SN 22:18 · Cause (1) (Hetu Sutta)
Near Sāvatthī. There the Blessed One addressed the monks, “Monks, form is inconstant. Whatever cause & condition there is for the arising of form, that, too, is inconstant. Being brought into play by what is inconstant, how could form be constant?
“Feeling is inconstant…
“Perception is inconstant…
“Fabrications are inconstant…
“Consciousness is inconstant. Whatever cause & condition there is for the arising of consciousness, that, too, is inconstant. Being brought into play by what is inconstant, how could consciousness be constant?
“Seeing thus, the instructed disciple of the noble ones grows disenchanted with form, disenchanted with feeling, disenchanted with perception, disenchanted with fabrications, disenchanted with consciousness. Disenchanted, he becomes dispassionate. Through dispassion, he is released. With release, there is the knowledge, ‘Released.’ He discerns that ‘Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for this world.’”
See also: MN 146
Translated by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu. © 2014 / rev. 2017 Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu — released under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 licence, for free distribution only. Source: dhammatalks.org (Metta Forest Monastery).
