When the Buddha asks Ānanda to identify what mental qualities manifest arising, passing away, and alteration while remaining across time, Ānanda points to the five aggregates. He explains that form, feeling, perception, intentional constructs, and consciousness display these traits whether they are past, unborn, or have currently come into being and manifested.

SN 22.38  Dutiya ānanda sutta - Ānanda (Second)

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

At Sāvatthi.

Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ bhagavā etadavoca:

As the venerable Ānanda was sitting to one side, the Blessed One said to him:

“Sace taṁ, ānanda, evaṁ puccheyyuṁ: ‘katamesaṁ, āvuso ānanda, dhammānaṁ uppādo paññāyittha, vayo paññāyittha, ṭhitassa aññathattaṁ paññāyittha? Katamesaṁ dhammānaṁ uppādo paññāyissati, vayo paññāyissati, ṭhitassa aññathattaṁ paññāyissati? Katamesaṁ dhammānaṁ uppādo paññāyati, vayo paññāyati, ṭhitassa aññathattaṁ paññāyatī’ti? Evaṁ puṭṭho tvaṁ, ānanda, kinti byākareyyāsī”ti?

“If, Ānanda, they were to ask you: ‘Friend Ānanda, for what |mental qualities::characteristics, traits, and tendencies of the mind, shaped by repeated actions and sustained attention, guided by particular ways of understanding; they may be wholesome or unwholesome, bright or dark [dhammā]| was an arising evident, a |passing away::disintegration, decay, disappearance, dissolution, vanishing [vayo]| evident, and an alteration while remaining evident? For what mental qualities will an arising be evident, a passing away be evident, and an alteration while remaining be evident? For what mental qualities is an arising evident, a passing away evident, and an alteration while remaining evident?’ Being asked thus, Ānanda, how would you answer?”

“Sace maṁ, bhante, evaṁ puccheyyuṁ: ‘katamesaṁ, āvuso ānanda, dhammānaṁ uppādo paññāyittha, vayo paññāyittha, ṭhitassa aññathattaṁ paññāyittha? Katamesaṁ dhammānaṁ uppādo paññāyissati, vayo paññāyissati, ṭhitassa aññathattaṁ paññāyissati? Katamesaṁ dhammānaṁ uppādo paññāyati, vayo paññāyati, ṭhitassa aññathattaṁ paññāyatī’ti? Evaṁ puṭṭhohaṁ, bhante, evaṁ byākareyyaṁ:

“If, venerable sir, they were to ask me thus: ‘Friend Ānanda, for what mental qualities was an arising evident, a passing away evident, and an alteration while remaining evident? For what mental qualities will an arising be evident, a passing away be evident, and an alteration while remaining be evident? For what mental qualities is an arising evident, a passing away evident, and an alteration while remaining evident?’ Being asked thus, venerable sir, I would answer in this way:

‘yaṁ kho, āvuso, rūpaṁ atītaṁ niruddhaṁ vipariṇataṁ; tassa uppādo paññāyittha, vayo paññāyittha, ṭhitassa aññathattaṁ paññāyittha. vedanā atītā niruddhā vipariṇatā; tassā uppādo paññāyittha, vayo paññāyittha, ṭhitāya aññathattaṁ paññāyittha. saññāye saṅkhārā atītā niruddhā vipariṇatā; tesaṁ uppādo paññāyittha, vayo paññāyittha, ṭhitassa aññathattaṁ paññāyittha. Yaṁ viññāṇaṁ atītaṁ niruddhaṁ vipariṇataṁ; tassa uppādo paññāyittha, vayo paññāyittha, ṭhitassa aññathattaṁ paññāyittha. Imesaṁ kho, āvuso, dhammānaṁ uppādo paññāyittha, vayo paññāyittha, ṭhitassa aññathattaṁ paññāyittha.

‘Friend, for |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]| that is past, ceased, and changed, an arising was evident, a passing away was evident, and an alteration while remaining was evident. For |feeling::pleasant, neutral, or painful sensation, the experience felt on contact through eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind; second of the five aggregates [vedanā]| that is past, ceased, and changed, an arising was evident, a passing away was evident, and an alteration while remaining was evident. For |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]| ... for |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]| that are past, ceased, and changed, an arising was evident, a passing away was evident, and an alteration while remaining was evident. For |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]| that is past, ceased, and changed, an arising was evident, a passing away was evident, and an alteration while remaining was evident. It is for these mental qualities, friend, that an arising was evident, a passing away was evident, and an alteration while remaining was evident.

Yaṁ kho, āvuso, rūpaṁ ajātaṁ apātubhūtaṁ; tassa uppādo paññāyissati, vayo paññāyissati, ṭhitassa aññathattaṁ paññāyissati. vedanā ajātā apātubhūtā; tassā uppādo paññāyissati, vayo paññāyissati, ṭhitāya aññathattaṁ paññāyissati. saññā …pe… ye saṅkhārā ajātā apātubhūtā; tesaṁ uppādo paññāyissati, vayo paññāyissati, ṭhitassa aññathattaṁ paññāyissati. Yaṁ viññāṇaṁ ajātaṁ apātubhūtaṁ; tassa uppādo paññāyissati, vayo paññāyissati, ṭhitassa aññathattaṁ paññāyissati. Imesaṁ kho, āvuso, dhammānaṁ uppādo paññāyissati, vayo paññāyissati, ṭhitassa aññathattaṁ paññāyissati.

For form that is unborn and unmanifested, an arising will be evident, a passing away will be evident, and an alteration while remaining will be evident. For feeling that is unborn and unmanifested, an arising will be evident, a passing away will be evident, and an alteration while remaining will be evident. For perception ... for intentional constructs that are unborn and unmanifested, an arising will be evident, a passing away will be evident, and an alteration while remaining will be evident. For consciousness that is unborn and unmanifested, an arising will be evident, a passing away will be evident, and an alteration while remaining will be evident. It is for these mental qualities, friend, that an arising will be evident, a passing away will be evident, and an alteration while remaining will be evident.

Yaṁ kho, āvuso, rūpaṁ jātaṁ pātubhūtaṁ; tassa uppādo paññāyati, vayo paññāyati, ṭhitassa aññathattaṁ paññāyati. vedanā jātā pātubhūtā …pe… saññāye saṅkhārā jātā pātubhūtā; tesaṁ uppādo paññāyati, vayo paññāyati, ṭhitassa aññathattaṁ paññāyati. Yaṁ viññāṇaṁ jātaṁ pātubhūtaṁ tassa uppādo paññāyati, vayo paññāyati, ṭhitassa aññathattaṁ paññāyati. Imesaṁ kho, āvuso, dhammānaṁ uppādo paññāyati, vayo paññāyati, ṭhitassa aññathattaṁ paññāyatī’ti. Evaṁ puṭṭhohaṁ, bhante, evaṁ byākareyyan”ti.

For form that has come into being and manifested, an arising is evident, a passing away is evident, and an alteration while remaining is evident. For feeling that has come into being and manifested ... for perception ... for intentional constructs that have come into being and manifested, an arising is evident, a passing away is evident, and an alteration while remaining is evident. For consciousness that has come into being and manifested, an arising is evident, a passing away is evident, and an alteration while remaining is evident. It is for these mental qualities, friend, that an arising is evident, a passing away is evident, and an alteration while remaining is evident.’ Being asked thus, venerable sir, I would answer in this way.”

“Sādhu sādhu, ānanda. Yaṁ kho, ānanda, rūpaṁ atītaṁ niruddhaṁ vipariṇataṁ; tassa uppādo paññāyittha, vayo paññāyittha, ṭhitassa aññathattaṁ paññāyittha. vedanā saññāye saṅkhārāyaṁ viññāṇaṁ atītaṁ niruddhaṁ vipariṇataṁ; tassa uppādo paññāyittha, vayo paññāyittha, ṭhitassa aññathattaṁ paññāyittha. Imesaṁ kho, ānanda, dhammānaṁ uppādo paññāyittha, vayo paññāyittha, ṭhitassa aññathattaṁ paññāyittha.

“Good, good, Ānanda! For form that is past, ceased, and changed, an arising was evident, a passing away was evident, and an alteration while remaining was evident. For feeling ... for perception ... for intentional constructs ... for consciousness that is past, ceased, and changed, an arising was evident, a passing away was evident, and an alteration while remaining was evident. It is for these mental qualities, Ānanda, that an arising was evident, a passing away was evident, and an alteration while remaining was evident.

Yaṁ kho, ānanda, rūpaṁ ajātaṁ apātubhūtaṁ; tassa uppādo paññāyissati, vayo paññāyissati, ṭhitassa aññathattaṁ paññāyissati. vedanā saññāye saṅkhārāyaṁ viññāṇaṁ ajātaṁ apātubhūtaṁ; tassa uppādo paññāyissati, vayo paññāyissati, ṭhitassa aññathattaṁ paññāyissati. Imesaṁ kho, ānanda, dhammānaṁ uppādo paññāyissati, vayo paññāyissati, ṭhitassa aññathattaṁ paññāyissati.

For form that is unborn and unmanifested, an arising will be evident, a passing away will be evident, and an alteration while remaining will be evident. For feeling ... for perception ... for intentional constructs ... for consciousness that is unborn and unmanifested, an arising will be evident, a passing away will be evident, and an alteration while remaining will be evident. It is for these mental qualities, Ānanda, that an arising will be evident, a passing away will be evident, and an alteration while remaining will be evident.

Yaṁ kho, ānanda, rūpaṁ jātaṁ pātubhūtaṁ; tassa uppādo paññāyati, vayo paññāyati, ṭhitassa aññathattaṁ paññāyati. vedanā jātā pātubhūtā saññāye saṅkhārāyaṁ viññāṇaṁ jātaṁ pātubhūtaṁ; tassa uppādo paññāyati, vayo paññāyati, ṭhitassa aññathattaṁ paññāyati. Imesaṁ kho, ānanda, dhammānaṁ uppādo paññāyati, vayo paññāyati, ṭhitassa aññathattaṁ paññāyatīti.

For form that has come into being and manifested, an arising is evident, a passing away is evident, and an alteration while remaining is evident. For feeling that has come into being and manifested ... for perception ... for intentional constructs ... for consciousness that has come into being and manifested, an arising is evident, a passing away is evident, and an alteration while remaining is evident. It is for these mental qualities, Ānanda, that an arising is evident, a passing away is evident, and an alteration while remaining is evident.

Evaṁ puṭṭho tvaṁ, ānanda, evaṁ byākareyyāsī”ti.

Being asked thus, Ānanda, you should answer in this way.”

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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Last updated on June 26, 2026