The Buddha teaches that when the five aggregates are grasped and insisted on, the wrong view arises that ‘The self is formed and is free of disease after death’, and that seeing their impermanence and suffering leads a noble disciple to become a stream-enterer.

SN 24.37 The Self is Formed

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

“Kismiṁ nu kho, bhikkhave, sati, kiṁ upādāya, kiṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati: ‘rūpī attā hoti arogo paraṁ maraṇā’”ti?

“Bhagavaṁmūlakā no, bhante, dhammā …pe…

“Rūpe kho, bhikkhave, sati, rūpaṁ upādāya, rūpaṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati: ‘rūpī attā hoti arogo paraṁ maraṇā’ti. Vedanāya sati …pe… saññāya satisaṅkhāresu sativiññāṇe sati, viññāṇaṁ upādāya, viññāṇaṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati: ‘rūpī attā hoti arogo paraṁ maraṇā’ti.

Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, rūpaṁ niccaṁ aniccaṁ vā”ti? “Aniccaṁ, bhante” …pe… vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, api nu taṁ anupādāya evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjeyya: ‘rūpī attā hoti arogo paraṁ maraṇā’”ti? “No hetaṁ, bhante”. “Iti kho, bhikkhave, dukkhe sati, dukkhaṁ upādāya, dukkhaṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati: ‘rūpī attā hoti arogo paraṁ maraṇā’”ti? “Vedanā …pe… “no hetaṁ, bhante”. “Iti kho, bhikkhave, dukkhe sati, dukkhaṁ upādāya, dukkhaṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati: ‘rūpī attā hoti arogo paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.

Ekūnavīsatimaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

At Sāvatthī.

“Kismiṁ nu kho, bhikkhave, sati, kiṁ upādāya, kiṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati:

“Mendicants, when what exists, because of grasping what and insisting on what, does the view arise:

‘rūpī attā hoti arogo paraṁ maraṇā’”ti?

‘The self is formed and is free of disease after death’?” …

“Bhagavaṁmūlakā no, bhante, dhammā …pe…

“Rūpe kho, bhikkhave, sati, rūpaṁ upādāya, rūpaṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati:

‘rūpī attā hoti arogo paraṁ maraṇā’ti.

Vedanāya sati …pe…

saññāya sati

saṅkhāresu sati

viññāṇe sati, viññāṇaṁ upādāya, viññāṇaṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati:

‘rūpī attā hoti arogo paraṁ maraṇā’ti.

Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, rūpaṁ niccaṁ aniccaṁ vā”ti?

“Aniccaṁ, bhante” …pe…

vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, api nu taṁ anupādāya evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjeyya:

‘rūpī attā hoti arogo paraṁ maraṇā’”ti?

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.

“Iti kho, bhikkhave, dukkhe sati, dukkhaṁ upādāya, dukkhaṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati:

‘rūpī attā hoti arogo paraṁ maraṇā’”ti?

“Vedanā …pe…

“no hetaṁ, bhante”.

“Iti kho, bhikkhave, dukkhe sati, dukkhaṁ upādāya, dukkhaṁ abhinivissa evaṁ diṭṭhi uppajjati:

‘rūpī attā hoti arogo paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.

Ekūnavīsatimaṁ.

Qualities:

Attachment

Attachment

A mental fastening onto people, things, views, or states as “me” or “mine,” unwilling to release them. This clinging can give a sense of security and sweetness.

Also known as: acquisition, bond, clinging, grasping, holding on, possession, entanglement, bound, connected, taking as mine
Pāli: upadhi, upādāna, sakiñcana, mamatta
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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
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Wrong view

Wrong view

A distorted understanding that sees permanence in the impermanent, satisfaction in the unsatisfactory, or self in the not-self. Wrong view guides action by delusion, obscuring cause and effect, and closes the door to wisdom and release.

Also known as: distorted or inverted perception, untrue view, false belief
Pāli: micchādiṭṭhi
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Last updated on July 27, 2026