1At one time the Buddha was staying near Ayojjhā on the bank of the Ganges river. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants:

2“Mendicants, suppose this Ganges river was carrying along a big lump of foam. And a person with good eyesight would see it and contemplate it, examining it carefully. And it would appear to them as completely void, hollow, and insubstantial. For what substance 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; coarse or fine; inferior or superior; near or far — examining it carefully. And it appears to them as completely void, hollow, and insubstantial. For what substance could there be in form?

3Suppose it was the time of autumn, when the rain was falling heavily, and a bubble on the water forms and pops right away. And a person with good eyesight would see it and contemplate it, examining it carefully. And it would appear to them as completely void, hollow, and insubstantial. For what substance could there be in a water bubble?

In the same way, a mendicant sees and contemplates any kind of feeling at all … examining it carefully. And it appears to them as completely void, hollow, and insubstantial. For what substance could there be in feeling?

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4Suppose that in the last month of summer, at noon, a shimmering mirage appears. And a person with good eyesight would see it and contemplate it, examining it carefully. And it would appear to them as completely void, hollow, and insubstantial. For what substance 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 as completely void, hollow, and insubstantial. For what substance could there be in perception?

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5Suppose 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 tree, straight and young and grown free of defects. 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 good eyesight would see it and contemplate it, examining it carefully. And it would appear to them as completely void, hollow, and insubstantial. For what substance could there be in a banana tree?

In the same way, a mendicant sees and contemplates any kind of choices at all … examining them carefully. And they appear to them as completely void, hollow, and insubstantial. For what substance could there be in choices?

6Suppose a magician or their apprentice was to perform a magic trick at the crossroads. And a person with good eyesight would see it and contemplate it, examining it carefully. And it would appear to them as completely void, hollow, and insubstantial. For what substance could there be in a magic trick?

In the same way, a mendicant sees and contemplates any kind of consciousness at all — past, future, or present; internal or external; coarse or fine; inferior or superior; near or far — examining it carefully. And it appears to them as completely void, hollow, and insubstantial. For what substance could there be in consciousness?

7Seeing 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 no return to any state of existence.’”

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8That is what the Buddha said. Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

9>“Form is like a lump of foam;
feeling is like a bubble;
perception seems like a mirage;
choices like a banana tree;
and consciousness like a magic trick:
so taught the Kinsman of the Sun.

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

10Concerning this body,
he of vast wisdom has taught
that when three things are given up,
you’ll see this form discarded.

11Vitality, warmth, and consciousness:
when they leave the body,
it lies there tossed aside,
food for others, mindless.

12Such is this process,
this illusion, cooed over by fools.
It’s said to be a killer,
for no substance is found here.

13An energetic mendicant
should examine the aggregates like this,
with situational awareness and mindfulness
whether by day or by night.

14They should give up all fetters,
and make a refuge for themselves.
They should live as though their head was on fire,
aspiring to the imperishable state.”

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1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā ayujjhāyaṁ vihārati gaṅgāya nadiyā tīre. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: 

2"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?

3Seyyathāpi, 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?

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4Seyyathāpi, 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 … .

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5Seyyathāpi, 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?

6Seyyathāpi, 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?

7Evaṁ passaṁ, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako rūpasmimpi nibbindati, vedanāyapi … saññāyapi … saṅkhāresupi … viññāṇasmimpi nibbindati. Nibbindaṁ virajjati; virāgā vimuccati. Vimuttasmiṁ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ hoti … pe … nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāti".

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8Idamavoca bhagavā. Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā: 

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

10Yathā yathā nijjhāyati,
yoniso upaparikkhati;
Rittakaṁ tucchakaṁ hoti,
yo naṁ passati yoniso.

11Imañca kāyaṁ ārabbha,
bhūripaññena desitaṁ;
Pahānaṁ tiṇṇaṁ dhammānaṁ,
rūpaṁ passatha chaḍḍitaṁ.

12Āyu usmā ca viññāṇaṁ,
yadā kāyaṁ jahantimaṁ;
Apaviddho tadā seti,
parabhattaṁ acetanaṁ.

13Etādisāyaṁ santāno,
māyāyaṁ bālalāpinī;
Vadhako esa akkhāto,
sāro ettha na vijjati.

14Evaṁ khandhe avekkheyya,
bhikkhu āraddhavīriyo;
Divā vā yadi vā rattiṁ,
sampajāno paṭissato.

15Jaheyya sabbasaṁyogaṁ,
kareyya saraṇattano;
Careyyādittasīsova,
patthayaṁ accutaṁ padan"ti.

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Tatiyaṁ.