1At Sāvatthī. Then a certain bhikkhu … Sitting to one side, that bhikkhu said to the Blessed One:

1Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

"Venerable sir, is there any form that is permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change, and that will remain the same just like eternity itself? Is there, venerable sir, any feeling … any perception … any volitional formations … any consciousness sn.iii.144 that is permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change, and that will remain the same just like eternity itself?"

"atthi nu kho, bhante, kiñci rūpaṁ yaṁ rūpaṁ niccaṁ dhuvaṁ sassataṁ avipariṇāmadhammaṁ sassatisamaṁ tatheva ṭhassati? Atthi nu kho, bhante, kāci vedanā yā vedanā niccā dhuvā sassatā avipariṇāmadhammā sassatisamaṁ tatheva ṭhassati? Atthi nu kho, bhante, kāci saññā yā saññā … pe … atthi nu kho, bhante, keci saṅkhārā ye saṅkhārā niccā dhuvā sassatā avipariṇāmadhammā sassatisamaṁ tatheva ṭhassanti? Atthi nu kho, bhante, kiñci viññāṇaṁ, yaṁ viññāṇaṁ niccaṁ dhuvaṁ sassataṁ avipariṇāmadhammaṁ sassatisamaṁ tatheva ṭhassatī"ti?

"Bhikkhu, there is no form that is permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change, and that will remain the same just like eternity itself. There is no feeling … no perception … no volitional formations … no consciousness that is permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change, and that will remain the same just like eternity itself."

"Natthi kho, bhikkhu, kiñci rūpaṁ, yaṁ rūpaṁ niccaṁ dhuvaṁ sassataṁ avipariṇāmadhammaṁ sassatisamaṁ tatheva ṭhassati. Natthi kho, bhikkhu, kāci vedanā … kāci saññā … keci saṅkhārā … kiñci viññāṇaṁ, yaṁ viññāṇaṁ niccaṁ dhuvaṁ sassataṁ avipariṇāmadhammaṁ sassatisamaṁ tatheva ṭhassatī"ti.

2Then the Blessed One took up a little lump of cowdung in his hand and said to that bhikkhu: "Bhikkhu, there is not even this much individual existence that is permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change, and that will remain the same just like eternity itself. If there was this much individual existence that was permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change, this living of the holy life for the complete destruction of suffering could not be discerned.[n.198] Spk: The holy life of the path arises stilling the formations of the three planes. If even this much individual existence were permanent, though the path might arise it would not be able to still the round of formations. Thus the holy life would not be discerned. But because there is not even this much individual existence that is permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change, this living of the holy life for the complete destruction of suffering is discerned.

2Atha kho bhagavā parittaṁ gomayapiṇḍaṁ pāṇinā gahetvā taṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca: "ettakopi kho, bhikkhu, attabhāvapaṭilābho natthi nicco dhuvo sassato avipariṇāmadhammo sassatisamaṁ tatheva ṭhassati. Ettako cepi, bhikkhu, attabhāvapaṭilābho abhavissa nicco dhuvo sassato avipariṇāmadhammo, nayidaṁ brahmacariyavāso paññāyetha sammā dukkhakkhayāya. Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhu, ettakopi attabhāvapaṭilābho natthi nicco dhuvo sassato avipariṇāmadhammo, tasmā brahmacariyavāso paññāyati sammā dukkhakkhayāya.

3"In the past, bhikkhu, I was a head-anointed khattiya king.[n.199] Spk: This is said to show: "If any formations were permanent, then the success I enjoyed as King Mahāsudassana would have been permanent." On King Mahāsudassana, a past incarnation of the Buddha, see the eponymic sutta, DN No. 17. I had 84,000 cities, the chief of which was the capital Kusavati. I had 84,000 palaces, the chief of which was the palace named Dhamma. I had 84,000 halls with peaked roofs, the chief of which was the hall named the Great Array. I had 84,000 couches made of ivory, of heartwood, of gold and silver, decked with long-haired coverlets, embroidered with flowers, with choice spreads made of antelope hides, sn.iii.145 with red awnings overhead and red cushions at both ends.

3Bhūtapubbāhaṁ, bhikkhu, rājā ahosiṁ khattiyo muddhāvasitto. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhu, rañño sato khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa caturāsītinagarasahassāni ahesuṁ kusāvatīrājadhānippamukhāni. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhu, rañño sato khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa caturāsītipāsādasahassāni ahesuṁ dhammapāsādappamukhāni. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhu, rañño sato khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa caturāsītikūṭāgārasahassāni ahesuṁ mahābyūhakūṭāgārappamukhāni. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhu, rañño sato khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa caturāsītipallaṅkasahassāni ahesuṁ dantamayāni sāramayāni sovaṇṇamayāni goṇakatthatāni paṭikatthatāni paṭalikatthatāni kadalimigapavarapaccattharaṇāni sauttaracchadāni ubhatolohitakūpadhānāni.

"I had 84,000 bull elephants with golden ornaments and golden banners, covered with nets of golden thread, the chief of which was the royal bull elephant named Uposatha.[n.200] The elephant, the steed, the jewel-gem, the beautiful queen, and the commander-gem are five of the seven gems of the wheel-turning monarch (rājā cakkavattī). The other two, which Mahāsudassana also possessed, are the wheel-gem and the steward-gem; for details, see DN II 172–77. The seven gems are mentioned at SN46.42. I had 84,000 steeds with golden ornaments and golden banners, covered with nets of golden thread, the chief of which was the royal steed named Valahaka. I had 84,000 chariots with golden ornaments and golden banners, covered with nets of golden thread, the chief of which was the chariot named Vejayanta.

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhu, rañño sato khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa caturāsītināgasahassāni ahesuṁ sovaṇṇālaṅkārāni sovaṇṇaddhajāni hemajālapaṭicchannāni uposathanāgarājappamukhāni. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhu, rañño sato khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa caturāsītiassasahassāni ahesuṁ sovaṇṇālaṅkārāni sovaṇṇaddhajāni hemajālapaṭicchannāni valāhakaassarājappamukhāni. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhu, rañño sato khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa caturāsītirathasahassāni ahesuṁ sovaṇṇālaṅkārāni sovaṇṇaddhajāni hemajālapaṭicchannāni vejayantarathappamukhāni.

"I had 84,000 jewels, the chief of which was the jewel-gem. I had 84,000 women, the chief of whom was Queen Subhadda. I had 84,000 vassals of the khattiya caste, the chief of whom was the commander-gem. I had 84,000 cows with tethers of fine jute and milk pails of bronze. I had 84,000 koṭis of garments made of fine linen, of fine silk, of fine wool, of fine cotton. I had 84,000 plates on which my meals were served both in the morning and in the evening.

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhu, rañño sato khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa caturāsītimaṇisahassāni ahesuṁ maṇiratanappamukhāni. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhu … pe … caturāsītiitthisahassāni ahesuṁ subhaddādevippamukhāni. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhu … pe … caturāsītikhattiyasahassāni ahesuṁ anuyantāni pariṇāyakaratanappamukhāni. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhu … pe … caturāsītidhenusahassāni ahesuṁ dukūlasandānāni kaṁsūpadhāraṇāni. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhu … pe … caturāsītivatthakoṭisahassāni ahesuṁ khomasukhumāni koseyyasukhumāni kambalasukhumāni kappāsikasukhumāni. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhu … pe … caturāsītithālipākasahassāni ahesuṁ; sāyaṁ pātaṁ bhattābhihāro abhihariyittha.

4"Of those 84,000 cities,[n.201] The passage beginning "Of those 84,000 cities" to the end is also at DN II 197–98, but the latter includes an additional closing paragraph. The homily on impermanence is at SN15.20 (II 193,3–6).
Spk: Having shown his success at the time when he was King Mahāsudassana, he now shows its impermanence. Just as a man might place a ladder against a campaka tree, climb up, take a campaka flower, and then descend, so the Blessed One has climbed up the story of King Mahāsudassana's success, taken the characteristic of impermanence at the top, and descended. bhikkhu, there was only one city in which I resided at that time: the capital Kusavati. Of those 84,000 palaces, sn.iii.146 there was only one palace in which I resided at that time: the palace named Dhamma. Of those 84,000 halls with peaked roof, there was only one hall with peaked roof in which I resided at that time: the hall named the Great Array. Of those 84,000 couches, there was only one couch that I used at that time, one made either of ivory or of heartwood or of gold or of silver.

4Tesaṁ kho pana, bhikkhu, caturāsītiyā nagarasahassānaṁ ekaññeva taṁ nagaraṁ hoti yamahaṁ tena samayena ajjhāvasāmi – kusāvatī rājadhānī. Tesaṁ kho pana, bhikkhu, caturāsītiyā pāsādasahassānaṁ ekoyeva so pāsādo hoti yamahaṁ tena samayena ajjhāvasāmi – dhammo pāsādo. Tesaṁ kho pana, bhikkhu, caturāsītiyā kūṭāgārasahassānaṁ ekaññeva taṁ kūṭāgāraṁ hoti yamahaṁ tena samayena ajjhāvasāmi – mahābyūhaṁ kūṭāgāraṁ. Tesaṁ kho pana, bhikkhu, caturāsītiyā pallaṅkasahassānaṁ ekoyeva so pallaṅko hoti yamahaṁ tena samayena paribhuñjāmi – dantamayo vā sāramayo vā sovaṇṇamayo vā rūpiyamayo vā.

"Of those 84,000 elephants, there was only one elephant that I rode at that time, the royal bull elephant named Uposatha. Of those 84,000 steeds, there was only one steed that I rode at that time, the royal steed named Valahaka. Of those 84,000 chariots, there was only one chariot that I rode in at that time, the chariot named Vejayanta.

Tesaṁ kho pana, bhikkhu, caturāsītiyā nāgasahassānaṁ ekoyeva so nāgo hoti yamahaṁ tena samayena abhiruhāmi – uposatho nāgarājā. Tesaṁ kho pana, bhikkhu, caturāsītiyā assasahassānaṁ ekoyeva so asso hoti yamahaṁ tena samayena abhiruhāmi – valāhako assarājā. Tesaṁ kho pana, bhikkhu, caturāsītiyā rathasahassānaṁ ekoyeva so ratho hoti yamahaṁ tena samayena abhiruhāmi – vejayanto ratho.

"Of those 84,000 women, there was only one woman who waited on me at that time, either a khattiya maiden or a velamika maiden.[n.202] I read with Se, khattiyā vā velāmikā vā. Spk explains a velāmika as one born from a khattiya father and a brahmin mother, or a brahmin father and a khattiya mother. Of those 84,000 koṭis of garments, there was only one pair of garments that I wore at that time, one made either of fine linen or of fine silk or of fine wool or of fine cotton. Of those 84,000 plates, there was only one plate from which I ate at most a measure of rice with a suitable curry.

Tesaṁ kho pana, bhikkhu, caturāsītiyā itthisahassānaṁ ekāyeva sā itthī hoti yā maṁ tena samayena paccupaṭṭhāti – khattiyānī vā velāmikā vā. Tesaṁ kho pana, bhikkhu, caturāsītiyā vatthakoṭisahassānaṁ ekaññeva taṁ vatthayugaṁ hoti yamahaṁ tena samayena paridahāmi – khomasukhumaṁ vā koseyyasukhumaṁ vā kambalasukhumaṁ vā kappāsikasukhumaṁ vā. Tesaṁ kho pana, bhikkhu, caturāsītiyā thālipākasahassānaṁ ekoyeva so thālipāko hoti yato nāḷikodanaparamaṁ bhuñjāmi tadupiyañca sūpeyyaṁ.

"Thus, bhikkhu, all those formations have passed, ceased, changed. So impermanent are formations, bhikkhu, so unstable, so unreliable. sn.iii.147 It is enough, bhikkhu, to feel revulsion towards all formations, enough to become dispassionate towards them, enough to be liberated from them."

Iti kho, bhikkhu, sabbe te saṅkhārā atītā niruddhā vipariṇatā. Evaṁ aniccā kho, bhikkhu, saṅkhārā. Evaṁ addhuvā kho, bhikkhu, saṅkhārā. Evaṁ anassāsikā kho, bhikkhu, saṅkhārā. Yāvañcidaṁ, bhikkhu, alameva sabbasaṅkhāresu nibbindituṁ, alaṁ virajjituṁ, alaṁ vimuccitun"ti.

Catutthaṁ.