And one should understand, according to reality, and true wisdom:
"This does not belong to me; this am I not; this is not my Ego."
What, now, is the Fluid Element?
The fluid element may be one's own, or it may be external.
And what is one own fluid element?
The dependent properties, which on one's own person and body are
watery or cohesive, as bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, lymph,
tears, semen, spit, nasal mucus, oil of the joints, urine or
whatever other dependent properties which on one own person
and body are watery or cohesive, this is called one's own
fluid element.
Now, whether it be one's own fluid element, or whether
it be the external fluid element, they are both only the fluid element.
And one should understand, according to reality, and true wisdom:
"This does not belong to me; this am I not; this is not my Ego."
What, now, is the Heating Element?
The heating element may be one own, or it may be external.
And what is one's own heating element?
The dependent properties, which on one's own person and
body are heating and radiating, as that whereby one is heated,
consumed, scorched, whereby that which has been eaten,
drunk, chewed, or tasted, is fully digested;
or whatever other dependent properties, which on one's
own person and body are heating and radiating this is
called one's own heating element.
Now, whether it be one's own heating element, or
whether it be the external heating element, they are both only the
heating element.
And one should understand, according to reality, and true wisdom:
"This does not belong to me; this am I not; this is not my Ego."
What, now, is the Vibrating Element?
The vibrating element may be one's own, or it may be external.
And what is one's own vibrating element?
The dependent properties, which on one's own person and
body are mobile and gaseous, as the upward-going and
downward-going winds;
the winds of stomach and intestines;
in-breathing and out-breathing;
or whatever other dependent properties, which on one's own
person and body are mobile and gaseous-this is called
one's own vibrating element.
Now, whether it be one's own vibrating element,
or whether it be the external vibrating element,
they are both only the vibrating element.
And one should understand, according to reality, and true wisdom:
"This does not belong to me; this am I not; this is not my Ego."
Just as one calls "hut" the circumscribed space which comes to be by
means of wood and rushes, reeds, and clay, even so we call "body"
the circumscribed space that comes to be by means of bones and sinews,
flesh and skin.
Dependent Origination of Consciousness
Now, though one's eye be intact, yet if the external forms do not
fall within the field of vision, and no corresponding conjunction
takes place, in that case there occurs no formation of the
corresponding aspect of consciousness.
Or, though one eye be intact,
and the external forms fall within the field of vision, yet if no
corresponding conjunction takes place, in that case also there
occurs no formation of the corresponding aspect of consciousness.
If, however, one's eye is intact, and the external forms fall within
the field of vision, and the corresponding conjunction takes place, in
that case there arises the corresponding aspect of consciousness.
Hence, I say: the arising of consciousness is dependent upon
conditions; and without these conditions, no consciousness arises.
And upon whatsoever conditions the arising of consciousness is
dependent, after these it is called.
Consciousness whose arising depends on the eye and forms, is
called "eye-consciousness."
Consciousness whose arising depends on the ear and sound, is
called "ear-consciousness."
Consciousness whose arising depends on the olfactory organ and
odors, is called "nose-consciousness."
Consciousness whose arising depends on the tongue and taste, is
called "tongue-consciousness."
Consciousness whose arising depends on the body and bodily contacts,
is called "body-consciousness."
Consciousness whose arising depends on the mind and ideas, is called
"mind-consciousness."
Whatsoever there is of "corporeality" in the consciousness thus
arisen, that belongs to the Group of Corporeality.
Whatsoever there is of "feeling" - bodily ease, pain, joy,
sadness, or indifferent feeling - belongs to the Group of Feeling.
Whatsoever there is of "perception" - visual objects, sounds,
odors, tastes, bodily impressions, or mind objects - belongs to
the Group of Perception.
Whatsoever there are of mental "formations" impression, volition,
etc. - belong to the Group of mental Formations.
Whatsoever there is of "consciousness" therein,
belongs to the Group of Consciousness.
And it is impossible that any one can explain the passing out of one
existence, and the entering into a new existence, or the growth,
increase, and development of consciousness, independent of
corporeality, feeling, perception, and mental formations.
The Three Characteristics of Existence
All formations are "transient"; all formations are "subject to
suffering"; all things are "without an Ego-entity."
Corporeality is transient, feeling is transient,
perception is transient, mental formations are transient,
consciousness is transient.
And that which is transient, is subject to suffering;
and of that which is transient, and subject to suffering and change,
one cannot rightly say:
"This belongs to me; this am I; this is my Ego."
Therefore, whatever there be of corporeality, of feeling,
perception, mental formations, or consciousness, whether one's own
or external, whether gross or subtle, lofty or low, far or near, one
should understand, according to reality, and true wisdom:
"This does not belong to me; this am I not; this is not my Ego."
Suppose, a man who is not blind, were to behold the many bubbles
on the Ganges as they are driving along;
and he should watch them, and carefully examine them.
After carefully examining them, they will appear to him empty,
unreal, and unsubstantial.
In exactly the same way, does the monk behold all the
corporeal phenomena, feelings, perceptions, mental formations,
and states of consciousness - whether they be of the past,
or the present, or the future, far, or near.
And he watches them, and examines them carefully; and,
after carefully examining them, they appear to him empty,
void, and without an Ego.
Who so delights in corporeality, or feeling, or perception, or mental
formations, or consciousness, he delights in suffering;
and who so delights in suffering, will not be freed from suffering.
Thus I say
How can you find delight and mirth,
Where there is burning without end?
In deepest darkness you are wrapped!
Why do you not seek for the light?
Look at this puppet here, well rigged,
A heap of many sores, piled up,
Diseased, and full of greediness,
Unstable, and impermanent!
Devoured by old age is this frame,
A prey of sickness, weak and frail;
To pieces breaks this putrid body,
All life must truly end in death.
The Three Warnings
Did you never see in the world a man, or a woman, eighty, ninety, or
a hundred years old, frail, crooked as a gable roof, bent down,
resting on crutches, with tottering steps, infirm, youth long since
fled, with broken teeth, grey and scanty hair, or bald-headed,
wrinkled, with blotched limbs?
And did the thought never come to you
that also you are subject to decay, that also you cannot escape it?
Did you never see in the world a man, or a woman, who being sick,
afflicted, and grievously ill, and wallowing in his own filth, was
lifted up by some people, and put to bed by others?
And did the thought never come to you that also you are subject to disease, that
also you cannot escape it?
Did you never see in the world the corpse of a man, or a woman, one,
or two, or three days after death, swollen up, blue-black in color,
and full of corruption?
And did the thought never come to you that
also you are subject to death, that also you cannot escape it?
Samara, The Wheel of Existence
Inconceivable is the beginning of this Samsara;
not to be discovered is any first beginning of beings,
who, obstructed by ignorance, and ensnared by craving,
are hurrying and hastening through this round of rebirths.
Samsara - the Wheel of Existence, lit, the "Perpetual
Wandering" - is the name by which is designated the sea of life ever
restlessly heaving up and down, the symbol of this continuous
process of ever again and again being born, growing old, suffering,
and dying.
More precisely Put: Samsara is the unbroken chain of the
fivefold Khandha-combinations, which, constantly changing from
moment to moment, follow continuously one upon the other through
inconceivable periods of time.
Of this Samsara, a single lifetime constitutes only a vanishingly
tiny fraction;
hence, to be able to comprehend the first noble truth,
one must let one's gaze rest upon the Samsara,
upon this frightful chain of rebirths, and not merely
upon one single lifetime, which, of course, may be sometimes not
very painful.
Which do you think is the more: the flood of tears, which weeping
and wailing you have shed upon this long way - hurrying and hastening
through this round of rebirths, united with the undesired, separated
from the desired this, or the waters of the four oceans?
Long time have you suffered the death of father and mother, of sons,
daughters, brothers, and sisters. And whilst you were thus
suffering, you have, verily, shed more tears upon this long way than
there is water in the four oceans.
Which do you think is the more: the streams of blood that, through
your being beheaded, have flowed upon this long way, or the waters
in the four oceans?
Long time have you been caught as dacoits, or highwaymen, or
adulterers; and, through your being beheaded, verily, more blood has
flowed upon this long way than there is water in the four oceans.
But how is this possible?
Inconceivable is the beginning of this Samsara; not to be discovered
is any first beginning of beings, who, obstructed by ignorance, and
ensnared by craving, are hurrying and hastening through this round
of rebirths.
And thus have you long time undergone suffering, undergone
torment, undergone misfortune, and filled the graveyards full;
verily, long enough to be dissatisfied with all the forms of existence,
long enough to turn away, and free yourselves from them all.