English
" He grieves not for a thing that has changed, nor grieves he concerning a thing that has changed. He grieves not, thinking: "My eye has changed," "my ear..." "my nose..." "my tongue..." "my body..." "my forms..." "my sounds..." "my smells..." "my tastes..." "my tangibles..." "my family..." "my group..." "my dwelling..." "my gain..." (etc.) ... "my relatives have changed." He grieves not, nor wearies, nor laments, nor beats his breast, nor falls into confusion. Thus, he grieves not for what is not. Or, being touched, overcome, afflicted, endowed with painful feeling that is not (permanent), he grieves not, nor wearies, nor laments, nor beats his breast, nor falls into confusion. Thus, he grieves not for what is not. Or, being touched, overcome by eye disease... (etc.) ... being touched, overcome, afflicted, endowed with the touch of gnats, mosquitoes, wind, sun, or creeping things, he grieves not, nor wearies, nor laments, nor beats his breast, nor falls into confusion. Thus, he grieves not for what is not. Or else, when it is not, when it is not found, when it is not perceived, he does not grieve, does not pine, does not lament, does not beat his breast and cry, does not fall into confusion, (saying) "Oh, it was mine! Oh, it is not mine! Oh, it might be mine! Oh, I do not obtain it!" Thus, by its not being, he does not grieve. He indeed is not defeated in the world. For whom, "This is mine, or this is others'," any form-related, feeling-related, perception-related, volitional-formation-related, consciousness-related thing is grasped, clung to, adhered to, settled upon, inclined towards, for him there is loss. This too has been said – "Defeated concerning chariots and horses, and concerning jeweled earrings, and concerning sons and wives, likewise defeated; In all possessions not enjoyed, why do you not grieve in time of sorrow?" "Before the mortal, possessions abandon him, the mortal abandons wealth even sooner; Impermanent are beings, desirous of sensual pleasures, therefore I do not grieve in time of sorrow." "The moon rises, waxes full, and wanes, the sun, having heated the darkness, departs; By me are known, O friend, the ways of the world, therefore I do not grieve in time of sorrow." For whom, "This is mine, or this is others'," any form-related, feeling-related, perception-related, volitional-formation-related, consciousness-related thing is not grasped, not clung to, not adhered to, not settled upon, not inclined towards, for him there is no loss. This too has been said – "'You rejoice, ascetic?'" "'Having gained what, friend?'" "'Then, ascetic, you grieve?'" "'Having lost what, friend?'" "'Then, ascetic, you neither rejoice nor grieve?'" "'Even so, friend.'" "After a long time, indeed, we see a brahmin fully extinguished; A monk without joy, without affliction, one who has crossed attachment in the world." He indeed is not defeated in the world. Therefore the Blessed One said – "In all name-and-form, for whom there is no possessiveness; And by its not being, he does not grieve, s in this world is not defeated.” 186. For whom there is no “this is mine,” Nor anything of others; Not finding possessiveness, “There is none for me,” he grieves not. “For whom there is no ‘this is mine,’ nor anything of others.” “For whom,” means for the Arahant, the one whose defilements are destroyed. For whom there is nothing, no existing, no present, no found, no grasped, no clung to, no fixated upon, no settled upon, no determined upon, whether it be form-related, feeling-related, perception-related, volitional-formation-related, or consciousness-related, saying “this is mine, or this is others’.” It is abandoned, uprooted, calmed, tranquilized, incapable of arising again, burnt by the fire of knowledge. Thus, “for whom there is no ‘this is mine,’ nor anything of others.” This was said by the Blessed One: “This body, monks, is not yours, nor is it others’. This, monks, is old kamma, fabricated, willed, to be felt. Therein, monks, the well-taught noble disciple thoroughly and wisely attends to dependent origination: ‘When this exists, that comes to be; with the arising of this, that arises. When this does not exist, that does not come to be; with the cessation of this, that ceases. That is to say, with ignorance as condition, volitional formations; with volitional formations as condition, consciousness… and so on… Thus is the origin of this whole mass of suffering. With the complete fading away and cessation of ignorance, there is the cessation of volitional formations… and so on… Thus is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering.’” Thus, “for whom there is no ‘this is mine,’ nor anything of others.” This was also said by the Blessed One: “Look upon the world as empty, Mogharāja, ever mindful; Having removed the view of self, Thus may you cross over death; Looking upon the world thus, The King of Death does not see you.” Thus, “for whom there is no ‘this is mine,’ nor anything of others.” This was also said by the Blessed One: “What, monks, is not yours, that you should abandon. That, abandoned by you, will be for your long-term welfare and happiness. And what, monks, is not Is it yours? Form, monks, is not yours, abandon it. Its abandonment will be for your long-term welfare and happiness. Feeling… perception… formations… consciousness are not yours, abandon them. Their abandonment will be for your long-term welfare and happiness. What do you think, monks? If the grass, sticks, branches, and leaves in this Jeta Grove, people were to carry them away, or burn them, or do with them as they please, would you think: ‘People are carrying us away, or burning us, or doing with us as they please’? ‘No, venerable sir.’ ‘For what reason?’ ‘Because, venerable sir, that is not self, nor belonging to self.’ ‘Even so, monks, what is not yours, abandon it. Its abandonment will be for your long-term welfare and happiness. And what, monks, is not yours? Form, monks, is not yours, abandon it. Its abandonment will be for your long-term welfare and happiness. Feeling… perception… formations… consciousness are not yours, abandon them. Their abandonment will be for your long-term welfare and happiness.’ Even so, for one who has no ‘this is mine’, nor anything belonging to others. This has also been said – ‘For one who sees the pure arising of phenomena, the pure continuity of formations, seeing it as it truly is, there is no fear, chieftain. ‘When one sees the world as grass and sticks with wisdom, one desires nothing else, except non-rebirth.’ Even so, for one who has no ‘this is mine’, nor anything belonging to others. The bhikkhunī Vajirā said this to Māra, the Evil One – ‘What do you assume to be a being, Māra? Is it your view? This is a mere heap of pure formations; no being is found here. ‘Just as when parts are assembled, the word ‘chariot’ arises; Even so, when the aggregates exist, the convention ‘being’ arises. ‘Indeed, suffering alone s Arises, suffering stands and passes away; Not other than suffering arises, not other than suffering ceases. Even so, for one who has no 'this is mine,' nor anything of others. For this was said by the Blessed One: "Just so, monks, a monk investigates form as far as the range of form, feeling... perception... fabrications... consciousness as far as the range of consciousness. As he investigates form as far as the range of form, feeling... perception... fabrications... consciousness as far as the range of consciousness, whatever he might have as 'I' or 'mine' or 'I am,' that too does not exist for him." Even so, for one who has no 'this is mine,' nor anything of others. The Venerable Ananda said to the Blessed One: "'The world is empty, the world is empty,' it is said, venerable sir. To what extent, venerable sir, is the world said to be empty?" "Because, Ananda, it is empty of self or what belongs to self, therefore it is called 'the world is empty.' And what, Ananda, is empty of self or what belongs to self? The eye, Ananda, is empty of self or what belongs to self. Forms are empty, eye-consciousness is empty, eye-contact is empty, and whatever feeling arises dependent on eye-contact— whether pleasant or painful or neither-pleasant-nor-painful— that too is empty... ear is empty... sounds are empty... nose is empty... odors are empty... tongue is empty... tastes are empty... body is empty... tactile objects are empty... mind is empty... mental phenomena are empty... mind-consciousness is empty... mind-contact is empty, and whatever feeling arises dependent on mind-contact— whether pleasant or painful or neither-pleasant-nor-painful— that too is empty of self or what belongs to self. Because, Ananda, it is empty of self or what belongs to self, therefore it is called 'the world is empty.'" Even so, for one who has no 'this is mine,' nor anything of others. He does not find possessiveness. There are two kinds of possessiveness: possessiveness rooted in craving and possessiveness rooted in views... ...this is possessiveness rooted in craving... ... this is the 'mine' of views. Having abandoned the 'mine' of craving, having relinquished the 'mine' of views, not finding 'mine', not experiencing 'mine', not attaining 'mine', not acquiring 'mine' – he does not experience 'mine'. "There is not mine," thus he does not grieve. He does not grieve over an altered object, nor does he grieve when an object is altered. "My eye is altered," thus he does not grieve. "My ear... my relatives are altered," thus he does not grieve, does not lament, does not wail, does not beat his breast, does not fall into confusion – "There is not mine," thus he does not grieve. Therefore the Blessed One said: "For whom there is not 'this is mine', nor anything of others; he, not experiencing 'mine', 'There is not mine,' thus he does not grieve." 187. Not envious, not greedy, unagitated, equal in all ways; I declare that benefit, when asked, for the unshakeable one.