Arising and Ceasing (SA59)

Thus I have heard: One time, the Buddha was staying at Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park in Jeta’s Grove of Śrāvastī.

It was then that the Bhagavān told the monks, “There are five acquired aggregates. What are the five? The acquired aggregate of form … feeling … conception … volition … the acquired aggregate of awareness. Observe these five acquired aggregates as things that arise and cease. That is: ‘This is form, this is the formation of form, and this is the cessation of form. This is feeling … conception … volition … awareness, this is the formation of awareness, and this is the cessation of awareness.’

“What is the formation of form, and what is the cessation of form? What is the formation of feeling … conception … volition … awareness, and what is the cessation of feeling … conception … volition … awareness? The formation of craving and delight is the formation of form, and the cessation of craving and delight is the cessation of form. The formation of contact is the formation of feeling, conception, and volition, and the cessation of contact is the cessation of feeling, conception, and volition. The formation of name and form is the formation of awareness, and the cessation of name and form is the cessation of awareness.

“Monks, it’s in this way that form forms and form ceases. This is the formation of form and the cessation of form. It’s in this way that feeling … conception … volition … awareness forms and feeling … conception … volition … awareness ceases. This is the formation of feeling … conception … volition … awareness and the cessation of feeling … conception … volition … awareness.”

After the Buddha spoke this sūtra, the monks who heard what the Buddha taught rejoiced and approved.

This sūtra is part of the Dharma Pearls translation project.

Prepared by Charles Patton for SuttaCentral.