English
Form is essenceless, without essence, devoid of essence, without the essence of permanence, or the essence of happiness, or the essence of self, or permanence, or stability, or eternality, or unchanging nature. Feeling is essenceless, without essence, devoid of essence, without the essence of permanence, or the essence of happiness, or the essence of self, or permanence, or stability, or eternality, or unchanging nature. Perception is essenceless, without essence, devoid of essence, without the essence of permanence, or the essence of happiness, or the essence of self, or permanence, or stability, or eternality, or unchanging nature. Volitional formations are essenceless, without essence, devoid of essence, without the essence of permanence, or the essence of happiness, or the essence of self, or permanence, or stability, or eternality, or unchanging nature. Consciousness is essenceless, without essence, devoid of essence, without the essence of permanence... devoid of essence, or pleasant essence, or self-essence, or permanence, or stability, or eternality, or unchangeability. Just as a reed is without essence, without core, devoid of substance, and just as a castor plant... and just as a fig tree is without essence, without core, devoid of substance, and just as a white bush is without essence, without core, devoid of substance, and just as a coral tree is without essence, without core, devoid of substance, and just as a ball of foam is without essence, without core, devoid of substance, and just as a water bubble is without essence, without core, devoid of substance, and just as a mirage is without essence, without core, devoid of substance, and just as a banana trunk is without essence, without core, devoid of substance, and just as an illusion is without essence, without core, devoid of substance – Even so, form is without essence, without core, devoid of substance, devoid of permanent essence, or pleasant essence, or self-essence, or permanence, or stability, or eternality, or unchangeability. Feeling is without essence, without core, devoid of substance... Perception is without essence, without core, devoid of substance... Formations are without essence, without core, devoid of substance... Consciousness is without essence, without core, devoid of substance, devoid of permanent essence, or pleasant essence, or self-essence, or permanence, or stability, or eternality, or unchangeability. Thus, by observing the empty formations, one surveys the world as empty. By these two reasons, one surveys the world as empty. Moreover, by six aspects, one surveys the world as empty. The eye is empty of self, or of what belongs to self, or of permanence, or of stability, or of eternality, or of unchangeability. The ear is empty... The nose is empty... The tongue is empty... The body is empty... The mind is empty of self, or of what belongs to self, or of permanence, or of stability, or of eternality, or of unchangeability. Forms are empty... Sounds are empty... Odors are empty... Flavors are empty... Tangibles are empty... Mental objects are empty of self, or of what belongs to self, or of permanence... or permanent, or stable, or eternal, or of an unchangeable nature. Eye-consciousness is empty, Ear-consciousness is empty, Nose-consciousness is empty, Tongue-consciousness is empty, Body-consciousness is empty, Mind-consciousness is empty, Eye-contact is empty, Ear-contact is empty, Nose-contact is empty, Tongue-contact is empty, Body-contact is empty, Mind-contact is empty, Feeling born of eye-contact is empty, Feeling born of ear-contact is empty, Feeling born of nose-contact is empty, Feeling born of tongue-contact is empty, Feeling born of body-contact is empty, Feeling born of mind-contact is empty, Perception of forms is empty, Perception of sounds is empty, Perception of odors is empty, Perception of tastes is empty, Perception of tangibles is empty, Perception of mental objects is empty, Volition regarding forms is empty, Volition regarding sounds is empty, Volition regarding odors is empty, Volition regarding tastes is empty, Volition regarding tangibles is empty, Volition regarding mental objects is empty, Craving for forms is empty, Initial thought regarding forms is empty, Sustained thought regarding forms is empty, Sustained thought regarding mental objects is empty, by self, or by what belongs to self, or by permanence, or by stability, or by eternality, or by an unchangeable nature. Thus, in six ways, one regards the world as empty. Moreover, in ten ways, one regards the world as empty. Form as empty, as hollow, as void, as not-self, as without essence, as a killer, as dissolution, as a root of suffering, as defiled, as conditioned; Feeling, Perception, Formations, Consciousness, Death, Rebirth, Re-linking consciousness, Existence, The cycle of transmigration, as empty, as hollow, as void, as not-self, as without essence, as a killer, as dissolution, as a root of suffering, as defiled, as conditioned. Thus, in ten ways, one regards the world as empty. Moreover, in twelve ways, one regards the world as empty. Form is not a being, not a life, not a man, not a person, not a woman, not a male, not a self, not belonging to a self, not 'I', not 'mine', not anyone, not anyone's; Feeling, Perception, Formations, Consciousness, are not a being, not a life, not a man, not a person, not a woman, not a male, not a self, not belonging to a self, not 'I', not 'mine', not anyone, not anyone's. Thus, in twelve ways, one regards the world as empty. This was said by the Blessed One: "Whatever, monks, is not yours, abandon it. Abandoning it will be for your long-term welfare and happiness. And what, monks, is not yours? Form, monks, is not yours; abandon it. Abandoning it will be for your long-term welfare and happiness. Feeling, monks, is not yours; abandon it. Abandoning it will be for your long-term welfare and happiness. Perception, monks, is not yours..." is not yours; abandon it. That, abandoned by you, will be for your long-term welfare and happiness. Formations, monks, are not yours; abandon them. They, abandoned by you, will be for your long-term welfare and happiness. Consciousness, monks, is not yours; abandon it. That, abandoned by you, will be for your long-term welfare and happiness. Just as, monks, whatever grass, sticks, branches, and leaves in this Jeta Grove, people might carry it away, or burn it, or do with it as they please. Would it occur to you, "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 our self or what belongs to our self." In the same way, monks, what is not yours, abandon it; that, abandoned by you, will be for your long-term welfare and happiness. And what, monks, is not yours? Form, monks, is not yours; abandon it. That, abandoned by you, will be for your long-term welfare and happiness. Feeling... perception... formations... consciousness, monks, are not yours; abandon them. That, abandoned by you, will be for your long-term welfare and happiness. Thus he regards the world as empty. The venerable Ānanda said to the Blessed One: "'Empty is the world, empty is the world,' venerable sir, it is said. To what extent, venerable sir, is it said that the world is empty?" "Because, Ānanda, it is empty of self or what belongs to self, therefore it is said that the world is empty. And what, Ānanda, is empty of self or what belongs to self? The eye, Ānanda, 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 of self or what belongs to self. The ear is empty... sounds are empty" ...the nose is empty... odors are empty... the tongue is empty... tastes are empty... the body is empty... tangibles are empty... the mind is empty... mental phenomena are empty... mind-consciousness is empty... mind-contact is empty... and whatever feeling arises conditioned by mind-contact— whether pleasant or painful or neither-pleasant-nor-painful— that too is empty of self or anything pertaining to self. And since, Ananda, it is empty of self or anything pertaining to self, therefore it is said that the world is empty. Thus one regards the world as empty. Seeing the pure arising of phenomena, the pure continuity of formations, as it truly is, there is no fear for the chieftain. When one sees the world with wisdom, like grass and sticks, one desires nothing else, except for non-rebirth. Thus one regards the world as empty. This was said by the Blessed One: "Even so, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu investigates form as far as the scope of form; he investigates feeling as far as the scope of feeling; he investigates perception as far as the scope of perception; he investigates mental formations as far as the scope of mental formations; he investigates consciousness as far as the scope of consciousness. As he investigates form as far as the scope of form, feeling... perception... mental formations... consciousness as far as the scope of consciousness, whatever thought he had of 'I am' or 'mine' or 'I exist,' that too ceases for him." Thus one regards the world as empty. "Regard the world as empty"— Regard the world as empty, reflect upon it, see it, weigh it, discern it, make it manifest— "Regard the world as empty." "Mogharāja, ever mindful." Mogharāja—the Blessed One addresses that brahmin by name. Ever—at all times... ...in the last period of life. Mindful—mindful for four reasons: developing the foundation of mindfulness on the body, contemplating the body, he is mindful... ...he is called mindful— Mogharāja always mindful. "Having uprooted the view of self" means the view of self, which is the twenty-fold view of individuality.