Emptiness of 5 Skhandas
On one occasion the Blessed One was staying among the Ayojjhans on
the banks of the Ganges River. There he addressed the monks:
"Monks, suppose that a large glob of foam were floating down this
Ganges River, and a man with good eyesight were to see it, observe
it, & appropriately examine it. To him seeing it, observing
it, & appropriately examining it it would appear empty, void,
without substance: for what substance would there be in a glob of
foam? In the same way, a monk sees, observes, & appropriately
examines any form that is past, future, or present; internal or
external; blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near. To him
seeing it, observing it, & appropriately examining it it
would appear empty, void, without substance: for what substance
would there be in form?
"Now suppose that in the autumn when it's raining in fat, heavy
drops a water bubble were to appear & disappear on the water,
and a man with good eyesight were to see it, observe it, &
appropriately examine it. To him seeing it, observing it, &
appropriately examining it it would appear empty, void, without
substance: for what substance would there be in a water bubble? In
the same way, a monk sees, observes, & appropriately examines
any feeling that is past, future, or present; internal or external;
blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near. To him seeing
it, observing it, & appropriately examining it it would
appear empty, void, without substance: for what substance would
there be in feeling?
"Now suppose that in the last month of the hot season a mirage were
shimmering, and a man with good eyesight were to see it, observe
it, & appropriately examine it. To him seeing it, observing
it, & appropriately examining it it would appear empty, void,
without substance: for what substance would there be in a mirage?
In the same way, a monk sees, observes, & appropriately
examines any perception that is past, future, or present; internal
or external; blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near. To
him seeing it, observing it, & appropriately examining it
it would appear empty, void, without substance: for what substance
would there be in perception?
"Now suppose that a man desiring heartwood, in quest of heartwood,
seeking heartwood, were to go into a forest carrying a sharp ax.
There he would see a large banana tree: straight, young, of
enormous height. He would cut it at the root and, having cut it at
the root, would chop off the top. Having chopped off the top, he
would peel away the outer skin. Peeling away the outer skin, he
wouldn't even find sapwood, to say nothing of heartwood. Then a man
with good eyesight would see it, observe it, & appropriately
examine it. To him seeing it, observing it, & appropriately
examining it it would appear empty, void, without substance: for
what substance would there be in a banana tree? In the same way, a
monk sees, observes, & appropriately examines any fabrications
that are past, future, or present; internal or external; blatant or
subtle; common or sublime; far or near. To him seeing them,
observing them, & appropriately examining them they would
appear empty, void, without substance: for what substance would
there be in fabrications?
"Now suppose that a magician or magician's apprentice were to
display a magic trick at a major intersection, and a man with good
eyesight were to see it, observe it, & appropriately examine
it. To him seeing it, observing it, & appropriately examining
it it would appear empty, void, without substance: for what
substance would there be in a magic trick? In the same way, a monk
sees, observes, & appropriately examines any consciousness that
is past, future, or present; internal or external; blatant or
subtle; common or sublime; far or near. To him seeing it,
observing it, & appropriately examining it it would appear
empty, void, without substance: for what substance would there be
in consciousness?
"Seeing thus, the well-instructed disciple of the noble ones grows
disenchanted with form, disenchanted with feeling, disenchanted
with perception, disenchanted with fabrications, disenchanted with
consciousness. Disenchanted, he grows dispassionate. Through
dispassion, he's released. With release there's the knowledge,
'Released.' He discerns that 'Birth is ended, the holy life
fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for this
world.'"
That is what the Blessed One said. Having said that, the One
Well-Gone, the Teacher, said further:
Form is like a glob of foam;
feeling, a bubble;
perception, a mirage;
fabrications, a banana tree;
consciousness, a magic trick
this has been taught
by the Kinsman of the Sun.
However you observe them,
appropriately examine them,
they're empty, void
to whoever sees them
appropriately.
Beginning with the body
as taught by the One
with profound discernment:
when abandoned by three things
life, warmth, & consciousness
form is rejected, cast aside.
When bereft of these
it lies thrown away,
senseless,
a meal for others.
That's the way it goes:
it's a magic trick,
an idiot's babbling.
It's said to be
a murderer.
No substance here
is found.
Thus a monk, persistence aroused,
should view the aggregates
by day & by night,
mindful,
alert;
should discard all fetters;
should make himself
his own refuge;
should live as if
his head were on fire
in hopes of the state
with no falling away.
SN 22.95
