Consciousness, while persisting, might persist attached to form, feeling, perception, and intentional constructs. When passion for these is abandoned, the support for the establishment of consciousness is completely cut off. That consciousness, being unestablished, does not grow, and by not intentionally constructing, is liberated.

SN 22.53 Upaya sutta - Attachment

At Sāvatthi.

“One |who is attached::who is engaged [upaya]|, bhikkhus, is not liberated; one who is unattached is |liberated::freed [vimutta]|.

Consciousness, bhikkhus, while |persisting::remaining [tiṭṭhamāna]|, might persist |attached to form::attracted to form, engaged with materiality [rūpupaya]|, based on [the field of] form, with form as a support—and there, with a sprinkling of |delight::pleasure, enjoyment, relish [nandi]|—it comes to growth, increase, and full maturation.

Consciousness, bhikkhus, while persisting, might persist attached to |feeling::pleasant, neutral, or painful sensation, the felt experience, second of the five aggregates [vedanā]|, based on [the field of] feeling, with feeling as a support—and there, with a sprinkling of delight—it comes to growth, increase, and full maturation.

Consciousness, bhikkhus, while persisting, might persist attached to |perception::The mental process of recognizing and giving meaning to experience. It marks things by signs, labels, or associations drawn from memory and the field of contact. Perception shapes how one experiences the world; third of the five aggregates [sañña]|, based on [the field of] perception, with perception as a support—and there, with a sprinkling of delight—it comes to growth, increase, and full maturation.

Consciousness, bhikkhus, while persisting, might persist attached to |intentional constructs::intentions, volitions, choices; mental and bodily volitional activities; thought formations and constructed experiences (including proliferative tendencies); kamma-producing processes [saṅkhāra]|, based on [the field of] intentional constructs, with intentional constructs as a support—and there, with a sprinkling of delight—it comes to growth, increase, and full maturation.

If anyone, bhikkhus, were to speak thus: ‘Apart from form, apart from feeling, apart from perception, apart from intentional constructs, I will point out the |coming::descent, incoming trajectory [āgati]|, the |trajectory::going, passing on, path, course, destination [gati]|, the |passing away::falling away, death [cuti]|, the |rebirth::re-arising, reappearance [upapatti]|, the growth, the increase, or the full maturation of consciousness’ — that is not possible.

When for a bhikkhu, |passion::intense desire, strong emotion, infatuation, obsession, lust [rāga]| for the |form element::objects of vision, materials, including the realm and objects of subtle materiality [rūpadhātu]| is abandoned, with the abandoning of passion, the support for the establishment of consciousness is completely cut off.

When for a bhikkhu, passion for the |feeling element::field of felt experiences, including pleasant, painful, and neutral feeling-tones [vedanādhātu]| is abandoned, with the abandoning of passion, the support for the establishment of consciousness is completely cut off.

When for a bhikkhu, passion for the |perception element::field of recognition, labeling, and perception of features [saññādhātu]| is abandoned, with the abandoning of passion, the support for the establishment of consciousness is completely cut off.

When for a bhikkhu, passion for the |element of intentional constructs::field of intentions, decisions, choices, volitional activities, and other intentional constructs which produces kamma [saṅkhāradhātu]| is abandoned, with the abandoning of passion, the support for the establishment of consciousness is completely cut off.

Bhikkhus, when for a bhikkhu, passion for the |consciousness element::field of awareness, basic cognition, domain of knowing [viññāṇadhātu]| is abandoned, with the abandoning of passion, the support for the establishment of consciousness is completely cut off. That consciousness, being unestablished, does not grow, and by |not intentionally constructing::not producing dark or bright kamma [anabhisaṅkhacca]|, is liberated.

By being liberated, there is stability; being stable, there is contentment; being content, there is |no perturbation::no agitation, no mental uneasiness [aparitassa]|. Unperturbed, one personally attains final Nibbāna.

One understands: ‘Birth is ended, the spiritual life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of existence.’”

Last updated on July 8, 2025

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