The Word of the Buddha The Five Groups of Existence

¶ 121And what, in brief, are the five aggregates subject to clinging that are suffering? They are as follows: The form aggregate subject to clinging, the feeling aggregate subject to clinging, the perception aggregate subject to clinging, the intentional constructs aggregate subject to clinging, and the consciousness aggregate subject to clinging. These are called, in brief, the five aggregates subject to clinging that are suffering.

¶ 122This is called the noble truth of suffering.

¶ 12“Ma’am, is clinging the same as the five aggregates that are subject to clinging, or is clinging something apart from the five aggregates that are subject to clinging?”

¶ 13“Friend Visākha, clinging is neither the same as the five aggregates that are subject to clinging, nor is it something apart from the five aggregates that are subject to clinging. Whatever desire and attachment there is with regard to the five aggregates that are subject to clinging, that is the clinging there.”

¶ 21“Therefore, any kind of form whatsoever, whether past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, deficient or refined, far or near—all form is to be seen with proper wisdom as it truly is: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’

¶ 22Any kind of feeling whatsoever, whether past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, deficient or refined, far or near—all feeling is to be seen with proper wisdom as it truly is: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’

¶ 23Any kind of perception whatsoever, whether past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, deficient or refined, far or near—all perception is to be seen with proper wisdom as it truly is: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’

¶ 24Any kind of intentional constructs whatsoever, whether past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, deficient or refined, far or near—all intentional constructs are to be seen with proper wisdom as they truly are: ‘These are not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’

¶ 25Any kind of consciousness whatsoever, whether past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, deficient or refined, far or near—all consciousness is to be seen with proper wisdom as it truly is: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’”