The Word of the Buddha The Three Characteristics of Existence

¶ 1“Whether or not there is the arising of Tathāgatas, this principle remains—this stability of the Dhamma, this invariance of the Dhamma: all conditioned phenomena are impermanent. This, a Tathāgata awakens to and breaks through to. Having fully awakened to and broken through to it, he points it out, teaches it, declares it, establishes it, clarifies it, analyzes it, and reveals it: ‘All conditioned phenomena are impermanent.’

¶ 2Whether or not there is the arising of Tathāgatas, this principle remains—this stability of the Dhamma, this invariance of the Dhamma: all conditioned phenomena are unsatisfactory. This, a Tathāgata awakens to and breaks through to. Having fully awakened to and broken through to it, he points it out, teaches it, declares it, establishes it, clarifies it, analyzes it, and reveals it: ‘All conditioned phenomena are unsatisfactory.’

¶ 3Whether or not there is the arising of Tathāgatas, this principle remains—this stability of the Dhamma, this invariance of the Dhamma: all phenomena are not-self. This, a Tathāgata awakens to and breaks through to. Having fully awakened to and broken through to it, he points it out, teaches it, declares it, establishes it, clarifies it, analyzes it, and reveals it: ‘All phenomena are not-self.’”

¶ 9What do you think, is form permanent or impermanent?”

¶ 10“Impermanent, venerable sir.”

¶ 11“And that which is impermanent—is it unsatisfactory or pleasant?”

¶ 12“Unsatisfactory, venerable sir.”

¶ 13“And that which is impermanent, unsatisfactory, and subject to change—is it fitting to regard that as: ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self’?”

¶ 14“Indeed not, venerable sir.”

¶ 15What do you think, are feeling, perception, intentional constructs, and consciousness permanent or impermanent?”

¶ 16“Impermanent, venerable sir.”

¶ 17“And that which is impermanent—is it unsatisfactory or pleasant?”

¶ 18“Unsatisfactory, venerable sir.”

¶ 19“And that which is impermanent, unsatisfactory, and subject to change—is it fitting to regard that as: ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self’?”