E- No substance in the Five Aggregates
Monks, suppose that a great lump of foam were floating down this Ganges River, and a man with good sight were to see it, observe it, and carefully examine it. To him — seeing it, observing it, and carefully examining it — it would appear void, hollow, without substance: for what substance would there be in a lump of foam? In the same way, a monk sees, observes, and carefully examines any form that is past, future, or present; internal or external; blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near. To him — seeing it, observing it, and carefully examining it — it would appear empty, void, without substance: for what substance would there be in form?
Now suppose that in the autumn — when it's raining in fat, heavy drops — a water bubble were to appear and burst on the water, and a man with good sight were to see it, observe it, and appropriately examine it. To him — seeing it, observing it, and carefully examining it — it would appear void, hollow, without substance: for what substance would there be in a water bubble? In the same way, a monk sees, observes, and appropriately examines any feeling that is past, future, or present; internal or external; gross or subtle; inferior or superior; far or near. To him — seeing it, observing it, and carefully examining it — it would appear void, hollow, without substance: for what substance would there be in feeling?
Now suppose that in the last month of the hot season, at high noon, a mirage were shimmering, and a man with good sight were to see it, observe it, and carefully examine it. To him — seeing it, observing it, and carefully examining it — it would appear void, hollow, without substance: for what substance would there be in a mirage? In the same way, a monk sees, observes, and carefully examines any perception that is past, future, or present; internal or external; gross or subtle; inferior or superior; far or near. To him — seeing it, observing it, and carefully examining it — it would appear hollow, empty, without substance: for what substance would there be in perception?
Now suppose that a man desiring heartwood, in quest of heartwood, wandering in search of heartwood, were to enter a forest carrying a sharp axe. There he would see a large banana tree: straight, young, of enormous height. He would cut it at the root and, having cut it at the root, would chop off the top. Having chopped off the top, he would peel away the outer skin. Peeling away the outer skin, he wouldn't even find soft wood, let alone heartwood. Then a man with good sight would see it, observe it, and carefully examine it. To him — seeing it, observing it, and appropriately examining it — it would appear void, empty, without substance: for what substance would there be in a banana tree? In the same way, a monk sees, observes, and carefully examines any formations that are past, future, or present; internal or external; gross or subtle; inferior or superior; far or near. To him — seeing them, observing them, and appropriately examining them — they would appear void, hollow, without substance: for what substance would there be in formations?
Now suppose that a magician or magician's apprentice were to display a magical illusion at a major crossroads, and a man with good sight were to see it, observe it, and carefully examine it. To him — seeing it, observing it, and carefully examining it — it would appear void, hollow, without substance: for what substance would there be in a magical illusion? In the same way, a monk sees, observes, and appropriately examines any consciousness that is past, future, or present; internal or external; gross or subtle; inferior or superior; far or near. To him — seeing it, observing it,and carefully examining it — it would appear void, hollow, without substance: for what substance would there be in consciousness?
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Seyyathāpi bhikkhave, ayaṃ gaṃgānadī mahantaṃ pheṇapiṇḍaṃ āvaheyya tamenaṃ cakkhumā puriso passeyya nijjhāyeyya yoniso upa parikkheyya, tassa taṃ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyeyya kucchakaññe va, khāyeyya, asārakaññeva, khāyeyya kiṃ hi siyā bhikkhave, pheṇapiṇḍe sāro?
Evameva kho bhikkhave, yaṃ kiñci rūpaṃ atītānāgatapaccuppannaṃ ajjhattaṃ vā bahiddhā vā oḷārikaṃ vā sukhumaṃ vā hīnaṃ vā paṇītaṃ vā yaṃ dūre santike vā, taṃ bhikkhu passati nijjhāyati yoniso upaparikkhati, tassa taṃ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyati tucchakaññeva khāyati asārakaññeva khāyati kiṃ hi siyā bhikkhave, rūpe sāro?
Seyyathāpi bhikkhave, saradasamaye thullaphusitake deve vassante udake udakabubbuḷaṃ uppajjati ceva nirujjhati ca. Tamenaṃ cakkhumā puriso passeyya nijjhāyeyya yoniso upaparikkheyya, tassa taṃ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyeyya tucchakaññeva khāyeyya asārakaññeva khāyeyya kiṃ hi siyā bhikkhave, udakabubbuḷe sāro?
Evameva kho bhikkhave, yā kāci vedanā atītānāgatapaccuppannā ajjhattaṃ vā bahiddhā vā oḷārikaṃ vā sukhumaṃ vā hīnaṃ vā paṇītaṃ vā yaṃ dūre santike vā, taṃ bhikkhu passati nijjhāyati yoniso upaparikkhati, tassa taṃ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyati tucchakaññeva khāyati asārakaññeva khāyati kiṃ hi siyā bhikkhave, vedanāya sāro?
Seyyathāpi bhikkhave, gimhānaṃ pacchime māse ṭhite majjhantike kāle marici phandati, tamenaṃ cakkhumā puriso passeyya nijjhāyeyya yoniso upaparikkheyya, tassa taṃ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyeyya tucchakaññeva khāyeyya asārakaññeva khāyeyya kiṃ hi siyā bhikkhave, marīcikāya sāro?
Evameva kho bhikkhave, yā kāci saññā atītānāgatapaccuppannā ajjhattaṃ vā bahiddhā vā oḷārikaṃ vā sukhumaṃ vā hīnaṃ vā paṇītaṃ vā yaṃ dūre santike vā, taṃ bhikkhu passati nijjhāyati yoniso upaparikkhati, tassa taṃ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyati tucchakaññeva khāyati asārakaññeva khāyati kiṃ hi siyā bhikkhave, saññāya sāro?
Seyyathāpi bhikkhave, puriso sāratthiko sāragavesī sārapariyesanaṃ caramāno tiṇhaṃ kuṭhāriṃ ādāya vanaṃ paviseyya, so tattha passeyya mahantaṃ kadalikkhandhaṃ ujuṃ navaṃ akukkukajātaṃ - tamenaṃ mūle chindeyya, mūle chetvā agge chindeyya, agge chetvā pattavaṭṭiṃ vinibbhujeyya, so tattha pattavaṭṭiṃ vinibbhujanto pheggumpi nādhigaccheyya. Kuto sāraṃ? Manaṃ cakkhumā puriso passeyya nijjhāyeyya yoniso upaparikkheyya, tassa taṃ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyeyya tucchakaññeva khāyeyya asārakaññeva khāyeyya. Kiṃ hi siyā bhikkhave, kadalikkhandhe sāro?
Evameva kho bhikkhave, ye keci saṃkhārā atītānāgatapaccuppannā ajjhattaṃ vā bahiddhā vā oḷārikaṃ vā sukhumaṃ vā hīnaṃ vā paṇītaṃ vā yaṃ dūre santike vā, taṃ bhikkhu passati nijjhāyati yoniso upaparikkhati, tassa taṃ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyati tucchakaññeva khāyati asārakaññeva khāyati kiṃ hi siyā bhikkhave, saṃkhāresu sāro?
Seyyathāpi bhikkhave, māyākāro vā māyākārantevāsī vā catummahāpathe2māyāṃ vidaṃseyya, tamenaṃ cakkhumā puriso passeyya nijjhāyeyya yoniso upaparikkheyya, tassa taṃ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyeyya tucchakaññeva khāyeyya asārakaññeva khāyeyya kiṃ hi siyā bhikkhave, māyāya sāro?
Evameva kho bhikkhave, yaṃ kiñci viññāṇaṃ atītānāgatapaccuppannaṃ ajjhattaṃ vā bahiddhā vā oḷārikaṃ vā sukhumaṃ vā hīnaṃ vā paṇītaṃ vā yaṃ dūre santike vā, taṃ bhikkhu passati nijjhāyati yoniso upaparikkhati, tassa taṃ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyati tucchakaññeva khāyati asārakaññeva khāyati kiṃ hi siyā bhikkhave, viññāṇe sāro?
SN 22.95 Phena Sutta: Foam
Seyyathāpi = in the same way
Bhikkhave (voc. pl.)= monks
ayaṃ gaṃgā-nadī (nom. sg.)= this river ganges
mahantaṃ = large
pheṇa-piṇḍaṃ (acc. sg.)= glob of foam
tamenaṃ =it
cakkhumā = with good sight
puriso (nom. sg.)= a man
passeyya = were to see
nijjhāyeyya would make
yoniso (abl. sg.) = properly
upaparikkheyya = would examine
tassa (dat. sg.)= to him
taṃ (acc. sg.) passato = seeing it
nijjhāyato = observing
upaparikkhato = examining
rittaka = empty, void
khāyeyya= would seem to be
tucchaka= void, hollow
asāraka = devoid of substance
kiṃ hi= for what
siyā = would there be
pheṇa-piṇḍe (loc. sg.)= in a glob of foam
sāro (nom. sg.)= substance
Evameva = in this way
yaṃ kiñci rūpaṃ (nom. sg.)= whatever form
atīta-anāgata-paccuppannaṃ =past, future or present
ajjhattaṃ = internal
bahiddhā =external
oḷārikaṃ = gross
sukhumaṃ =subtle
hīnaṃ = inferior
paṇītaṃ =superior
yaṃ dūre (loc. sg.) = far
santike (loc. sg.) = near
passati = he sees
sarada-samaye = in the automn season
thulla-phusitake = with heavy rain drops
deve (loc. sg.) vassante = in a raining sky
udake = in water
udakabubbuḷaṃ (nom. Sg;)= a water bubble
uppajjati = appears
nirujjhati ca= and disappears
yā kāci vedanā (nom. sg.) = whatever feeling
gimhānaṃ = of the hot season, ofsummer
pacchime = in the last
māse (loc. sg.)= in a month
majjhantike kāle(loc. sg.) = at noon time
phandati = it trembles, it shimmers
sāra-atthiko = desiring heartwood
sāra-agavesī =searching for heartwood
sāra-apariyesanaṃ =
wandering in search of heartwood
Tiṇhaṃ = sharp
kuṭhāriṃ (acc. sg.) = an axe
ādāya vanaṃ (acc. sg.)paviseyya = he would enter a forest
passeyya = he would see
mahantaṃ = great
kadali-kkhandhaṃ (acc. sg.) = a trunk of plaintain tree
ujuṃ = straight
navaṃ = young
akukkukajātaṃ-= of enormous height
mūle (loc. sg.) = a the root
chindeyya = he would cut
chetvā = having cut
agge (loc. sg.) = in the top
vinibbhujeyya= he would cut off
vinibbhujanto = cutting off
pheggum (acc. sg.) = soft wood
na adhigaccheyya = he would not encounter
Kuto sāraṃ (acc. sg.) = whence heartwood
Manaṃ = nearly, almost
ye keci saṃkhārā (nom. pl.)= whatever formations
māyākāro (nom. sg.) = a magician
māyākārantevāsī (om. sg.)= a magician's apprentice
catummahāpathe (loc. sg.) = at a cross road
māyāṃ (acc. sg.) = a magical illusion
vidaṃseyya = he would make appear
yaṃ kiñci viññāṇaṃ (nom. sg.)= whatever consciousness