disappearance of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and ideas is the cessation of suffering, the settling of diseases, and the disappearance of old age and death.”

3. All

All

sn35.23:1 At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, I will teach you the all. Listen … And what is the all? It’s just the eye and sights, the ear and sounds, the nose and smells, the tongue and tastes, the body and touches, and the mind and ideas. This is called the all. Mendicants, suppose someone was to say: ‘I’ll deny this all and describe another all.’ They’d have no grounds for that claim, they’d be stumped by questions, and, in addition, they’d get frustrated. Why is that? Because they’re out of their element.”

3. All

Giving Up

sn35.24:1 “Mendicants, I will teach you the principle for giving up the all. Listen … And what is the principle for giving up the all? The eye should be given up. Sights should be given up. Eye consciousness should be given up. Eye contact should be given up. The painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on eye contact should also be given up. The ear … nose … tongue … body … mind should be given up. Ideas should be given up. Mind consciousness should be given up. Mind contact should be given up. The painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on mind contact should be given up. This is the principle for giving up the all.”

3. All

Giving Up By Direct Knowledge and Complete Understanding

sn35.25:1 “Mendicants, I will teach you the principle for giving up the all by direct knowledge and complete understanding. Listen … And what is the principle for giving up the all by direct knowledge and complete understanding? The eye should be given up by direct knowledge and complete understanding. Sights should be given up by direct knowledge and complete understanding. Eye consciousness should be given up by direct knowledge and complete understanding. Eye contact should be given up by direct knowledge and complete understanding. The painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on eye contact should be given up by direct knowledge and complete understanding. The ear … nose … tongue … body … mind should be given up by direct knowledge and complete understanding. Ideas should be given up by direct knowledge and complete understanding. Mind consciousness should be given up by direct knowledge and complete understanding. Mind contact should be given up by direct knowledge and complete understanding. The painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on mind contact should be given up by direct knowledge and complete understanding. This is the principle for giving up the all by direct knowledge and complete understanding.”

3. All

Without Completely Understanding (1st)

sn35.26:1 “Mendicants, without directly knowing and completely understanding the all, without dispassion for it and giving it up, you can’t end suffering. And what is the all, without directly knowing and completely understanding which, without dispassion for it and giving it up, you can’t end suffering? Without directly knowing and completely understanding the eye, without dispassion for it and giving it up, you can’t end suffering. Without directly knowing and completely understanding sights … eye consciousness … eye contact … painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on eye contact, without dispassion for it and giving it up, you can’t end suffering. Without directly knowing and completely understanding the ear … the nose … the tongue … the body … the mind, without dispassion for it and giving it up, you can’t end suffering. Without directly knowing and completely understanding ideas … mind consciousness … mind contact … painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on mind contact, without dispassion for it and giving it up, you can’t end suffering. This is the all, without directly knowing and completely understanding which, without dispassion for it and giving it up, you can’t end suffering.

sn35.26:2 By directly knowing and completely understanding the all, having dispassion for it and giving it up, you can end suffering. And what is the all, directly knowing and completely understanding which, having dispassion for it and giving it up, you can end suffering? By directly knowing and completely understanding the eye … the ear … the nose … the tongue … the body … the mind, having dispassion for it and giving it up, you can end suffering. By directly knowing and completely understanding ideas … mind consciousness … mind contact … painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on mind contact, having dispassion for it and giving it up, you can end suffering. This is the all, directly knowing and completely understanding which, having dispassion for it and giving it up, you can end suffering.”

3. All

Without Completely Understanding (2nd)

sn35.27:1 “Mendicants, without directly knowing and completely understanding the all, without dispassion for it and giving it up, you can’t end suffering. And what is the all, without directly knowing and completely understanding which, without dispassion for it and giving it up, you can’t end suffering? The eye, sights, eye consciousness, and things knowable by eye consciousness. The ear … nose … tongue … body … The mind, ideas, mind consciousness, and things knowable by mind consciousness. This is the all, without directly knowing and completely understanding which, without dispassion for it and giving it up, you can’t end suffering.

sn35.27:2 By directly knowing and completely understanding the all, having dispassion for it and giving it up, you can end suffering. And what is the all, directly knowing and completely understanding which, having dispassion for it and giving it up, you can end suffering? The eye, sights, eye consciousness, and things knowable by eye consciousness. The ear … nose … tongue … body … The mind, ideas, mind consciousness, and things knowable by mind consciousness. This is the all, directly knowing and completely understanding which, having dispassion for it and giving it up, you can end suffering.”

3. All

Burning

sn35.28:1 At one time the Buddha was staying near Gayā on Gayā Head together with a thousand mendicants. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants: “Mendicants, all is burning. And what is the all that is burning? The eye is burning. Sights are burning. Eye consciousness is burning. Eye contact is burning. The painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on eye contact is also burning. Burning with what? Burning with the fires of greed, hate, and delusion. Burning with birth, old age, and death, with sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. The ear … nose … tongue … body … The mind is burning. Ideas are burning. Mind consciousness is burning. Mind contact is burning. The painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on mind contact is also burning. Burning with what? Burning with the fires of greed, hate, and delusion. Burning with birth, old age, and death, with sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress, I say. Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with the eye, sights, eye consciousness, and eye contact. And they grow disillusioned with the painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on eye contact. They grow disillusioned with the ear … nose … tongue … body … mind … painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on mind contact. Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they’re freed. When they’re freed, they know they’re freed. They understand: ‘Attachment to the world is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.’”

sn35.28:2 That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said. And while this discourse was being spoken, the minds of the thousand mendicants were freed from defilements by not grasping.

3. All

Overcome

sn35.29:1 So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants: “Mendicants, all is overcome. And what is the all that is overcome? The eye is overcome. Sights are overcome. Eye consciousness is overcome. Eye contact is overcome. The painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on eye contact is also overcome. Overcome by what? Overcome by the fires of greed, hate, and delusion. Overcome by birth, old age, and death, by sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress, I say. The ear … nose … tongue … body … mind is overcome. Ideas are overcome. Mind consciousness is overcome. Mind contact is overcome. The painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on mind contact is also overcome. Overcome by what? Overcome by greed, hate, and delusion. Overcome by birth, old age, and death, by sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress, I say. Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with the eye, sights, eye consciousness, and eye contact. And they grow disillusioned with the painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on eye contact. They grow disillusioned with the ear … nose … tongue … body … mind … painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on mind contact. Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they’re freed. When they’re freed, they know they’re freed. They understand: ‘Attachment to the world is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.’”

3. All

The Practice Fit for Uprooting

sn35.30:1 “Mendicants, I will teach you the practice fit for uprooting all conceiving. Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak. … And what is the practice fit for uprooting all conceiving? It’s when a mendicant does not conceive anything to be the eye, does not conceive it in the eye, does not conceive it as the eye, and does not conceive that ‘the eye is mine.’ They don’t conceive anything to be sights, they don’t conceive it in sights, they don’t conceive it as sights, and they don’t conceive that ‘sights are mine.’ They don’t conceive eye consciousness … eye contact … They don’t conceive anything to be the pleasant, painful, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on eye contact. They don’t conceive it in that, they don’t conceive it as that, and they don’t conceive that ‘that is mine.’ They don’t conceive anything to be the ear … nose … tongue … body … mind … They don’t conceive anything to be the pleasant, painful, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on mind contact. They don’t conceive it in that, they don’t conceive it as that, and they don’t conceive that ‘that is mine.’ They don’t conceive anything to be all, they don’t conceive it in all, they don’t conceive it as all, and they don’t conceive that ‘all is mine.’ Not conceiving, they don’t grasp at anything in the world. Not grasping, they’re not anxious. Not being anxious, they personally become extinguished. They understand: ‘Attachment to the world is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.’ This is the practice fit for uprooting all conceiving.”

3. All

The Practice Conducive to Uprooting (1st)

sn35.31:1 “Mendicants, I will teach you the practice that’s conducive to uprooting all conceiving. Listen … And what is the practice that’s conducive to uprooting all conceiving? It’s when a mendicant does not conceive anything to be the eye, does not conceive it in the eye, does not conceive it as the eye, and does not conceive that ‘the eye is mine.’ They don’t conceive anything to be sights … eye consciousness … eye contact. And they don’t conceive anything to be the pleasant, painful, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on eye contact. They don’t conceive it in that, they don’t conceive it as that, and they don’t conceive that ‘that is mine.’ For whatever you conceive it to be, whatever you conceive it in, whatever you conceive it as, and whatever you conceive to be ‘mine’: that becomes something else. The world is attached to being, taking pleasure only in being, yet it becomes something else. They don’t conceive anything to be the ear … nose … tongue … body … mind … They don’t conceive anything to be the pleasant, painful, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on mind contact. They don’t conceive it in that, they don’t conceive it as that, and they don’t conceive that ‘that is mine.’ For whatever you conceive it to be, whatever you conceive it in, whatever you conceive it as, and whatever you conceive to be ‘mine’: that becomes something else. The world is attached to being, taking pleasure only in being, yet it becomes something else. As far as the aggregates, elements, and sense fields extend, they don’t conceive anything to be that, they don’t conceive it in that, they don’t conceive it as that, and they don’t conceive that ‘that is mine.’ Not conceiving, they don’t grasp at anything in the world. Not grasping, they’re not anxious. Not being anxious, they personally become extinguished. They understand: ‘Attachment to the world is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.’ This is the practice that’s conducive to uprooting all conceiving.”

3. All

The Practice Conducive to Uprooting (2nd)

sn35.32:1 “Mendicants, I will teach you the practice that’s conducive to uprooting all conceiving. Listen … And what is the practice that’s conducive to uprooting all conceiving?

sn35.32:2 What do you think, mendicants? Is the eye permanent or impermanent?”

sn35.32:3 “Impermanent, sir.”

sn35.32:4 “But if it’s impermanent, is it suffering or happiness?”

sn35.32:5 “Suffering, sir.”

sn35.32:6 “But if it’s impermanent, suffering, and perishable, is it fit to be regarded thus: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?”

sn35.32:7 “No, sir.”

sn35.32:8 “Are sights … eye consciousness … eye contact …

sn35.32:10 The pleasant, painful, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on eye contact: is that permanent or impermanent?”

sn35.32:11 “Impermanent, sir.”

sn35.32:12 “But if it’s impermanent, is it suffering or happiness?”

sn35.32:13 “Suffering, sir.”

sn35.32:14 “But if it’s impermanent, suffering, and perishable, is it fit to be regarded thus: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?”

sn35.32:15 “No, sir.” …

sn35.32:16 “Is the ear … nose … tongue …

sn35.32:20 body … mind …

sn35.32:22 The pleasant, painful, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on mind contact: is that permanent or impermanent?”

sn35.32:23 “Impermanent, sir.”

sn35.32:24 “But if it’s impermanent, is it suffering or happiness?”

sn35.32:25 “Suffering, sir.”

sn35.32:26 “But if it’s impermanent, suffering, and perishable, is it fit to be regarded thus: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?”