The Buddha teaches a repeated simile applying eleven factors of a cowherd to eleven qualities a mendicant needs to meditate on impermanence, suffering, and not-self in the sense bases in this grouped discourse.

AN 7.96-614 Observing Suffering in the Eye, Etc.

“Sattime, bhikkhave, puggalā āhuneyyā pāhuneyyā …pe… anuttaraṁ puññakkhettaṁ lokassa. Katame satta?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo cakkhusmiṁ dukkhānupassī viharati …pe… cakkhusmiṁ anattānupassī viharati …pe… cakkhusmiṁ khayānupassī viharati …pe… cakkhusmiṁ vayānupassī viharati …pe… cakkhusmiṁ virāgānupassī viharati …pe… cakkhusmiṁ nirodhānupassī viharati …pe… cakkhusmiṁ paṭinissaggānupassī viharati …pe….

Sotasmiṁ …pe… ghānasmiṁjivhāyakāyasmiṁmanasmiṁ …pe….

Rūpesu …pe… saddesugandhesurasesuphoṭṭhabbesudhammesu …pe….

Cakkhuviññāṇe …pe… sotaviññāṇeghānaviññāṇejivhāviññāṇekāyaviññāṇemanoviññāṇe …pe….

Cakkhusamphasse …pe… sotasamphasseghānasamphassejivhāsamphassekāyasamphassemanosamphasse …pe….

Cakkhusamphassajāya vedanāya …pe… sotasamphassajāya vedanāyaghānasamphassajāya vedanāyajivhāsamphassajāya vedanāyakāyasamphassajāya vedanāyamanosamphassajāya vedanāya …pe….

Rūpasaññāya …pe… saddasaññāyagandhasaññāyarasasaññāyaphoṭṭhabbasaññāyadhammasaññāya …pe….

Rūpasañcetanāya …pe… saddasañcetanāyagandhasañcetanāyarasasañcetanāyaphoṭṭhabbasañcetanāyadhammasañcetanāya …pe….

Rūpataṇhāya …pe… saddataṇhāyagandhataṇhāyarasataṇhāyaphoṭṭhabbataṇhāyadhammataṇhāya …pe….

Rūpavitakke …pe… saddavitakkegandhavitakkerasavitakkephoṭṭhabbavitakkedhammavitakke …pe….

Rūpavicāre …pe… saddavicāregandhavicārerasavicārephoṭṭhabbavicāredhammavicāre …pe….

Pañcakkhandhe …pe… rūpakkhandhevedanākkhandhesaññākkhandhesaṅkhārakkhandheviññāṇakkhandhe aniccānupassī viharati …pe… dukkhānupassī viharatianattānupassī viharatikhayānupassī viharativayānupassī viharativirāgānupassī viharatinirodhānupassī viharatipaṭinissaggānupassī viharati …pe… lokassā”ti.

“Chadvārārammaṇesvettha,
viññāṇesu ca phassesu;
Vedanāsu ca dvārassa,
suttā honti visuṁ aṭṭha.

Saññā sañcetanā taṇhā,
vitakkesu vicāre ca;
Gocarassa visuṁ aṭṭha,
pañcakkhandhe ca pacceke.

Soḷasasvettha mūlesu,
aniccaṁ dukkhamanattā;
Khayā vayā virāgā ca,
nirodhā paṭinissaggā.

Kamaṁ aṭṭhānupassanā,
yojetvāna visuṁ visuṁ;
Sampiṇḍitesu sabbesu,
honti pañca satāni ca;
Aṭṭhavīsati suttāni,
āhuneyye ca vaggike”.

Āhuneyyavaggo dasamo.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Sattime, bhikkhave, puggalā āhuneyyā pāhuneyyā …pe… anuttaraṁ puññakkhettaṁ lokassa.

“Mendicants, these seven individuals are worthy of offerings …

Katame satta?

What seven?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo cakkhusmiṁ dukkhānupassī viharati …pe…

First, take an individual who meditates observing suffering in the eye. …

cakkhusmiṁ anattānupassī viharati …pe…

observing not-self in the eye. …

cakkhusmiṁ khayānupassī viharati …pe…

observing ending in the eye. …

cakkhusmiṁ vayānupassī viharati …pe…

observing vanishing in the eye. …

cakkhusmiṁ virāgānupassī viharati …pe…

observing fading away in the eye. …

cakkhusmiṁ nirodhānupassī viharati …pe…

observing cessation in the eye. …

cakkhusmiṁ paṭinissaggānupassī viharati …pe….

observing letting go in the eye. …

Sotasmiṁ …pe…

ear …

ghānasmiṁ

nose …

jivhāya

tongue …

kāyasmiṁ

body …

manasmiṁ …pe….

mind …

Rūpesu …pe…

sights …

saddesu

sounds …

gandhesu

smells …

rasesu

tastes …

phoṭṭhabbesu

touches …

dhammesu …pe….

ideas …

Cakkhuviññāṇe …pe…

eye consciousness …

sotaviññāṇe

ear consciousness …

ghānaviññāṇe

nose consciousness …

jivhāviññāṇe

tongue consciousness …

kāyaviññāṇe

body consciousness …

manoviññāṇe …pe….

mind consciousness …

Cakkhusamphasse …pe…

eye contact …

sotasamphasse

ear contact …

ghānasamphasse

nose contact …

jivhāsamphasse

tongue contact …

kāyasamphasse

body contact …

manosamphasse …pe….

mind contact …

Cakkhusamphassajāya vedanāya …pe…

feeling born of eye contact …

sotasamphassajāya vedanāya

feeling born of ear contact …

ghānasamphassajāya vedanāya

feeling born of nose contact …

jivhāsamphassajāya vedanāya

feeling born of tongue contact …

kāyasamphassajāya vedanāya

feeling born of body contact …

manosamphassajāya vedanāya …pe….

feeling born of mind contact …

Rūpasaññāya …pe…

perception of sights …

saddasaññāya

perception of sounds …

gandhasaññāya

perception of smells …

rasasaññāya

perception of tastes …

phoṭṭhabbasaññāya

perception of touches …

dhammasaññāya …pe….

perception of ideas …

Rūpasañcetanāya …pe…

intention regarding sights …

saddasañcetanāya

intention regarding sounds …

gandhasañcetanāya

intention regarding smells …

rasasañcetanāya

intention regarding tastes …

phoṭṭhabbasañcetanāya

intention regarding touches …

dhammasañcetanāya …pe….

intention regarding ideas …

Rūpataṇhāya …pe…

craving for sights …

saddataṇhāya

craving for sounds …

gandhataṇhāya

craving for smells …

rasataṇhāya

craving for tastes …

phoṭṭhabbataṇhāya

craving for touches …

dhammataṇhāya …pe….

craving for ideas …

Rūpavitakke …pe…

thoughts about sights …

saddavitakke

thoughts about sounds …

gandhavitakke

thoughts about smells …

rasavitakke

thoughts about tastes …

phoṭṭhabbavitakke

thoughts about touches …

dhammavitakke …pe….

thoughts about ideas …

Rūpavicāre …pe…

considerations regarding sights …

saddavicāre

considerations regarding sounds …

gandhavicāre

considerations regarding smells …

rasavicāre

considerations regarding tastes …

phoṭṭhabbavicāre

considerations regarding touches …

dhammavicāre …pe….

considerations regarding ideas …

Pañcakkhandhe …pe…

meditates observing impermanence in the five aggregates …

rūpakkhandhe

the aggregate of form …

vedanākkhandhe

the aggregate of feeling …

saññākkhandhe

the aggregate of perception …

saṅkhārakkhandhe

the aggregate of choices …

viññāṇakkhandhe aniccānupassī viharati …pe…

the aggregate of consciousness …

dukkhānupassī viharati

meditates observing suffering …

anattānupassī viharati

not-self …

khayānupassī viharati

ending …

vayānupassī viharati

vanishing …

virāgānupassī viharati

fading away …

nirodhānupassī viharati

cessation …

paṭinissaggānupassī viharati …pe…

letting go …”

lokassā”ti.

“Chadvārārammaṇesvettha,

viññāṇesu ca phassesu;

Vedanāsu ca dvārassa,

suttā honti visuṁ aṭṭha.

Saññā sañcetanā taṇhā,

vitakkesu vicāre ca;

Gocarassa visuṁ aṭṭha,

pañcakkhandhe ca pacceke.

Soḷasasvettha mūlesu,

aniccaṁ dukkhamanattā;

Khayā vayā virāgā ca,

nirodhā paṭinissaggā.

Kamaṁ aṭṭhānupassanā,

yojetvāna visuṁ visuṁ;

Sampiṇḍitesu sabbesu,

honti pañca satāni ca;

Aṭṭhavīsati suttāni,

āhuneyye ca vaggike”.

Āhuneyyavaggo dasamo.

Topics & Qualities:

Craving

Craving

A driving ‘thirst’ that reaches out toward experiences, identities, or outcomes as the place to find satisfaction—“if only I had that.” It spins stories of lack, binds the mind to becoming, and invariably leads to suffering.

Also known as: wanting, yearning, longing, lit. thirst
Pāli: taṇha, abhijjhā
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Desire

Desire

A wholesome motivation, interest, or objective that acts as the starting point for effort and application of will.

Also known as: aspiration, interest, wish, having an objective, intention, impulse
Pāli: chanda
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Ending

Ending

The complete exhaustion and ending of craving, aversion, and delusion—the three roots of suffering. It refers to both the gradual wearing away of defilements through practice and the final cessation that constitutes Nibbāna.

Also known as: cessation, exhaustion, gradual ending, wearing away
Pāli: khaya, khīṇa, nirodha
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Giving up

Giving up

The mental quality of renunciation and release from attachment. It delights in simplicity and freedom rather than in sensual pleasure. Giving up is not loss but the joyful abandoning of burden, opening the way to peace and insight.

Also known as: renunciation, relinquishment, letting go, abandonment
Pāli: nekkhamma
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Suffering

Suffering

Unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering that is inherent in conditioned existence.

Also known as: discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentedness, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, distress, affliction
Pāli: dukkha
View all discourses →

Last updated on July 27, 2026