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- Samyutta Nikaya XXII.47
- Samanupassana Sutta
- Assumptions
- For free distribution only, as a gift of Dhamma
At Savatthi. There the Blessed One said, "Monks, whatever
contemplatives or priests who assume in various ways when assuming a self, all assume the
five aggregates for sustenance/clinging, or a certain one of them. Which five? There is
the case where an uninstructed, run-of-the-mill person -- who has no regard for noble
ones, is not well-versed or disciplined in their Dhamma; who has no regard for men of
integrity, is not well-versed or disciplined in their Dhamma -- assumes form (the body) to
be the self, or the self as possessing form, or form as in the self, or the self as in
form.
"He assumes feeling to be the self, or the self as possessing feeling, or feeling
as in the self, or the self as in feeling.
"He assumes perception to be the self, or the self as possessing perception, or
perception as in the self, or the self as in perception.
"He assumes (mental) fabrications to be the self, or the self as possessing
fabrications, or fabrications as in the self, or the self as in fabrications.
"He assumes consciousness to be the self, or the self as possessing consciousness,
or consciousness as in the self, or the self as in consciousness.
"Thus, both this assumption & the understanding, 'I am,' occur to him. And so
it is with reference to the understanding 'I am' that there is the appearance of the five
faculties -- eye, ear, nose, tongue, & body (the senses of vision, hearing, smell,
taste, & touch).
"Now, there is the intellect, there are ideas (mental qualities), there is the
property of ignorance. To an uninstructed run-of-the-mill person, touched by experience
born of the contact of ignorance, there occur (the thoughts): 'I am,' 'I am thus,' 'I
shall be,' 'I shall not be,' 'I shall be possessed of form,' 'I shall be formless,' 'I
shall be percipient (conscious),' 'I shall be non-percipient,' or 'I shall be neither
percipient nor non-percipient.'
"The five faculties, monks, continue as they were. And with regard to them the
well-instructed noble disciple abandons ignorance and gives rise to clear knowing. Owing
to the fading of ignorance and the arising of clear knowing, (the thoughts) -- 'I am,' 'I
am this,' 'I shall be,' 'I shall not be,' 'I shall be possessed of form,' 'I shall be
formless,' 'I shall be percipient (conscious),' 'I shall be non-percipient,' and 'I shall
be neither percipient nor non-percipient' -- do not occur to him."