At Sāvatthi.
“Bhikkhus, when the |recognition of impermanence::perception of instability, inconsistency [aniccasaññā]| is developed and frequently practiced, it exhausts all passion for sensual pleasure, all passion for |material existence::materiality, experience of the material world—encompassing both one‘s body and external objects, whether near or far, gross or subtle, deficient or refined; first of the five aggregates [rūpa]|, all desire for becoming, all |ignorance::fundamental unawareness or misunderstanding of the true nature of reality, not experientially understanding the four noble truths [avijjā]|, and it utterly |uproots::eradicates [samūhanati]| the |conceit ‘I am.’::egotism, self-conceit, self comparison [asmimāna]|
Just as bhikkhus, in the autumn season, a farmer plows with a large plow, completely cutting through and uprooting all rooted vegetation, so too, bhikkhus, when the recognition of impermanence is developed and frequently practiced, it exhausts all passion for sensual pleasure, all passion for materiality, all desire for becoming, all ignorance, and it utterly uproots the conceit ‘I am.’
Just as bhikkhus, a reed-cutter, after cutting a clump of reeds, grasps it at the tip and shakes it down, shakes it off, and tosses it aside, so too, bhikkhus, when the recognition of impermanence is developed and frequently practiced, it exhausts all passion for sensual pleasure, all desire for becoming, all ignorance, and it utterly uproots the conceit ‘I am.’
Just as bhikkhus, when a cluster of mangoes is cut off at the stalk, all the mangoes that were attached to the stalk follow along with it, so too, bhikkhus, when the recognition of impermanence is developed and frequently practiced, it exhausts all passion for sensual pleasure, all passion for materiality, all desire for becoming, all ignorance, and it utterly uproots the conceit ‘I am.’
Just as bhikkhus, the |rafters::support beams, wooden framework of a thatched roof [gopānasī]| of a building with the peaked roof all slope towards the peak, incline towards the peak, and meet together at the peak, so too, bhikkhus, when the recognition of impermanence is developed and frequently practiced, it exhausts all passion for sensual pleasure, all passion for materiality, all desire for becoming, all ignorance, and it utterly uproots the conceit ‘I am.’
Just as bhikkhus, among all root fragrances, |kāḷānusāriya fragrance::dominant fragrance [kāḷānusārigandha]| is considered the finest, so too, bhikkhus, when the recognition of impermanence is developed and frequently practiced, it exhausts all passion for sensual pleasure, all passion for materiality, all desire for becoming, all ignorance, and it utterly uproots the conceit ‘I am.’
Just as bhikkhus, among all heartwood fragrances, red sandalwood is considered the finest, so too, bhikkhus, when the recognition of impermanence is developed and frequently practiced, it exhausts all passion for sensual pleasure, all passion for materiality, all desire for becoming, all ignorance, and it utterly uproots the conceit ‘I am.’
Just as bhikkhus, among all floral scents, the fragrance of jasmine is considered the finest, so too, bhikkhus, when the recognition of impermanence is developed and frequently practiced, it exhausts all passion for sensual pleasure, all passion for materiality, all desire for becoming, all ignorance, and it utterly uproots the conceit ‘I am.’
Just as bhikkhus, all regional kings are dependent on the |emperor::monarch, sovereign [cakkavatti]| and the emperor is considered the foremost among them, so too, bhikkhus, when the recognition of impermanence is developed and frequently practiced, it exhausts all passion for sensual pleasure, all passion for materiality, all desire for becoming, all ignorance, and it utterly uproots the conceit ‘I am.’
Just as bhikkhus, the twinkling of all the stars does not amount to a sixteenth part of the moonlight and the moonlight surpasses them, so too, bhikkhus, when the recognition of impermanence is developed and frequently practiced, it exhausts all passion for sensual pleasure, all passion for materiality, all desire for becoming, all ignorance, and it utterly uproots the conceit ‘I am.’
Just as, bhikkhus, in the autumn season, when the sky is clear and free from clouds, the sun, ascending and dispelling all the |darkness::gloom [tamagata]| spread across the sky, shines forth, radiates heat, and illuminates brightly, so too, bhikkhus, when the recognition of impermanence is developed and frequently practiced, it exhausts all passion for sensual pleasure, all passion for materiality, all desire for becoming, all ignorance, and it utterly uproots the conceit ‘I am.’
And how, bhikkhus, when the recognition of impermanence is developed and frequently practiced, does it exhaust all passion for sensual pleasure, all passion for materiality, all desire for becoming, all ignorance, and utterly uproot the conceit ‘I am’? ’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::disappearing, 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::interpretation and recognition of oneself, of things. It can involve concepts, labels, and judgments; third of the five aggregates [sañña]|, such is the arising of perception, such is the passing away of perception; such are |volitional formations::intentions, choices, decisions, karmic activity; fourth of the five aggregates [saṅkhāra]|, such is the arising of volitional formations, such is the passing away of volitional formations; such is |consciousness::quality of awareness — subjective awareness of experiences and the knowing of objects through the six sense doors [sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and mind]; fifth of the five aggregates [viññāṇa]|, such is the arising of consciousness, such is the passing away of consciousness.’
Bhikkhus, when the recognition of impermanence is developed in this way and frequently practiced, it exhausts all passion for sensual pleasure, all passion for materiality, all desire for becoming, all ignorance, and utterly uproots the conceit ‘I am.’”