Pheṇapiṇḍūpamasutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā ayujjhāyaṁ viharati gaṅgāya nadiyā tīre. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:

At one time the Buddha was staying near Ayodhya on the bank of the Ganges River. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants:

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, ayaṁ gaṅgā nadī mahantaṁ pheṇapiṇḍaṁ āvaheyya. Tamenaṁ cakkhumā puriso passeyya nijjhāyeyya yoniso upaparikkheyya. Tassa taṁ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyeyya, tucchakaññeva khāyeyya, asārakaññeva khāyeyya. Kiñhi siyā, bhikkhave, pheṇapiṇḍe sāro? Evameva kho, bhikkhave, yaṁ kiñci rūpaṁ atītānāgatapaccuppannaṁ …pe… yaṁ dūre santike vā taṁ bhikkhu passati nijjhāyati yoniso upaparikkhati. Tassa taṁ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyati, tucchakaññeva khāyati, asārakaññeva khāyati. Kiñhi siyā, bhikkhave, rūpe sāro?

“Mendicants, suppose this Ganges River was carrying along a big lump of foam. And a person with clear eyes would see it and contemplate it, examining it rationally. And it would appear to them as completely vacuous, hollow, and insubstantial. For what essence could there be in a lump of foam? In the same way, a mendicant sees and contemplates any kind of form at all—past, future, or present; internal or external; solid or subtle; inferior or superior; far or near—examining it rationally. And it appears to them completely vacuous, hollow, and insubstantial. For what essence could there be in form?

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, saradasamaye thullaphusitake deve vassante udake udakapubbuḷaṁ uppajjati ceva nirujjhati ca. Tamenaṁ cakkhumā puriso passeyya nijjhāyeyya yoniso upaparikkheyya. Tassa taṁ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyeyya, tucchakaññeva khāyeyya, asārakaññeva khāyeyya. Kiñhi siyā, bhikkhave, udakapubbuḷe sāro? Evameva kho, bhikkhave, yā kāci vedanā atītānāgatapaccuppannā …pe… yā dūre santike vā taṁ bhikkhu passati nijjhāyati yoniso upaparikkhati. Tassa taṁ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyati, tucchakaññeva khāyati, asārakaññeva khāyati. Kiñhi siyā, bhikkhave, vedanāya sāro?

Suppose it was autumn, when the heavens rain heavily, and a bubble on the water forms and pops right away. And a person with clear eyes would see it and contemplate it, examining it rationally. And it would appear to them as completely vacuous, hollow, and insubstantial. For what essence could there be in a water bubble? In the same way, a mendicant sees and contemplates any kind of feeling at all … examining it rationally. And it appears to them completely vacuous, hollow, and insubstantial. For what essence could there be in feeling?

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, gimhānaṁ pacchime māse ṭhite majjhanhike kāle marīcikā phandati. Tamenaṁ cakkhumā puriso passeyya nijjhāyeyya yoniso upaparikkheyya. Tassa taṁ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyeyya, tucchakaññeva khāyeyya …pe… kiñhi siyā, bhikkhave, marīcikāya sāro? Evameva kho, bhikkhave, yā kāci saññā …pe….

Suppose that in the last month of summer, at noon, a shimmering mirage appears. And a person with clear eyes would see it and contemplate it, examining it rationally. And it would appear to them as completely vacuous, hollow, and insubstantial. For what essence could there be in a mirage? In the same way, a mendicant sees and contemplates any kind of perception at all … examining it carefully. And it appears to them completely vacuous, hollow, and insubstantial. For what substance could there be in perception?

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, puriso sāratthiko sāragavesī sārapariyesanaṁ caramāno tiṇhaṁ kuṭhāriṁ ādāya vanaṁ paviseyya. So tattha passeyya mahantaṁ kadalikkhandhaṁ ujuṁ navaṁ akukkukajātaṁ. Tamenaṁ mūle chindeyya; mūle chetvā agge chindeyya, agge chetvā pattavaṭṭiṁ vinibbhujeyya. So tassa pattavaṭṭiṁ vinibbhujanto pheggumpi nādhigaccheyya, kuto sāraṁ. Tamenaṁ cakkhumā puriso passeyya nijjhāyeyya yoniso upaparikkheyya. Tassa taṁ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyeyya, tucchakaññeva khāyeyya, asārakaññeva khāyeyya. Kiñhi siyā, bhikkhave, kadalikkhandhe sāro? Evameva kho, bhikkhave, ye keci saṅkhārā atītānāgatapaccuppannā …pe… ye dūre santike vā taṁ bhikkhu passati nijjhāyati yoniso upaparikkhati. Tassa taṁ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyati, tucchakaññeva khāyati, asārakaññeva khāyati. Kiñhi siyā, bhikkhave, saṅkhāresu sāro?

Suppose there was a person in need of heartwood. Wandering in search of heartwood, they’d take a sharp axe and enter a forest. There they’d see a big banana trunk, straight and young and grown unskewed. They’d cut it down at the base, cut off the top, and unroll the coiled sheaths. But they wouldn’t even find sapwood, much less heartwood. And a person with clear eyes would see it and contemplate it, examining it rationally. And it would appear to them as completely vacuous, hollow, and insubstantial. For what essence could there be in a banana trunk? In the same way, a mendicant sees and contemplates any kind of choices at all … examining them rationally. And they appear to them as completely vacuous, hollow, and insubstantial. For what essence could there be in choices?

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, māyākāro vā māyākārantevāsī vā catumahāpathe māyaṁ vidaṁseyya. Tamenaṁ cakkhumā puriso passeyya nijjhāyeyya yoniso upaparikkheyya. Tassa taṁ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyeyya, tucchakaññeva khāyeyya, asārakaññeva khāyeyya. Kiñhi siyā, bhikkhave, māyāya sāro? Evameva kho, bhikkhave, yaṁ kiñci viññāṇaṁ atītānāgatapaccuppannaṁ …pe… yaṁ dūre santike vā, taṁ bhikkhu passati nijjhāyati yoniso upaparikkhati. Tassa taṁ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyati, tucchakaññeva khāyati, asārakaññeva khāyati. Kiñhi siyā, bhikkhave, viññāṇe sāro?

Suppose an illusionist or their apprentice was to demonstrate an illusion at the crossroads. And a person with clear eyes would see it and contemplate it, examining it rationally. And it would appear to them as completely vacuous, hollow, and insubstantial. For what essence could there be in an illusion? In the same way, a mendicant sees and contemplates any kind of consciousness at all—past, future, or present; internal or external; solid or subtle; inferior or superior; far or near—examining it rationally. And it appears to them completely vacuous, hollow, and insubstantial. For what essence could there be in consciousness?

Evaṁ passaṁ, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako rūpasmimpi nibbindati, vedanāyapi … saññāyapi … saṅkhāresupi … viññāṇasmimpi nibbindati. Nibbindaṁ virajjati; virāgā vimuccati. Vimuttasmiṁ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ hoti …pe… nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāti”.

Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness. Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they’re freed. When they’re freed, they know they’re freed. They understand: ‘… there is nothing further for this place.’”

Idamavoca bhagavā. Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:

That is what the Buddha said. Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

“Pheṇapiṇḍūpamaṁ rūpaṁ, vedanā bubbuḷūpamā; Marīcikūpamā saññā, saṅkhārā kadalūpamā; Māyūpamañca viññāṇaṁ, desitādiccabandhunā.

“Form is like a lump of foam; feeling is like a bubble; perception seems like a mirage; choices like a banana plant; and consciousness like an illusion: so taught the Kinsman of the Sun.

Yathā yathā nijjhāyati, yoniso upaparikkhati; Rittakaṁ tucchakaṁ hoti, yo naṁ passati yoniso.

However you contemplate them, examining them rationally, they’re vacuous and hollow when you look at them closely.

Imañca kāyaṁ ārabbha, bhūripaññena desitaṁ; Pahānaṁ tiṇṇaṁ dhammānaṁ, rūpaṁ passatha chaḍḍitaṁ.

Concerning this body, he of vast wisdom has taught that when three things are given up, you’ll see this form discarded.

Āyu usmā ca viññāṇaṁ, yadā kāyaṁ jahantimaṁ; Apaviddho tadā seti, parabhattaṁ acetanaṁ.

When vitality, warmth, and consciousness leave this body, it lies dumped there, food for others, insentient.

Etādisāyaṁ santāno, māyāyaṁ bālalāpinī; Vadhako esa akkhāto, sāro ettha na vijjati.

Such is this continuity, this illusion, this lament of fools. It’s said to be a killer, for no core is found here.

Evaṁ khandhe avekkheyya, bhikkhu āraddhavīriyo; Divā vā yadi vā rattiṁ, sampajāno paṭissato.

An energetic mendicant should examine the aggregates like this, with situational awareness and mindfulness whether by day or by night.

Jaheyya sabbasaṁyogaṁ, kareyya saraṇattano; Careyyādittasīsova, patthayaṁ accutaṁ padan”ti. Tatiyaṁ.

They should give up all fetters, and make a refuge for themselves. They should live as though their head was on fire, aspiring to the state that does not pass.”