Lightly edited transcript Filler words and caption errors removed by machine; the meaning is unchanged.
Delson gives a talk on the Anattalakkhana Sutta, the second discourse the Buddha gave, reading it aloud and explaining it at the location where it was delivered. He explains each of the five aggregates (form, feeling, perception, formations, consciousness) as conditioned, impermanent and therefore not self, and says that seeing this clearly leads to disenchantment, dispassion and liberation.
Key points
- Form, feeling, perception, formations and consciousness are each conditioned and arise and pass away, so none of them can be controlled by wish alone.
- Because the aggregates are impermanent and liable to cause suffering, they cannot rightly be regarded as me, mine or myself.
- Perception is rooted in memory, and memories shift with emotion and other people's input, so how we perceive changes even though what is perceived does not.
- Formations are conditioned by karma and intention, and intention is itself conditioned, so holding on to choices as a self only leads to suffering.
- Seeing all five aggregates as they actually are with correct wisdom leads to disenchantment, dispassion and liberation, which the talk ties to the minds of the group of five being freed by not clinging.
Suttas in this talk
Each opens the sutta on SuttaCentral.
Themes
Where this talk sits on the path
This talk belongs to a thread that runs along the whole path. It follows the thread of Dependent origination study, Sutta study series.
Transcript
Introduction at Isipatana deer park
So now here we are in the vicinity of where the second discourse happened, the Anattalakkhana Sutta. And now I am going to be giving the discourse on Anattalakkhana, the characteristic of what is not self. Thus have I heard, on one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Varanasi in the deer park at Isipatana. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus of the group of five thus. Bhikkhus, venerable sir, they replied. The Blessed One said this: Bhikkhus, form is not self.
For if bhikkhus, form were self, this form would not lead to affliction. And it would be possible to have it of form: let my form be thus, let my form not be thus. But because form is not self, form leads to affliction, and it is not possible to have it of form: let my form be thus, let my form not be thus.
Form and the four great elements
Form, when we talk about form, that is rupa, that is made up of the four great elements. The four great elements are earth, water, fire, and air. In the modern context, that is solid matter, liquid matter, gaseous matter, and plasma matter, heat and temperature and so on. This body of ours is made up of the four great elements. The camera with which we are being recorded right now is made up of the four great elements.
This surface is made up of the four great elements. Everything we see around us is made up of form, and thus the four great elements, due to causes and conditions, and themselves being causes and conditions to create certain kinds of color and form, like the tree, like the leaves, like our fingers, our hair, our nose, our senses, everything. All of this is form. But because it is conditionally arisen, dependently arisen, when those causes and conditions go away, then that form will go away. And for that reason, it should be understood that form is impermanent.
Form being impermanent, it is liable to cause suffering and should not be seen as self. Therefore, it should not be seen as self. Because that which is self is that which leads to happiness. That which is self is that which is permanent. That which is self is under our control. But nothing is under our control as such. We have karma. We have actions through intention. But those intentions are dependent upon previous causes and conditions as well, as we'll see.
We cannot tell our form. Like I cannot say to my fingers, I want you to grow by another five inches. I cannot say to my hair, I want you to turn red. I cannot say to my body, I want you to lose weight. I cannot do any of these things. None of us can. There are causes and conditions and actions that affect the form. But just through sheer will to say that may my form be thus, may my form not be thus, is not possible. And if that's the case, then it cannot be said that form is me. It cannot be said that form is mine. It cannot be said that form is myself.
Feeling, perception and formations
Likewise, feeling is not self. For if bhikkhus' feeling were self, this feeling would not lead to affliction. And it would not be possible to have it of feeling: let my feeling be thus, let my feeling not be thus. But because feeling is not self, feeling leads to affliction: let my feeling be thus, let my feeling not be thus. Feeling, vedana, that is all experience. Everything that we experience is not in our control. We're experiencing things as they arise and pass away.
And those feelings arise due to causes and conditions, namely nama-rupa, six sense base, and phassa. When those causes and conditions are gone, that feeling is also gone. Even a pleasant feeling, being impermanent, can lead to affliction because of the fact that it is impermanent. Painful feeling, the same thing. Neutral feeling, the same thing. We cannot change our experiences as then when they arise. Therefore feeling cannot be considered to be self. Likewise for perceptions, likewise for formations, likewise for awareness. What are perceptions? Perception is basically the ability to recognize what it is that is being experienced.
Knowing that this is the color red. Knowing that this is the color green. Knowing that this is a tree. Knowing that the sky is blue. These are all things that we have learned. These things that have been learned are now in our memory. Perception is rooted in memory. When memories change, and memories are very fickle, they change all the time based on emotion, based on other people's input, our perceptions also change. That doesn't mean that the perception of red changes. It just means how you perceive the color red in the emotional context will change. These are also liable to cause suffering, and they cannot be said to be me, mine, or myself.
When we talk about formations, we talk about the three types of formations: mental formations, verbal formations, and bodily formations. But here, in particular, we're talking about mental formations that allow us to feel and perceive. Formations arise due to karma, contact. Now, in one who is not fully awakened, there is still ignorance, so that ignorance continues to affect those formations. But in one who is fully awakened, there is no ignorance, but karma still continues, and those formations that allow you to feel and perceive happen like that. There is no ability to just change them or stop them. They have to be experienced. They are part of old karma, so if they are, they are liable to cause suffering one way or the other.
Therefore formations too should be seen as not mine, not me, not myself. Formations are also synonymous with intentions. Oftentimes we hold on to choices and our decisions and our intentions. But if we really look at how those choices and intentions and decisions arose, with the outside world, had nothing to do with what's known as free will. All intention is conditioned. Being conditioned, it continues to change. So why make it a self? Why hold on to it? It will only lead to your own suffering.
Awareness itself is dependent upon formations. Consciousness is dependent upon formations. Consciousness is interdependent with nama-rupa. Consciousness is just the bare cognition of whatever is arising, and it arises dependent on whatever is arising. In other words, there is ear consciousness, eye consciousness, nose consciousness, tongue consciousness, body consciousness, and mind consciousness. And then there is that consciousness of perceiving all of these arising and passing away of consciousnesses, the level of rebirth consciousness or life consciousness, however you want to put it. But that too arises dependent upon causes and conditions, and it has an expiry date. There is not, you cannot say there is something that is all-pervasive, permanent consciousness, because that experience is rooted in the experience of the mind, and when that experience goes away, that consciousness no longer exists. So it continues to arise and pass away, just like feeling continues to arise and pass away, just like form continues to arise and pass away, just like perceptions continue to arise and pass away, just like intentions continue to arise and pass away.
Questioning the bhikkhus on impermanence
Once you truly realize this, then you realize even this awareness, whether it's the sixth sense base awarenesses or that which is seeing this experience, all of that is impermanent. Then you do not take it personally. Then you do not see it as me, mine, or myself. Once you let go of these five aggregates, the clinging, the identification with these five aggregates, then you experience full awakening. What do you think, bhikkhus? Is form permanent or impermanent? Sir. Is what is impermanent suffering or happiness? Suffering, venerable sir. Is what is impermanent, suffering and subject to change, fit to be regarded thus: this is mine, this I am, this is myself? No, venerable sir. Obviously, that which is conditionally arisen is impermanent, and that which continues to change can lead to suffering and should not be seen as self.
Likewise with feeling. Is feeling, perception, intention, consciousness permanent or impermanent? Impermanent. Is what is impermanent suffering or happiness? Suffering. Is what is impermanent suffering and subject to change fit to be regarded thus? This is mine, this I am, this is myself. No, venerable sir. Therefore, bhikkhus, any kind of form whatsoever, whether past, future or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior far or near all form form should be seen as it actually is with correct wisdom thus this is not mine this i am not this is not myself all feeling any kind of perception any kind of volitional formations any kind of consciousness whatsoever whether past future or present internal or external cross or subtle Inferior or superior, far or near, all consciousness, all feeling, all perception, all formations, should be seen as it really is with correct wisdom thus.
Disenchantment leading to liberation
This is not mine, this I am not, this is not myself. Seeing thus, because the instructed noble disciple experiences disenchantment towards form, towards feeling, towards perception, towards formations, towards consciousness. In other words, You have total equanimity, seeing things as they actually are. Yata Buddha Jnana Dasanam leads to Nibada, which is disenchantment. Experiencing disenchantment, he becomes dispassionate. Now nothing penetrates the mind. Through dispassion, his mind is liberated.
When it is liberated, there comes to be the knowledge: it is liberated. Destroyed is birth, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more of this state of being. That is what the Blessed One said. Elated, those bhikkhus delighted in the Blessed One's statement. And while this discourse was being spoken, the minds of the bhikkhus of the group of five were liberated from the taints by not clinging. Thank you.