on what the Buddha taught
Saṃyutta Nikāya
Khandhasaṃyuttaṃ
Khajjanīyasuttaṃ
SN22.79
Situated at Sāvatthi.
'For whatever, almsmen, or recluses or divine man remembering various prior abodes, they remember all these five masses-and-the-taking-up together or they remember certain.
Which five?
Or 'with such form I was in past durations' thus, almsmen, for the remembrance he remembers just the form, or 'with such feeling I was in past durations' thus, almsmen, for the remembrance he remembers just the feeling, or 'with such perception I was in past durations' thus, almsmen, for the remembrance he remembers just the perception, or 'with such inclinations I was in past durations' thus, almsmen, for the remembrance he remembers just the inclinations, or 'with such cognition I was in past durations' thus, almsmen, for the remembrance he remembers just the cognition.
And what, almsmen, would they say is form?
OK thus it deforms, almsmen, from that it is to be called 'form'. Deforms with what? Deforms with cold, deforms with heat, deforms with hunger, deforms with thirst, deforms with gadfly, mosquito, wind, sun, contact with the creeping. OK thus it deforms, almsmen, from that it is to be called 'form'.
And what, almsmen, would they say is feeling?
OK thus it gets to feel, almsmen, from that it is to be called 'feeling'. And what does it gets to feel? It gets to feel also happily, it gets to feel also sufferingly, it gets to feel also neither happily nor sufferingly. OK thus it gets to feel, almsmen, from that it is to be called 'feeling'.
And what, almsmen, would they say is perception?
OK thus it perceives, almsmen, from that it is to be called 'perception'. And what it perceives? Also dark it perceives, also yellow it perceives, also red it perceives, also light it perceives. OK thus it perceives, almsmen, from that it is to be called 'perception'.
And what, almsmen, would they say are inclinations?
OK thus they incline the inclined, almsmen, from that it is to be called 'inclinations'. And what are the inclined they incline? form for the form-ness is the inclined they incline, feeling for the feeling-ness is the inclined they incline, perception for the perception-ness is the inclined they incline, inclinations for the inclination-ness is the inclined they incline, cognition for the cognition-ness is the inclined they incline. OK thus they incline the inclined, almsmen, from that it is to be called 'inclinations'.
And what, almsmen, would they say is cognition?
OK thus it cognizes, almsmen, for that it is to be called 'cognition'. And what it cognizes? Also sour it cognizes, also bitter it cognizes, also sharp it cognizes, also sweet it cognizes, also soapy it cognizes, also not soapy it cognizes, also salty it cognizes, also bland it cognizes. OK thus it cognizes, almsmen, for that it is to be called 'cognition'.
There, almsmen, having learned, a hearer of what is noble reflects thus:
'OK I am presently consumed with form,
for periods in the past I was consumed with form just so,
just as also presently I am consumed with current form.
OK and like I yet would welcome the form not yet come,
for periods not yet come I also would be consumed with form just so,
just as also presently I am consumed with current form.'
Thus reflecting he has no expectation in the form not yet come. He does not welcome the form not yet come. He opposed, by disenchantment, by fading, by cessation, to the current form.
... feeling... perception... inclinations... cognition...
Therefor, what do you deem almsmen, is form or stable or unstable?'
'Unstable, venerable.'
'What is yet unstable is it therefor or sufferingly or happily?'
'Sufferingly, venerable.'
'What is yet unstable, sufferingly, the principle of change for the worse, is it now therefor sound to see: 'This is mine, this I am, this is my self'?'
'Of course not, venerable.'
... feeling... perception... inclinations... cognition...
'Therefore this, almsmen, 'whatever form, past, not yet come, current or internal or external or gross or subtle or low or high, what is in the distant or in the near, all form is essentially with right wisdom similarly to be seen as 'Not this is mine, not this I am, not this is my self'.
... feeling... perception... inclinations... cognition...
This is called, almsmen, a hearer of what is noble who decreases, not increases; who renounces, not takes up; who turns from, not turns to; who disperses, not congregates.
And what does he decreases, not increases? Form he decreases, not increases. Feeling he decreases, not increases. Perception he decreases, not increases. Inclinations he decreases, not increases. Cognition he decreases, not increases.
And what does he renounces, not takes up? Form he renounces, not takes up. Feeling he renounces, not takes up. Perception he renounces, not takes up. Inclinations he renounces, not takes up. Cognition he renounces, not takes up.
And what does he turns from, not turns to? Form he turns from, not turns to. Feeling he turns from, not turns to. Perception he turns from, not turns to. Inclinations he turns from, not turns to. Cognition he turns from, not turns to.
And what does he disperses, not congregates? Form he disperses, not congregates. Feeling he disperses, not congregates. Perception he disperses, not congregates. Inclinations he disperses, not congregates. Cognition he disperses, not congregates.
Seeing so, almsmen, having learned, a hearer of what is noble gets fed up also on form, gets fed up also on feeling, gets fed up also on perception, gets fed up also on inclinations, gets fed up also on cognition. Fed up, he lacks interest. From the fading he is to be emancipated. Upon emancipation, thus emancipated, the knowledge is. He knows 'Birth is barren, the divine life is fulfiled, done is what ought to be done, no more gain of presence'. This is called, almsmen, the almsmen who neither increases nor decreases.
Stood having decreased, he neither renounces nor takes up. Stood having renounced, he neither turns from nor turns to. Stood having turned from, he neither disperses nor congregates. He stood having dispersed.
And what does he neither increases nor decrease?
Stood having decreased form, he neither increases nor decreases it. Stood having decreased feeling... perception... inclinations... cognition, he neither increases nor decreases it. He stood having decreased.
And what does he neither renounces nor takes up?
Stood having renounced form, he neither renounces nor takes up it. Stood having renounced feeling... perception... inclinations... cognition, he neither renounces nor takes up it. He stood having renounced.
And what does he neither turns from nor turns to?
Stood having turned from form, he neither turns from nor turns too it. Stood having turned from feeling... perception... inclinations... cognition, he neither turns from nor turns to it. He stood having turned from.
And what does he neither disperses nor congregates?
Stood having dispersed form, he neither disperses not congregates it. Stood having dispersed feeling... perception... inclinations... cognition, he neither disperses nor congregates it. He stood having dispersed.
OK with the mind so emancipated, almsmen, deities grouped with Inda, grouped with Brahma, grouped with Pajāpati, like from far, they hail the almsman:
Hail you thoroughbred man, hail you highest man.
Of what you rely on, also what radiates,
we are not acquinted with.'