The Buddha teaches Rāhula to contemplate sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and ideas as impermanent, suffering, and not-self—not fit to be regarded as “mine, I am this, my self”—until disenchantment, fading of desire, and liberation arise.
Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, rāhula, rūpā niccā vā aniccā vā”ti?
“Aniccā, bhante” …pe… saddā … gandhā … rasā … phoṭṭhabbā … dhammā niccā vā aniccā vā”ti?
“Aniccā, bhante” …
“evaṁ passaṁ, rāhula, sutavā ariyasāvako rūpesupi nibbindati … saddesupi nibbindati … gandhesupi nibbindati … rasesupi nibbindati … phoṭṭhabbesupi nibbindati … dhammesupi nibbindati; nibbindaṁ virajjati …pe… pajānātī”ti.
Dutiyaṁ.
Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).
Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
At Sāvatthī.
“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, rāhula,
“What do you think, Rāhula?
rūpā niccā vā aniccā vā”ti?
Are sights permanent or impermanent?”
“Aniccā, bhante” …pe…
“Impermanent, sir.” …
saddā …
“… sounds …
gandhā …
smells …
rasā …
tastes …
phoṭṭhabbā …
touches …
dhammā niccā vā aniccā vā”ti?
Are ideas permanent or impermanent?”
“Aniccā, bhante” …
“Impermanent, sir.” …
“evaṁ passaṁ, rāhula, sutavā ariyasāvako rūpesupi nibbindati … saddesupi nibbindati … gandhesupi nibbindati … rasesupi nibbindati … phoṭṭhabbesupi nibbindati … dhammesupi nibbindati;
“Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and ideas.
nibbindaṁ virajjati …pe…
Being disillusioned, desire fades away. …”
pajānātī”ti.
Dutiyaṁ.
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Last updated on July 27, 2026