Udānasutta

Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Tatra kho bhagavā udānaṁ udānesi: “‘no cassaṁ, no ca me siyā, nābhavissa, na me bhavissatī’ti— evaṁ adhimuccamāno bhikkhu chindeyya orambhāgiyāni saṁyojanānī”ti. Evaṁ vutte, aññataro bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “yathā kathaṁ pana, bhante, ‘no cassaṁ, no ca me siyā, nābhavissa, na me bhavissatī’ti— evaṁ adhimuccamāno bhikkhu chindeyya orambhāgiyāni saṁyojanānī”ti?

At Sāvatthī. There the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment: “‘It might not be, and it might not be mine. It will not be, and it will not be mine.’ A mendicant who makes such a resolution can cut off the lower fetters.” When he said this, one of the mendicants said to the Buddha, “But sir, how can a mendicant who makes such a resolution cut off the lower fetters?”

“Idha, bhikkhu, assutavā puthujjano ariyānaṁ adassāvī …pe… sappurisadhamme avinīto rūpaṁ attato samanupassati, rūpavantaṁ vā attānaṁ; attani vā rūpaṁ, rūpasmiṁ vā attānaṁ. Vedanaṁ … saññaṁ … saṅkhāre … viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassati, viññāṇavantaṁ vā attānaṁ; attani vā viññāṇaṁ, viññāṇasmiṁ vā attānaṁ.

“Mendicant, take an unlearned ordinary person who has not seen the noble ones, and is neither skilled nor trained in their teaching. They’ve not seen true persons, and are neither skilled nor trained in their teaching. They regard form as self, self as having form, form in self, or self in form. They regard feeling … perception … choices … consciousness as self, self as having consciousness, consciousness in self, or self in consciousness.

So aniccaṁ rūpaṁ ‘aniccaṁ rūpan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, aniccaṁ vedanaṁ ‘aniccā vedanā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, aniccaṁ saññaṁ ‘aniccā saññā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, anicce saṅkhāre ‘aniccā saṅkhārā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, aniccaṁ viññāṇaṁ ‘aniccaṁ viññāṇan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti.

They don’t truly understand form—which is impermanent—as impermanent. They don’t truly understand feeling … perception … choices … consciousness—which is impermanent—as impermanent.

Dukkhaṁ rūpaṁ ‘dukkhaṁ rūpan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, dukkhaṁ vedanaṁ … dukkhaṁ saññaṁ … dukkhe saṅkhāre … dukkhaṁ viññāṇaṁ ‘dukkhaṁ viññāṇan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti.

They don’t truly understand form—which is suffering—as suffering. They don’t truly understand feeling … perception … choices … consciousness—which is suffering—as suffering.

Anattaṁ rūpaṁ ‘anattā rūpan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, anattaṁ vedanaṁ ‘anattā vedanā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, anattaṁ saññaṁ ‘anattā saññā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, anatte saṅkhāre ‘anattā saṅkhārā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, anattaṁ viññāṇaṁ ‘anattā viññāṇan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti.

They don’t truly understand form—which is not-self—as not-self. They don’t truly understand feeling … perception … choices … consciousness—which is not-self—as not-self.

Saṅkhataṁ rūpaṁ ‘saṅkhataṁ rūpan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, saṅkhataṁ vedanaṁ … saṅkhataṁ saññaṁ … saṅkhate saṅkhāre … saṅkhataṁ viññāṇaṁ ‘saṅkhataṁ viññāṇan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti. Rūpaṁ vibhavissatīti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti. Vedanā vibhavissati … saññā vibhavissati … saṅkhārā vibhavissanti … viññāṇaṁ vibhavissatīti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti.

They don’t truly understand form—which is conditioned—as conditioned. They don’t truly understand feeling … perception … choices … consciousness—which is conditioned—as conditioned. They don’t truly understand that form will vanish. They don’t truly understand that feeling … perception … choices … consciousness will vanish.

Sutavā ca kho, bhikkhu, ariyasāvako ariyānaṁ dassāvī ariyadhammassa kovido ariyadhamme suvinīto sappurisānaṁ dassāvī sappurisadhammassa kovido sappurisadhamme suvinīto na rūpaṁ attato samanupassati …pe… na vedanaṁ … na saññaṁ … na saṅkhāre … na viññāṇaṁ attato samanupassati.

But a learned noble disciple has seen the noble ones, and is skilled and trained in the teaching of the noble ones. They’ve seen true persons, and are skilled and trained in the teaching of the true persons. They don’t regard form as self … They don’t regard feeling … perception … choices … consciousness as self.

So aniccaṁ rūpaṁ ‘aniccaṁ rūpan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti. Aniccaṁ vedanaṁ … aniccaṁ saññaṁ … anicce saṅkhāre … aniccaṁ viññāṇaṁ ‘aniccaṁ viññāṇan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti. Dukkhaṁ rūpaṁ …pe… dukkhaṁ viññāṇaṁ … anattaṁ rūpaṁ …pe… anattaṁ viññāṇaṁ … saṅkhataṁ rūpaṁ …pe… saṅkhataṁ viññāṇaṁ ‘saṅkhataṁ viññāṇan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti. Rūpaṁ vibhavissatīti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti. Vedanā … saññā … saṅkhārā … viññāṇaṁ vibhavissatīti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.

They truly understand form—which is impermanent—as impermanent. They truly understand feeling … perception … choices … consciousness—which is impermanent—as impermanent. They truly understand form … feeling … perception … choices … consciousness—which is suffering—as suffering. They truly understand form … feeling … perception … choices … consciousness—which is not-self—as not-self. They truly understand form … feeling … perception … choices … consciousness—which is conditioned—as conditioned. They truly understand that form will vanish. They truly understand that feeling … perception … choices … consciousness will vanish.

So rūpassa vibhavā, vedanāya vibhavā, saññāya vibhavā, saṅkhārānaṁ vibhavā, viññāṇassa vibhavā, evaṁ kho, bhikkhu, ‘no cassaṁ, no ca me siyā, nābhavissa, na me bhavissatī’ti— evaṁ adhimuccamāno bhikkhu chindeyya orambhāgiyāni saṁyojanānī”ti. “‘Evaṁ adhimuccamāno,’ bhante, ‘bhikkhu chindeyya orambhāgiyāni saṁyojanānī’ti.

It’s because of the vanishing of form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness that a mendicant who makes such a resolution— ‘It might not be, and it might not be mine. It will not be, and it will not be mine’— can cut off the lower fetters.” “Sir, you say that a mendicant who makes such a resolution can cut off the lower fetters.

Kathaṁ pana, bhante, jānato kathaṁ passato anantarā āsavānaṁ khayo hotī”ti? “Idha, bhikkhu, assutavā puthujjano atasitāye ṭhāne tāsaṁ āpajjati. Tāso heso bhikkhu assutavato puthujjanassa: ‘no cassaṁ, no ca me siyā, nābhavissa, na me bhavissatī’ti.

But how are they to know and see in order to end the defilements without delay?” “Mendicant, an unlearned ordinary person worries about things that aren’t a worry. For an unlearned ordinary person worries: ‘It might not be, and it might not be mine. It will not be, and it will not be mine.’

Sutavā ca kho, bhikkhu, ariyasāvako atasitāye ṭhāne na tāsaṁ āpajjati. Na heso, bhikkhu, tāso sutavato ariyasāvakassa: ‘no cassaṁ, no ca me siyā, nābhavissa, na me bhavissatī’ti. Rūpupayaṁ vā, bhikkhu, viññāṇaṁ tiṭṭhamānaṁ tiṭṭheyya, rūpārammaṇaṁ rūpappatiṭṭhaṁ nandūpasecanaṁ vuddhiṁ virūḷhiṁ vepullaṁ āpajjeyya. Vedanupayaṁ vā, bhikkhu … saññupayaṁ vā, bhikkhu … saṅkhārupayaṁ vā, bhikkhu, viññāṇaṁ tiṭṭhamānaṁ tiṭṭheyya, saṅkhārārammaṇaṁ saṅkhārappatiṭṭhaṁ nandūpasecanaṁ vuddhiṁ virūḷhiṁ vepullaṁ āpajjeyya.

A learned noble disciple doesn’t worry about things that aren’t a worry. For a learned noble disciple doesn’t worry: ‘It might not be, and it might not be mine. It will not be, and it will not be mine.’ Should consciousness involved with form, supported by form, established on form continue to remain, with a sprinkling of relishing it would grow, increase, and mature. Or should consciousness involved with feeling remain … Or should consciousness involved with perception remain … Or should consciousness involved with choices, supported by choices, established on choices continue to remain, with a sprinkling of relishing it would grow, increase, and mature.

Yo, bhikkhu, evaṁ vadeyya: ‘ahamaññatra rūpā, aññatra vedanāya, aññatra saññāya, aññatra saṅkhārehi viññāṇassa āgatiṁ vā gatiṁ vā cutiṁ vā upapattiṁ vā vuddhiṁ vā virūḷhiṁ vā vepullaṁ vā paññāpessāmī’ti, netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

Suppose, mendicant, you were to say: ‘Apart from form, feeling, perception, and choices, I will describe the coming and going of consciousness, its passing away and reappearing, its growth, increase, and maturity.’ That is not possible.

Rūpadhātuyā ce, bhikkhu, bhikkhuno rāgo pahīno hoti. Rāgassa pahānā vocchijjatārammaṇaṁ patiṭṭhā viññāṇassa na hoti. Vedanādhātuyā ce, bhikkhu, bhikkhuno … saññādhātuyā ce, bhikkhu, bhikkhuno … saṅkhāradhātuyā ce, bhikkhu, bhikkhuno … viññāṇadhātuyā ce, bhikkhu, bhikkhuno rāgo pahīno hoti. Rāgassa pahānā vocchijjatārammaṇaṁ patiṭṭhā viññāṇassa na hoti. Tadappatiṭṭhitaṁ viññāṇaṁ avirūḷhaṁ anabhisaṅkhacca vimuttaṁ. Vimuttattā ṭhitaṁ. Ṭhitattā santusitaṁ. Santusitattā na paritassati. Aparitassaṁ paccattaññeva parinibbāyati. ‘Khīṇā jāti …pe… nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānāti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhu, jānato evaṁ passato anantarā āsavānaṁ khayo hotī”ti. Tatiyaṁ.

If a mendicant has given up greed for the form element, the support is cut off, and there is no establishment of consciousness. If a mendicant has given up greed for the feeling element … perception element … choices element … consciousness element, the support is cut off, and there is no establishment of consciousness. Since that consciousness does not become established and does not grow, not making choices, it is freed. Being free, it’s stable. Being stable, it’s content. Being content, they’re not anxious. Not being anxious, they personally become extinguished. They understand: ‘Rebirth is ended … there is nothing further for this place.’ The ending of the defilements without delay is for one who knows and sees this.”