Endowed with ten powers and four assurances, the Buddha reveals the impermanence of the five aggregates and teaches dependent co-arising.

SN 12.21  Dasabala sutta - Ten Powers

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.

At Sāvatthi.

“Dasabalasamannāgato, bhikkhave, tathāgato catūhi ca vesārajjehi samannāgato āsabhaṁ ṭhānaṁ paṭijānāti, parisāsu sīhanādaṁ nadati, brahmacakkaṁ pavatteti

“Bhikkhus, the |Tathāgata::one who has arrived at the truth, an epithet of a perfectly Awakened One [tathāgata]|, |endowed with the ten powers::The ten Tathāgata powers are described in [MN 12 discourse](/mn12#the-ten-tath-gata-powers). [dasabala + samannāgata]| and the four |assurances::intrepedities, confidences [vesārajja]|, claims the foremost position, roars the lion’s roar in the assemblies, and sets the wheel of the |Dhamma::teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [dhamma]| in motion:

iti rūpaṁ iti rūpassa samudayo iti rūpassa atthaṅgamo, iti vedanā iti vedanāya samudayo iti vedanāya atthaṅgamo, iti saññā iti saññāya samudayo iti saññāya atthaṅgamo, iti saṅkhārā iti saṅkhārānaṁ samudayo iti saṅkhārānaṁ atthaṅgamo, iti viññāṇaṁ iti viññāṇassa samudayo iti viññāṇassa atthaṅgamo.

Such is |form::materiality, material existence, experience of the material world, i.e. encompassing both one’s body and external objects, whether near or far, gross or subtle, deficient or refined; first of the five aggregates [rūpa]|, such is the |arising::appearance, origination [samudaya]| of form, such is the |passing away::disappearance, vanishing, subsiding [atthaṅgama]| of form; such is |felt experience::pleasant, neutral, or painful sensation, feeling felt on contact through eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind; second of the five aggregates [vedanā]|, such is the arising of felt experience, such is the passing away of felt experience; such is |perception::The mental process of recognizing and giving meaning to experience. It marks sensory information by signs, labels, or associations drawn from memory and the field of contact. Perception shapes how one experiences the world; third of the five aggregates [sañña]|, such is the arising of perception, such is the passing away of perception; such are |intentional constructs::intentions, volitions, choices; mental and bodily volitional activities; thought formations and constructed experiences (including proliferative tendencies); kamma-producing processes; fourth of the five aggregates [saṅkhāra]|, such is the arising of intentional constructs, such is the passing away of intentional constructs; such is |consciousness::quality of awareness — distinctive knowing that arises in dependence on the meeting of eye and form, ear and sound, nose and odor, tongue and taste, body and tangible object, mind and mind object; fifth of the five aggregates [viññāṇa]|, such is the arising of consciousness, such is the passing away of consciousness.

Iti imasmiṁ sati idaṁ hoti, imassuppādā idaṁ uppajjati. Imasmiṁ asati idaṁ na hoti, imassa nirodhā idaṁ nirujjhati.

When this exists, that comes to be; with the arising of this, that arises. When this does not exist, that does not come to be; with the cessation of this, that ceases.

Yadidaṁ avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā; saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṁ; viññāṇapaccayā nāmarūpaṁ; nāmarūpapaccayā saḷāyatanaṁ; saḷāyatanapaccayā phasso; phassapaccayā vedanā; vedanāpaccayā taṇhā; taṇhāpaccayā upādānaṁ; upādānapaccayā bhavo; bhavapaccayā jāti; jātipaccayā jarāmaraṇaṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā sambhavanti. Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.

Namely, |dependent on::contingent on, supported by, grounded on [paṭicca]| |ignorance::fundamental unawareness or misunderstanding of the true nature of reality, not experientially understanding the four noble truths [avijjā]|, bhikkhus, |intentional constructs::intentions, volitions, and choices expressed as mental, verbal, and bodily activities; thought formations and constructed experiences (including proliferative tendencies); processes that produce kamma [saṅkhāra]| [arise]; dependent on intentional constructs, |consciousness::quality of awareness — distinctive knowing that arises in dependence on the meeting of eye and form, ear and sound, nose and odor, tongue and taste, body and tangible object, mind and mind object [viññāṇa]| arises; dependent on consciousness, |name and form::mentality and materiality—the integrated structure of mental capacities (intention, attention, contact, feeling, perception) and physical form that together constitute and sustain an individual being [nāmarūpa]| arise; dependent on name and form, the |six sense bases::The six internal sense bases—eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind—are the faculties that enable sensory contact and experience. They are not the physical organs themselves, but the functional conditions that enable consciousness to meet an object [saḷāyatana]| arise; dependent on the six sense bases, |contact::sense impingement, raw experience, touch [phassa]| arises; dependent on contact, |felt experience::pleasant, neutral, or painful sensation, feeling, second of the five aggregates [vedanā]| arises; dependent on felt experience, |craving::wanting, yearning, longing, attachment, lit. thirst [taṇha]| arises; dependent on craving, |clinging::grasping, acquiring, appropriating, taking possession, identifying [upādāna]| arises; dependent on clinging, |existence::continued conditional existence, the karmically conditioned mode of being that leads to future rebirth [bhava]| arises; dependent on existence, |birth::rebirth, conception, coming into existence [jāti]| arises; dependent on birth, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair arise. Thus is the arising of this whole mass of suffering.

Avijjāya tveva asesavirāganirodhā saṅkhāranirodho; saṅkhāranirodhā viññāṇanirodho; viññāṇanirodhā nāmarūpanirodho; nāmarūpanirodhā saḷāyatananirodho; saḷāyatananirodhā phassanirodho; phassanirodhā vedanānirodho; vedanānirodhā taṇhānirodho; taṇhānirodhā upādānanirodho; upādānanirodhā bhavanirodho; bhavanirodhā jātinirodho; jātinirodhā jarāmaraṇaṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā nirujjhanti. Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hoti”ti.

With the |complete fading away and ending::remainderless dispassion and cessation [asesavirāganirodha]| of ignorance comes the ending of intentional constructs; with the ending of intentional constructs, ending of consciousness; with the ending of consciousness, ending of name and form; with the ending of name and form, ending of the six sense bases; with the ending of the six sense bases, ending of contact; with the ending of contact, ending of felt experience; with the ending of felt experience, ending of craving; with the ending of craving, ending of clinging; with the ending of clinging, ending of existence; with the ending of existence, ending of birth; with the ending of birth, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair cease. Thus is the ending of this whole mass of suffering.”

Qualities:

Discernment

Discernment

Clear seeing that distinguishes what is wholesome from unwholesome, true from false.

Also known as: ability to make out distinctions, ability to discriminate, distinguish, clear seeing, penetrating internal vision
Pāli: viveka, vipassanā, nipaka, niccheyya
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Recognition of impermanence

Recognition of impermanence

Perceiving all conditioned things as unstable and transient. This recognition weakens attachment by revealing the continual arising and ceasing of phenomena, turning the mind toward wisdom and release.

Also known as: perception of impermanence, perception of instability, realization of transience
Pāli: aniccasaññā
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Last updated on December 13, 2025