At Sāvvathi.

"Bhikkhus, there are these five aggregates subject to clinging. What five? The form aggregate subject to clinging, the feeling aggregate subject to clinging, the perception aggregate subject to clinging, the formations aggregate subject to clinging, the consciousness aggregate subject to clinging.

So long as I, bhikkhus, did not fully understand these five aggregates subject to clinging in every aspect as they really are, I did not claim to have awakened to the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment in this world with its gods, Māras, and Brahmās, among this generation with its ascetics and brahmins, kings and commoners. But when I, bhikkhus, fully understood these five aggregates subject to clinging in every aspect as they really are, then I claimed to have awakened to the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment in this world with its gods, Māras, and Brahmās, among this generation with its ascetics and brahmins, kings and commoners.

And how did I fully understand it in every aspect? I understood form, the arising of form, the cessation of form, and the way of practice leading to the cessation of form; I understood feeling, the arising of feeling, the cessation of feeling, and the way of practice leading to the cessation of feeling; I understood perception, the arising of perception, the cessation of perception, and the way of practice leading to the cessation of perception; I understood formations, the arising of formations, the cessation of formations, and the way of practice leading to the cessation of formations; I understood consciousness, the arising of consciousness, the cessation of consciousness, and the way of practice leading to the cessation of consciousness.

And what, bhikkhus, is form? The four great elements and the form dependent on the four great elements. This is called form. With the arising of nutriment, there is the arising of form; with the cessation of nutriment, there is the cessation of form. The Noble Eightfold Path is the way of practice leading to the cessation of form, that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right collectedness.

For whatever ascetics and brahmins who have thus understood form, understood the arising of form, understood the cessation of form, and understood the way of practice leading to the cessation of form, and have practiced accordingly for the disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of form, they are well-practiced. Those who are well-practiced have gained footing in this Dhamma and Discipline.

And for whatever ascetics and brahmins who have thus understood form … and practiced accordingly for the disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of form, they are fully liberated. Those who are fully liberated are consummate ones. For consummate ones, there is no further round of existence to be described.

And what, bhikkhus, is feeling? There are these six classes of feeling: feeling born of eye-contact, feeling born of ear-contact, feeling born of nose-contact, feeling born of tongue-contact, feeling born of body-contact, feeling born of mind-contact. This is called feeling. With the arising of contact, there is the arising of feeling; with the cessation of contact, there is the cessation of feeling. The Noble Eightfold Path is the way of practice leading to the cessation of feeling, that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right collectedness.

For whatever ascetics and brahmins who have thus understood feeling, understood the arising of feeling, understood the cessation of feeling, and understood the way of practice leading to the cessation of feeling, and have practiced accordingly for the disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of feeling, they are well-practiced. Those who are well-practiced have gained footing in this Dhamma and Discipline.

And for whatever ascetics and brahmins who have thus understood feeling, understood the arising of feeling, understood the cessation of feeling, and understood the way of practice leading to the cessation of feeling, and have practiced accordingly for the disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of feeling, they are fully liberated. Those who are fully liberated are consummate ones. For consummate ones, there is no further round of existence to be described.

And what, bhikkhus, is perception? There are these six classes of perception: perception of forms, perception of sounds, perception of odors, perception of tastes, perception of tactile sensations, perception of mental phenomena. This is called perception. With the arising of contact, there is the arising of perception; with the cessation of contact, there is the cessation of perception. The Noble Eightfold Path is the way of practice leading to the cessation of perception, that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right collectedness.… For those, there is no further round of existence to be described.

And what, bhikkhus, are formations? There are these six classes of intention: intention regarding forms, intention regarding sounds, intention regarding odors, intention regarding tastes, intention regarding tactile sensations, intention regarding mental phenomena. These are called formations. With the arising of contact, there is the arising of formations; with the cessation of contact, there is the cessation of formations. The Noble Eightfold Path is the way of practice leading to the cessation of formations, that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right collectedness.

For whatever ascetics and brahmins who have thus understood formations, understood the arising of formations, understood the cessation of formations, and understood the way of practice leading to the cessation of formations, and have practiced accordingly for the disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of formations, they are well-practiced. Those who are well-practiced have gained footing in this Dhamma and Discipline.

And for whatever ascetics and brahmins who have thus understood formations understood the arising of formations, understood the cessation of formations, and understood the way of practice leading to the cessation of formations, and practiced accordingly for the disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of formations, they are fully liberated. Those who are fully liberated are consummate ones. For consummate ones, there is no further round of existence to be described.

And what, bhikkhus, is consciousness? There are these six classes of consciousness: eye-consciousness, ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness, mind-consciousness. This is called consciousness. With the arising of name-and-form, there is the arising of consciousness; with the cessation of name-and-form, there is the cessation of consciousness. The Noble Eightfold Path is the way of practice leading to the cessation of consciousness, that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right collectedness.

For whatever ascetics and brahmins who have thus understood consciousness, understood the arising of consciousness, understood the cessation of consciousness, and understood the way of practice leading to the cessation of consciousness, and have practiced accordingly for the disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of consciousness, they are well-practiced. Those who are well-practiced have gained footing in this Dhamma and Discipline.

And for whatever ascetics and brahmins who have thus understood consciousness … and practiced accordingly for the disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of consciousness, they are fully liberated. Those who are fully liberated are consummate ones. For consummate ones, there is no further round of existence to be described."