The Buddha describes his quest for gratification in the five aggregates, drawback in the five aggregates, and the escape from them. He subsequently experientially realized gratification, drawback, and escape as they truly are, leading to his unshakable liberation.

SN 22.27  Dutiyaassāda sutta - Gratification (Second)

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

At Sāvatthi.

“Rūpassāhaṁ, bhikkhave, assādapariyesanaṁ acariṁ. Yo rūpassa assādo tadajjhagamaṁ. Yāvatā rūpassa assādo paññāya me so sudiṭṭho. Rūpassāhaṁ, bhikkhave, ādīnavapariyesanaṁ acariṁ. Yo rūpassa ādīnavo tadajjhagamaṁ. Yāvatā rūpassa ādīnavo paññāya me so sudiṭṭho. Rūpassāhaṁ, bhikkhave, nissaraṇapariyesanaṁ acariṁ. Yaṁ rūpassa nissaraṇaṁ tadajjhagamaṁ. Yāvatā rūpassa nissaraṇaṁ paññāya me taṁ sudiṭṭhaṁ.

“|Bhikkhus,::::| I set out |seeking::searching, on a quest of, inquiring, in pursuit of [pariyesanā]| the |gratification::satisfaction, pleasure, enjoyment, sweetness [assāda]| in |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]|. Whatever gratification there is in form, I attained that. As far as the gratification in form extends, I have |clearly seen::properly understood, well-seen [sudiṭṭha]| it with wisdom. I set out seeking the |drawback::disadvantage, unsatisfactoriness, inadequacy, danger [ādīnava]| in form. Whatever drawback there is in form, I attained that. As far as the drawback in form extends, I have clearly seen it with wisdom. I set out seeking the |escape::way out, remedy [nissaraṇa]| from form. Whatever escape there is from form, I attained that. As far as the escape from form extends, I have clearly seen it with wisdom.

Vedanāyāhaṁ, bhikkhavesaññāyāhaṁ, bhikkhavesaṅkhārānāhaṁ, bhikkhaveviññāṇassāhaṁ, bhikkhave, assādapariyesanaṁ acariṁ. Yo viññāṇassa assādo tadajjhagamaṁ. Yāvatā viññāṇassa assādo paññāya me so sudiṭṭho. Viññāṇassāhaṁ, bhikkhave, ādīnavapariyesanaṁ acariṁ. Yo viññāṇassa ādīnavo tadajjhagamaṁ. Yāvatā viññāṇassa ādīnavo paññāya me so sudiṭṭho. Viññāṇassāhaṁ, bhikkhave, nissaraṇapariyesanaṁ acariṁ. Yaṁ viññāṇassa nissaraṇaṁ tadajjhagamaṁ. Yāvatā viññāṇassa nissaraṇaṁ paññāya me taṁ sudiṭṭhaṁ.

I set out seeking the gratification in |feeling::pleasant, neutral, or painful sensation, the experience felt on contact through eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind; second of the five aggregates [vedanā]|, ... gratification in |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]|, ... gratification in |intentional constructs::the constructive activity that shapes each moment of experience, expressed as bodily, verbal, and mental formations; the accumulated conditioning — patterns, tendencies, and habits — produced by prior action [saṅkhārā]|, ... I set out seeking the gratification in |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]|. Whatever gratification there is in consciousness, I attained that. As far as the gratification in consciousness extends, I have clearly seen it with wisdom. I set out seeking the drawback in consciousness. Whatever drawback there is in consciousness, I attained that. As far as the drawback in consciousness extends, I have clearly seen it with wisdom. I set out seeking the escape from consciousness. Whatever escape there is from consciousness, I attained that. As far as the escape from consciousness extends, I have clearly seen it with wisdom.

Yāvakīvañcāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imesaṁ pañcannaṁ upādānakkhandhānaṁ assādañca assādato ādīnavañca ādīnavato nissaraṇañca nissaraṇato yathābhūtaṁ nābbhaññāsiṁ …pe… abbhaññāsiṁ.

So long|, bhikkhus,::::| as I did not |experientially understand::directly knew, realized [abbhaññāsi]| as they truly are, the gratification as gratification, the drawback as drawback, and the escape as escape with regard to these five aggregates subject to clinging, ... I did not claim to have attained |unsurpassed perfect awakening::highest, supreme, unsurpassed, and complete enlightenment [anuttarasammāsambodhi]| in the world with its |deities::gods [devas]|, |Māras::demons, tempters, beings of delusion; lit. causing death [mārake]|, |Brahmas::Gods; celestial beings residing in the Brahmā realms, often considered to be highly refined and long-lived deities. [brahmā]|, among this generation with its ascetics and brahmins, its kings and commoners. But|, bhikkhus,::::| when I did experientially understand as they truly are, the gratification as gratification, the drawback as drawback, and the escape as escape with regard to these five aggregates subject to clinging, ... then I claimed to have attained unsurpassed perfect awakening in the world with its deities, Māras, and Brahmas, among this generation with its ascetics and brahmins, its kings and commoners.

Ñāṇañca pana me dassanaṁ udapādi: ‘akuppā me vimutti; ayamantimā jāti; natthi dāni punabbhavo’”ti.

|Knowledge::understanding, insight [ñāṇa]| and |vision::realization [dassana]| arose in me: ‘My liberation is unshakeable, this is my final birth, now there is no more |renewed existence::renewal of being, reappearance, rebirth, future life [punabbhava]|.’

Qualities:

Perceiving drawback

Perceiving drawback

The contemplative perception that discerns the danger, inadequacy, and unsatisfactoriness of conditioned pleasures, leading the mind to turn away from clinging.

Also known as: observing the disadvantage, contemplating the unsatisfactoriness
Pāli: ādīnavānupassī
View all discourses →
Perceiving escape

Perceiving escape

The contemplative perception that recognizes the way out of bondage after understanding gratification and danger, seeing cessation of an unsatisfactory experience as its true escape.

Also known as: observing the release, seeing the way out, contemplating the remedy, recognizing the way leading beyond suffering
Pāli: nissaraṇānupassī, nissaraṇaṁ yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti
View all discourses →
Perceiving gratification

Perceiving gratification

The contemplative perception that focuses on the attractive or pleasurable aspect of experience, fueling delight and attachment to sense pleasures.

Also known as: following pleasure, seeing enjoyment, sign of beautiful
Pāli: assādānupassī
View all discourses →
Vision

Vision

The corrective clarity that clearly sees into the true nature of things as they actually are.

Also known as: knowledge and vision, seeing clearly, seeing things as they are, seeing the truth, seeing the dhamma
Pāli: dassana, ñāṇadassana, yathābhūtañāṇadassana
View all discourses →

Last updated on June 24, 2026