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SN 35.7PTS SN 4.41 min read

The Interior as Impermanent in the Three Times

Ajjhattāniccātītānāgatasutta

In the past, future, and present, the six interior sense fields are impermanent, suffering, and not-self. When a noble disciple truly sees them like this, they become disillusioned and liberated.

Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 35.7Linked Discourses 35.7
  • 0.21. Aniccavagga1. Impermanence

0.3AjjhattāniccātītānāgatasuttaThe Interior as Impermanent in the Three Times

1.1PTS 4.4“Cakkhuṁ, bhikkhave, aniccaṁ atītānāgataṁ;“Mendicants, the eye of the past and future is impermanent,1.2ko pana vādo paccuppannassa.let alone the present.

1.3Evaṁ passaṁ, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako atītasmiṁ cakkhusmiṁ anapekkho hoti;Seeing this, a learned noble disciple is not concerned with the eye of the past,1.4anāgataṁ cakkhuṁ nābhinandati;they don’t look forward to enjoying the eye in the future,1.5paccuppannassa cakkhussa nibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya paṭipanno hoti.and they practice for disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding the eye in the present.

1.6Sotaṁ aniccaṁ …The ear …1.7ghānaṁ aniccaṁ …nose …1.8jivhā aniccā atītānāgatā;tongue …1.9ko pana vādo paccuppannāya.1.10Evaṁ passaṁ, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako atītāya jivhāya anapekkho hoti;1.11anāgataṁ jivhaṁ nābhinandati;1.12paccuppannāya jivhāya nibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya paṭipanno hoti.1.13Kāyo anicco …pe…body …1.14mano anicco atītānāgato;mind of the past and future is impermanent,1.15ko pana vādo paccuppannassa.let alone the present.

1.16Evaṁ passaṁ, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako atītasmiṁ manasmiṁ anapekkho hoti;Seeing this, a learned noble disciple doesn’t worry about the mind of the past,1.17anāgataṁ manaṁ nābhinandati;they don’t look forward to enjoying the mind in the future,1.18paccuppannassa manassa nibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya paṭipanno hotī”ti.and they practice for disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding the mind in the present.”

1.19Sattamaṁ.