1.
The Chapter on Impermanence
1.
The Discourse on the Internal as Impermanent
1. Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park. There the Blessed One addressed the monks - "Monks." "Venerable sir," those monks assented to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this -
"The eye, monks, is impermanent. What is impermanent, that is suffering; what is suffering, that is non-self. What is non-self, that - 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self' - thus this should be seen as it really is with right wisdom. The ear is impermanent. What is impermanent, etc. The nose is impermanent. What is impermanent, etc. The tongue is impermanent. What is impermanent, that is suffering; what is suffering, that is non-self. What is non-self, that - 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self' - thus this should be seen as it really is with right wisdom. The body is impermanent. What is impermanent, etc. The mind is impermanent. What is impermanent, that is suffering; what is suffering, that is non-self. What is non-self, that - 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self' - thus this should be seen as it really is with right wisdom. Seeing thus, monks, a learned noble disciple becomes disenchanted with the eye, becomes disenchanted with the ear, becomes disenchanted with the nose, becomes disenchanted with the tongue, becomes disenchanted with the body, becomes disenchanted with the mind. Being disenchanted, he becomes dispassionate; through dispassion, he becomes liberated; when liberated, there is the knowledge: 'Liberated.' He understands: 'Birth is eliminated, the holy life has been lived, what was to be done has been done, there is no more of this state of being.'" The first.
2.
The Discourse on the Internal as Suffering
2. "The eye, monks, is suffering. What is suffering, that is non-self; what is non-self, that - 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self' - thus this should be seen as it really is with right wisdom. The ear is suffering, etc. the nose is suffering... the tongue is suffering... the body is suffering... the mind is suffering. What is suffering, that is non-self; what is non-self, that - 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self' - thus this should be seen as it really is with right wisdom. Seeing thus, etc. He understands: 'There is no more of this state of being.'" The second.
3.
The Discourse on the Internal as Non-self
3. "The eye, monks, is non-self. What is non-self, that - 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self' - thus this should be seen as it really is with right wisdom. The ear is non-self... etc. The nose is non-self... The tongue is non-self... The body is non-self... The mind is non-self. What is non-self, that - 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self' - thus this should be seen as it really is with right wisdom. Seeing thus, etc. He understands: 'There is no more of this state of being.'" The third.
4.
The Discourse on the External as Impermanent
4. "Forms, monks, are impermanent. What is impermanent, that is suffering; what is suffering, that is non-self. What is non-self, that - 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self' - thus this should be seen as it really is with right wisdom. Sounds... Odours... Flavours... Tangible objects... mental phenomena are impermanent. What is impermanent, that is suffering; what is suffering, that is non-self. What is non-self, that - 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self' - thus this should be seen as it really is with right wisdom. Seeing thus, monks, a learned noble disciple becomes disenchanted with forms, becomes disenchanted with sounds, becomes disenchanted with odours, becomes disenchanted with flavours, becomes disenchanted with tangible objects, becomes disenchanted with mental phenomena. Being disenchanted, he becomes dispassionate; through dispassion, he becomes liberated; when liberated, there is the knowledge: 'Liberated.' He understands: 'Birth is eliminated, the holy life has been lived, what was to be done has been done, there is no more of this state of being.'" The fourth.
5.
The Discourse on the External as Suffering
5. "Forms, monks, are suffering. What is suffering, that is non-self; what is non-self, that - 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self' - thus this should be seen as it really is with right wisdom. Sounds... Odours... Flavours... Tangible objects... Mental objects are suffering. What is suffering, that is non-self. What is non-self, that - 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self' - thus this should be seen as it really is with right wisdom. Seeing thus, etc. He understands: 'There is no more of this state of being.'" The fifth.
6.
The Discourse on the External as Non-self
6. "Forms, monks, are non-self. What is non-self, that - 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self' - thus this should be seen as it really is with right wisdom. Sounds... Odours... Flavours... Tangible objects... Mental phenomena are non-self. What is non-self, that - 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self' - thus this should be seen as it really is with right wisdom. Seeing thus, etc. He understands: 'There is no more of this state of being.'" The sixth.
7.
The Discourse on the Internal as Impermanent in the Past and Future
7. "The eye, monks, is impermanent, whether past or future; what then to say of the present! Seeing thus, monks, a learned noble disciple is without longing for the past eye; he does not delight in the future eye; he is practising for disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of the present eye. The ear is impermanent... The nose is impermanent... The tongue is impermanent, whether past or future; what then to say of the present! Seeing thus, monks, a learned noble disciple is without longing for the past tongue; he does not delight in the future tongue; he is practising for disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of the present tongue. The body is impermanent... etc. The mind is impermanent, whether past or future; what then to say of the present! Seeing thus, monks, a learned noble disciple is without longing for the past mind; he does not delight in the future mind; he is practising for disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of the present mind." The seventh.
8.
The Discourse on the Internal as Suffering in the Past and Future
8. "The eye, monks, is suffering, whether past or future; what then to say of the present! Seeing thus, monks, a learned noble disciple is without longing for the past eye; he does not delight in the future eye; he is practising for disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of the present eye. The ear is suffering, etc. The nose is suffering, etc. The tongue is suffering, whether past or future; what then to say of the present! Seeing thus, monks, a learned noble disciple is without longing for the past tongue; he does not delight in the future tongue; he is practising for disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of the present tongue. The body is suffering, etc. The mind is suffering, whether past or future; what then to say of the present! Seeing thus, monks, a learned noble disciple is without longing for the past mind; he does not delight in the future mind; he is practising for disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of the present mind." The eighth.
9.
The Discourse on the Internal as Non-self in the Past and Future
9. "The eye, monks, is non-self, whether past or future; what then to say of the present! Seeing thus, monks, a learned noble disciple is without longing for the past eye; he does not delight in the future eye; he is practising for disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of the present eye. The ear is non-self... etc. The nose is non-self... etc. The tongue is non-self, whether past or future; what then to say of the present! Seeing thus, monks, a learned noble disciple is without longing for the past tongue; he does not delight in the future tongue; he is practising for disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of the present tongue. The body is non-self... etc. The mind is non-self, whether past or future; what then to say of the present! Seeing thus, monks, a learned noble disciple is without longing for the past mind; he does not delight in the future mind; he is practising for disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of the present mind." The ninth.
10.
The Discourse on the External as Impermanent in the Past and Future
10. "Forms, monks, are impermanent, whether past or future; what then to say of the present! Seeing thus, monks, a learned noble disciple is without longing for past forms; he does not delight in future forms; he is practising for disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of present forms. Sounds... Odours... Flavours... Tangible objects... Mental phenomena are impermanent, whether past or future; what then to say of the present! Seeing thus, monks, a learned noble disciple is without longing for past mental phenomena; he does not delight in future mental phenomena; he is practising for disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of present mental phenomena." The tenth.
11.
The Discourse on the External as Suffering in the Past and Future
11. "Forms, monks, are suffering, whether past or future; what then to say of the present! Seeing thus, monks, a learned noble disciple is without longing for past forms; he does not delight in future forms; he is practising for disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of present forms." Etc. The eleventh.
12.
The Discourse on the External as Non-self in the Past and Future
12. "Forms, monks, are non-self, whether past or future; what then to say of the present! Seeing thus, monks, a learned noble disciple is without longing for past forms; he does not delight in future forms; he is practising for disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of present forms. Sounds... Odours... Flavours... Tangible objects... Mental phenomena are non-self, whether past or future; what then to say of the present! Seeing thus, monks, a learned noble disciple is without longing for past mental phenomena; he does not delight in future mental phenomena; he is practising for disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of present mental phenomena." The twelfth.
The Chapter on Impermanence is the first.
Its summary:
By what is impermanent three are spoken of, those internal and external.