By clinging to the five aggregates, one experiences pleasure and pain.

SN 22.150  Ajjhatta sutta - Internal

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

At Sāvatthi.

“Kismiṁ nu kho, bhikkhave, sati, kiṁ upādāya uppajjati ajjhattaṁ sukhadukkhan”ti?

“Bhikkhus, when what exists, by |clinging to::grasping (at), acquiring, appropriating, taking possession (of), identifying (with) [upādāya]| what, do |pleasure and pain::ease and discomfort, happiness and sorrow [sukhadukkha]| arise internally?”

“Bhagavaṁmūlakā no, bhante, dhammā bhagavaṁnettikā bhagavaṁpaṭisaraṇā. Sādhu vata, bhante, bhagavantaññeva paṭibhātu etassa bhāsitassa attho. Bhagavato sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī”ti.

“Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One, guided by the Blessed One, and have the Blessed One as their refuge. It would be good, venerable sir, if the Blessed One would clarify the meaning of this statement. Having heard it from the Blessed One, the bhikkhus will remember it.”

“Tena hi, bhikkhave, suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.

“Then listen, bhikkhus, and pay close attention, I will speak.”

“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:

“Yes, venerable sir,” the bhikkhus responded to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said:

"rūpe kho, bhikkhave, sati rūpaṁ upādāya uppajjati ajjhattaṁ sukhadukkhaṁ. Vedanāya sati vedanaṁ upādāya uppajjati ajjhattaṁ sukhadukkhaṁ. Saññāya sati saññaṁ upādāya uppajjati ajjhattaṁ sukhadukkhaṁ. Saṅkhāresu sati saṅkhāre upādāya uppajjati ajjhattaṁ sukhadukkhaṁ. Viññāṇe sati viññāṇaṁ upādāya uppajjati ajjhattaṁ sukhadukkhaṁ.

“When there 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]|, bhikkhus, by clinging to form, pleasure and pain arise internally. When there is |felt experience::pleasant, neutral, or painful sensation, feeling, second of the five aggregates [vedanā]|, by clinging to felt experience, pleasure and pain arise internally. When there 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]|, by clinging to perception, pleasure and pain arise internally. When there are |intentional constructs::intentions, volitions, choices; mental and bodily volitional activities; thought formations and constructed experiences (including proliferative tendencies); kamma-producing processes [saṅkhāra]|, by clinging to intentional constructs, pleasure and pain arise internally. When there 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 [viññāṇa]|, by clinging to consciousness, pleasure and pain arise internally.”

Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, rūpaṁ niccaṁ aniccaṁ vā”ti?

What do you |think::presume, suppose, imagine, conceive [maññati]|, bhikkhus, is form |permanent::stable, not in flux [nicca]| or |impermanent::not lasting, transient, unreliable [anicca]|?”

“Aniccaṁ, bhante”.

“Impermanent, venerable sir.”

“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ taṁ sukhaṁ vā”ti?

“And that which is impermanent—is it |dissatisfactory::uncomfortable, unpleasant [dukkha]| or |happiness::contentment, ease, pleasant abiding [sukha]|?”

“Dukkhaṁ, bhante”.

“Dissatisfactory, venerable sir.”

“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, api nu taṁ anupādāya uppajjeyya ajjhattaṁ sukhadukkhan”ti?

“And that which is impermanent, dissatisfactory, and |subject to change::of the nature of alteration, decay [vipariṇāmadhamma]|—is it fitting to regard that as: ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self’?”

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.

“Indeed not, venerable sir.”

"Vedanā niccaṁ aniccaṁ vā"ti?

“Is felt experience permanent or impermanent?”

"Aniccaṁ, bhante".

“Impermanent, venerable sir.”

"Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ taṁ sukhaṁ vā"ti?

“And that which is impermanent—is it dissatisfactory or happiness?”

"Dukkhaṁ, bhante".

“Dissatisfactory, venerable sir.”

"Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, kallaṁ nu taṁ samanupassituṁ: 'etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā'"ti?

“And that which is impermanent, dissatisfactory, and subject to change—is it fitting to regard it thus: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?”

"No hetaṁ, bhante".

“Indeed not, venerable sir.”

"Saññā niccaṁ aniccaṁ vā"ti?

“Is perception permanent or impermanent?”

"Aniccaṁ, bhante".

“Impermanent, venerable sir.”

"Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ taṁ sukhaṁ vā"ti?

“And that which is impermanent—is it dissatisfactory or happiness?”

"Dukkhaṁ, bhante".

“Dissatisfactory, venerable sir.”

"Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, kallaṁ nu taṁ samanupassituṁ: 'etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā'"ti?

“And that which is impermanent, dissatisfactory, and subject to change—is it fitting to regard it thus: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?”

"No hetaṁ, bhante".

“Indeed not, venerable sir.”

"Saṅkhārā niccaṁ aniccaṁ vā"ti?

“Are intentional constructs permanent or impermanent?”

"Aniccaṁ, bhante".

“Impermanent, venerable sir.”

"Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ taṁ sukhaṁ vā"ti?

“And that which is impermanent—is it dissatisfactory or happiness?”

"Dukkhaṁ, bhante".

“Dissatisfactory, venerable sir.”

"Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, kallaṁ nu taṁ samanupassituṁ: 'etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā'"ti?

“And that which is impermanent, dissatisfactory, and subject to change—is it fitting to regard it thus: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?”

"No hetaṁ, bhante".

“Indeed not, venerable sir.”

"Viññāṇaṁ niccaṁ aniccaṁ vā"ti?

“Is consciousness permanent or impermanent?”

“Aniccaṁ, bhante”.

“Impermanent, venerable sir.”

“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ taṁ sukhaṁ vā”ti?

“And that which is impermanent—is it dissatisfactory or happiness?”

“Dukkhaṁ, bhante”.

“Dissatisfactory, venerable sir.”

“Yaṁ panāniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, kallaṁ nu taṁ samanupassituṁ: ‘etaṁ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’”ti?

“And that which is impermanent, dissatisfactory, and subject to change—is it fitting to regard it thus: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self’?”

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.

“Indeed not, venerable sir.”

"Evaṁ passaṁ, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako rūpasmimpi nibbindati, vedanāyapi nibbindati, saññāyapi nibbindati, saṅkhāresupi nibbindati, viññāṇasmimpi nibbindati. Nibbindaṁ virajjati; virāgā vimuccati. Vimuttasmiṁ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ hoti.

Seeing thus, bhikkhus, the |learned::well-studied, instructed [sutavant]| disciple of the Noble Ones becomes |disenchanted with::disillusioned with [nibbindati]| form, becomes disenchanted with felt experience, becomes disenchanted with perception, becomes disenchanted with intentional constructs, becomes disenchanted with consciousness. Experiencing disenchantment, they become |dispassionate::detached [virajjati]|; through dispassion, there is release. When released, there arises the knowledge: ‘Released.’

'Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā'ti pajānātī"ti.

One understands: ‘Birth is ended, the spiritual life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of existence.’”

Qualities:

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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Recognition of not-self

Recognition of not-self

Seeing that no phenomenon can rightly be taken as “I” or “mine.” It reveals the impersonal, dependently arisen nature of all experience, undermining conceit and attachment to identity.

Also known as: perception of not being suitable to identify with, realization of being subject to change, recognition of alteration and changing nature
Pāli: anattasaññā
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Suffering

Suffering

Unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering that is inherent in conditioned existence.

Also known as: discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentedness, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, distress, affliction
Pāli: dukkha
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Last updated on December 13, 2025