Passages from the Pali Canon
§ 196. And what is the noble truth of stress? The six internal sense media,
should be the reply. Which six? The medium of the eye... the ear... the nose...
the tongue... the body... the intellect. This is called the noble truth of stress.
-- S.LVI.14
§ 197. The All is aflame. Which All is aflame? The eye is aflame. Forms
are aflame. Eye-consciousness is aflame. Eye-contact is aflame. And anything
that arises in dependence on eye-contact, experienced as pleasure, pain, or
neither-pleasure-nor-pain, that too is aflame. Aflame with what? Aflame with
the fire of passion, the fire of aversion, the fire of delusion. Aflame, I tell
you, with birth, aging, & death, with sorrows, lamentations, pains, distresses,
& despairs.
The ear is aflame. Sounds are aflame...
The nose is aflame. Aromas are aflame...
The tongue is aflame. Flavors are aflame...
The body is aflame. Tactile sensations are aflame...
The intellect is aflame. Ideas are aflame. Intellect-consciousness is aflame.
Intellect-contact is aflame. And whatever there is that arises in dependence
on intellect-contact, experienced as pleasure, pain, or neither-pleasure-nor-pain,
that too is aflame. Aflame with what? Aflame with the fire of passion, the fire
of aversion, the fire of delusion. Aflame, I tell you, with birth, aging, &
death, with sorrows, lamentations, pains, distresses, & despairs.
-- S.XXXV.28
§ 198. Sariputta: Now what, friends, is the noble truth of stress? Birth
is stress, aging is stress, death is stress; sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress,
& despair are stress; not getting what is wanted is stress. In short, the
five clinging-aggregates are stress.
Now what is birth? Whatever birth, taking birth, descent, coming-to-be, coming-forth,
appearance of aggregates, & acquisition of [sense] media of the various
beings in this or that group of beings, that is called birth.
And what is aging? Whatever aging, decrepitude, brokenness, graying, wrinkling,
decline of life-force, weakening of the faculties of the various beings in this
or that group of beings, that is called aging.
And what is death? Whatever deceasing, passing away, breaking up, disappearance,
dying, death, completion of time, break up of the aggregates, casting off of
the body, interruption in the life faculty of the various beings in this or
that group of beings, that is called death.
And what is sorrow? Whatever sorrow, sorrowing, sadness, inward sorrow, inward
sadness of anyone suffering from misfortune, touched by a painful thing, that
is called sorrow.
And what is lamentation? Whatever crying, grieving, lamenting, weeping, wailing,
lamentation of anyone suffering from misfortune, touched by a painful thing,
that is called lamentation.
And what is pain? Whatever is experienced as bodily pain, bodily discomfort,
pain or discomfort born of bodily contact, that is called pain.
And what is distress? Whatever is experienced as mental pain, mental discomfort,
pain or discomfort born of mental contact, that is called distress.
And what is despair? Whatever despair, despondency, desperation of anyone suffering
from misfortune, touched by a painful thing, that is called despair.
And what is the stress of not getting what one wants? In beings subject to birth,
the wish arises, 'O, may we not be subject to birth, and may birth not come
to us.' But this is not be achieved by wishing. This is the stress of not getting
what one wants. In beings subject to aging... illness... death... sorrow, lamentation,
pain, distress, & despair, the wish arises, 'O, may we not be subject to
aging... illness... death... sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair,
and may aging... illness... death... sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, &
despair not come to us.' But this is not to be achieved by wishing. This is
the stress of not getting what one wants.
And what are the five clinging-aggregates that, in short, are stress? Form as
a clinging-aggregate, feeling as a clinging-aggregate, perception as a clinging-aggregate,
fabrications as a clinging-aggregate, consciousness as aclinging-aggregate:
These are called the five clinging-aggregates that, in short, are stress.
This is called the noble truth of stress.
-- M.141
§ 199. The Buddha: These are the five clinging-aggregates: form as a clinging-aggregate,
feeling as a clinging-aggregate, perception as aclinging-aggregate, fabrications
as a clinging-aggregate, consciousness as a clinging-aggregate... These five
clinging-aggregates are rooted in desire...
A certain monk: Is it the case that sustenance and the five clinging-aggregates
are the same thing, or are they separate?
The Buddha: Sustenance is neither the same thing as the five clinging-aggregates,
nor are they separate. Whatever desire & passion there is with regard to
the five clinging-aggregates, that is the sustenance there...
The monk: To what extent does the term 'aggregates' apply to the aggregates?
The Buddha: Any form whatsoever -- past, present, or future; internal or external;
gross or subtle; inferior or superior; near or far -- that is the form aggregate.
Any feeling whatsoever -- past, present, or future... near or far -- that is
the feeling aggregate. Any perception whatsoever -- past, present, or future...
near or far -- that is the perception aggregate. Any fabrications whatsoever
-- past, present, or future... near or far -- those are the fabrication aggregate.
Any consciousness whatsoever -- past, present, or future; internal or external;
gross or subtle; inferior or superior; near or far -- that is the consciousness
aggregate.
The monk: What is the cause, what is the condition, for the discernibility (manifesting)
of the form aggregate... feeling aggregate... perception aggregate... fabrication
aggregate... consciousness aggregate?
The Buddha: The four great existents [the properties of earth, liquid, fire,
& wind] are the cause & condition for the discernibility of the form
aggregate. Contact is the cause & condition for the discernibility of the
feeling... perception... fabrication aggregate. Name-&-form is the cause
& condition for the discernibility of the consciousness aggregate.
-- M.109
§ 200. Why do you call it 'form' (rupa)? Because it is afflicted (ruppati),
thus it is called 'form.' Afflicted with what? With cold & heat & hunger
& thirst, with the touch of flies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, & reptiles.
Because it is afflicted, it is called form.
And why do you call it 'feeling'? Because it feels, thus it is called 'feeling.'
What does it feel? It feels pleasure, it feels pain, it feels neither-pleasure-nor-pain.
Because it feels, it is called feeling.
And why do you call it 'perception'? Because it perceives, thus it is called
'perception.' What does it perceive? It perceives blue, it perceives yellow,
it perceives red, it perceives white. Because it perceives, it is called perception.
And why do you call them 'fabrications'? Because they fabricate fabricated things,
thus they are called 'fabrications.' What do they fabricate into a fabricated
thing? From form-ness, they fabricate form into a fabricated thing. From feeling-ness,
they fabricate feeling into a fabricated thing. From perception-hood... From
fabrication-hood... From consciousness-hood, they fabricate consciousness into
a fabricated thing. Because they fabricate fabricated things, they are called
fabrications.
And why do you call it 'consciousness'? Because it cognizes, thus it is called
consciousness. What does it cognize? It cognizes what is sour, bitter, pungent,
sweet, alkaline, non-alkaline, salty, & unsalty. Because it cognizes, it
is called consciousness.
-- S.XXII.79
§ 201. Maha Kotthita: Feeling, perception, & consciousness: are these
qualities conjoined or disjoined? And is it possible, having divided them, to
describe their separateness?
Sariputta: Feeling, perception, & consciousness are conjoined, not disjoined,
and it is impossible, having divided them, to describe their separateness. What
one feels, one perceives; and what one perceives, one cognizes...'
-- M.43
§ 202. Form. Sariputta: And what, friends, is form as a clinging-aggregate?
The four great existents and the form derived from them. And what are the four
great existents? They are the earth property, the liquid property, the fire
property, & the wind property.
And what is the earth property? The earth property can be either internal or
external. What is the internal earth property? Whatever internal, within oneself,
is hard, solid, & sustained [by craving]: head hairs, body hairs, nails,
teeth, skin, flesh, tendons, bones, bone marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, pleura,
spleen, lungs, large intestines, small intestines, contents of the stomach,
feces, or whatever else internal, within oneself, is hard, solid, & sustained:
This is called the internal earth property. Now both the internal earth property
and the external earth property are simply earth property. And that should be
seen as it actually is present with right discernment: 'This is not mine, this
is not me, this is not my self.' When one sees it thus as it actually is present
with right discernment, one becomes disenchanted with the earth property and
makes the earth property fade from the mind...
And what is the liquid property? The liquid property may be either internal
or external. What is the internal liquid property? Whatever internal, belonging
to oneself, is liquid, watery, & sustained: bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat,
fat, tears, skin-oil, saliva, mucus, fluid-in-the-joints, urine, or whatever
else internal, within oneself, is liquid, watery, & sustained: This is called
the internal liquid property. Now both the internal liquid property and the
external liquid property are simply liquid property. And that should be seen
as it actually is present with right discernment: 'This is not mine, this is
not me, this is not my self.' When one sees it thus as it actually is present
with right discernment, one becomes disenchanted with the liquid property and
makes the liquid property fade from the mind...
And what is the fire property? The fire property may be either internal or external.
What is the internal fire property? Whatever internal, belonging to oneself,
is fire, fiery, & sustained: that by which [the body] is warmed, aged, &
consumed with fever; and that by which what is eaten, drunk, chewed, & savored
gets properly digested, or whatever else internal, within oneself, is fire,
fiery, & sustained: This is called the internal fire property. Now both
the internal fire property and the external fire property are simply fire property.
And that should be seen as it actually is present with right discernment: 'This
is not mine, this is not me, this is not my self.' When one sees it thus as
it actually is present with right discernment, one becomes disenchanted with
the fire property and makes the fire property fade from the mind...
And what is the wind property? The wind property may be either internal or external.
What is the internal wind property? Whatever internal, belonging to oneself,
is wind, windy, & sustained: up-going winds, down-going winds, winds in
the stomach, winds in the intestines, winds that course through the body, in-&-out
breathing, or whatever else internal, within oneself, is wind, windy, &
sustained: This is called the internal wind property. Now both the internal
wind property and the external wind property are simply wind property. And that
should be seen as it actually is present with right discernment: 'This is not
mine, this is not me, this is not my self.' When one sees it thus as it actually
is present with right discernment, one becomes disenchanted with the wind property
and makes the wind property fade from the mind...
-- M.28
§ 203. Sariputta: There comes a time, my friends, when the external liquid
property is provoked, and at that moment the external earth property vanishes
[e.g., in a flood]. And so, in the external earth property -- so vast -- inconstancy
will be discerned, the principle of decay, passing-away, & change will be
discerned. So do 'me,' 'mine,' or 'I am' pertain to this body -- fleeting &
sustained [by craving]? All that pertains there is a 'no'...
There comes a time when the external liquid property is provoked and it carries
away village, town & city, country-side & rural area. There comes a
time when the waters of the ocean recede one hundred leagues, two hundred...
seven hundred leagues. There comes a time when the water in the ocean stands
only seven palm trees deep, six... one palm tree deep. There comes a time when
the water in the ocean stands only seven fathoms deep, six fathoms... one fathom
deep. There comes a time when the water in the ocean stands only half a fathom
deep, hip deep, knee deep, ankle deep. There comes a time when the water in
the ocean is not enough to wet even the joint of a finger. And so, in the external
liquid property -- so vast -- inconstancy will be discerned, the principle of
decay, passing away, & change will be discerned...
There comes a time when the external fire property is provoked and consumes
village, town & city, country-side & rural area, and then, coming to
the edge of a green district, the edge of a road, the edge of a rocky district,
to the water's edge, or to a lush, well-watered area, it goes out from lack
of sustenance. There comes a time when people try to make (lit. 'search for')
fire even with a wing bone & tendon parings. And so, in the external fire
property -- so vast -- inconstancy will be discerned...
There comes a time when the external wind property is provoked, and carries
off village, town & city, country-side & rural area. There comes a time
when, in the last month of the hot season, they make ('search for') wind with
a fan or a bellows, and even the grasses hanging in the drip-fringe of the thatch
do not stir. And so, in the external wind property -- so vast -- inconstancy
will be discerned, the principle of decay, passing-away, & change will be
discerned. So do 'me,' 'mine,' or 'I am' pertain to this body -- fleeting &
sustained [by craving]? All that pertains there is a 'no'...
-- M.28
§ 204. Feeling. Sister Dhammadinna: There are three kinds of feeling: pleasant
feeling, painful feeling, & neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling... Whatever
is experienced physically or mentally as pleasant & gratifying is pleasant
feeling. Whatever is experienced physically or mentally as painful & hurting
is painful feeling. Whatever is experienced physically or mentally as neither
gratifying nor hurting is neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling... Pleasant feeling
is pleasant in remaining and painful in changing. Painful feeling is painful
in remaining and pleasant in changing. Neither-pleasant-nor-painful feeling
is pleasant when conjoined with knowledge and painful when devoid of knowledge.
-- M.44
§ 205. Fabrications. And what are fabrications? There are these six classes
of intention: intention aimed at sights, sounds, smells, tastes, tactile sensations,
& ideas. These are called fabrications.
-- S.XXII.56
§ 206. Three kinds of fabrications: meritorious fabrications [ripening
in pleasure], demeritorious fabrications [ripening in pain], & imperturbable
fabrications [the formless states of jhana].
-- D.33
§ 207. Consciousness. Consciousness is classified simply by the condition
in dependence on which it arises.
When consciousness arises in dependence on eye & forms, it is classified
simply as eye-consciousness.
When consciousness arises in dependence on ear & sounds, it is classified
simply as ear-consciousness.
When consciousness arises in dependence on nose & smells, it is classified
simply as nose-consciousness.
When consciousness arises in dependence on tongue & tastes, it is classified
simply as tongue-consciousness.
When consciousness arises in dependence on body & tactile sensations, it
is classified simply as body-consciousness.
When consciousness arises in dependence on intellect & ideas, it is classified
simply as intellect-consciousness.
Just as fire is classified simply by the condition in dependence on which it
burns -- a fire burning in dependence on logs is classified simply as a log
fire... a fire burning in dependence on rubbish is classified simply as a rubbish
fire; in the same way, consciousness is classified simply by the condition in
dependence on which it arises.
-- M.38