The Characteristic of Not-Self

At one time the Blessed One was staying near Bārāṇasī, in the Deer Park at Isipatana. There the Blessed One spoke to the group of five monks: 'Monks!' 'Yes, venerable sir,' the monks answered. The Blessed One said this:

Form, monks, is not self. For if form were self, monks, form would not lead to sickness, and one could command form: 'Let my form be this way; let my form not be that way.' But because form is not self, monks, form leads to sickness, and one cannot command form: 'Let my form be this way; let my form not be that way.'

Feeling is not self. For if feeling were self, monks, feeling would not lead to sickness, and one could command feeling: 'Let my feeling be this way; let my feeling not be that way.' But because feeling is not self, monks, feeling leads to sickness, and one cannot command feeling: 'Let my feeling be this way; let my feeling not be that way.'

Perception is not self … (and so on) … Mental formations are not self. For if mental formations were self, monks, mental formations would not lead to sickness, and one could command mental formations: 'Let my mental formations be this way; let my mental formations not be that way.' But because mental formations are not self, monks, mental formations lead to sickness, and one cannot command mental formations: 'Let my mental formations be this way; let my mental formations not be that way.'

Consciousness is not self. For if consciousness were self, monks, consciousness would not lead to sickness, and one could command consciousness: 'Let my consciousness be this way; let my consciousness not be that way.' But because consciousness is not self, monks, consciousness leads to sickness, and one cannot command consciousness: 'Let my consciousness be this way; let my consciousness not be that way.'

"What do you think, monks: is form permanent or impermanent?" "Impermanent, venerable sir." "And what is impermanent, is it suffering or happiness?" "Suffering, venerable sir." "And what is impermanent, suffering and bound to change, is it fitting to regard it as 'This is mine, I am this, this is my self'?" "No indeed, venerable sir." "Is feeling … perception … mental formations … consciousness permanent or impermanent?" "Impermanent, venerable sir." "And what is impermanent, is it suffering or happiness?" "Suffering, venerable sir." "And what is impermanent, suffering and bound to change, is it fitting to regard it as 'This is mine, I am this, this is my self'?" "No indeed, venerable sir."

So, monks, any kind of form at all, whether past, future or present, within oneself or outside, coarse or subtle, lowly or refined, far off or close by: all form is to be seen as it truly is, with right wisdom: 'This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.'

Any kind of feeling at all, whether past, future or present, within oneself or outside … (and so on) … far off or close by: all feeling is to be seen as it truly is, with right wisdom: 'This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.'

Any kind of perception at all … (and so on) … any mental formations at all, whether past, future or present, within oneself or outside … (and so on) … far off or close by: all mental formations are to be seen as they truly are, with right wisdom: 'This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.'

Any kind of consciousness at all, whether past, future or present, within oneself or outside, coarse or subtle, lowly or refined, far off or close by: all consciousness is to be seen as it truly is, with right wisdom: 'This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.'

Seeing in this way, monks, a well-taught noble disciple grows weary of form, grows weary of feeling, grows weary of perception, grows weary of mental formations, grows weary of consciousness. Being weary, their passion fades; with the fading of passion, they are freed. When they are freed, there is the knowledge: 'Freed.' They understand: 'Birth is ended; the spiritual life has been lived to the full; the work is done; there is no more coming back to this kind of existence.'

This is what the Blessed One said. Glad at heart, the group of five monks welcomed the Blessed One's words. And while this teaching was being given, the minds of the group of five monks were freed from the taints through not clinging.