The Buddha teaches on the six sense bases regarding before my awakening (interior), guiding disciples toward discernment of sense experience and release from clinging.

SN 35.13 Before My Awakening (Interior)

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

“Pubbeva me, bhikkhave, sambodhā anabhisambuddhassa bodhisattasseva sato etadahosi: ‘ko nu kho cakkhussa assādo, ko ādīnavo, kiṁ nissaraṇaṁ? Ko sotassa …pe… ko ghānassako jivhāyako kāyassako manassa assādo, ko ādīnavo, kiṁ nissaraṇan’ti?

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, etadahosi: ‘yaṁ kho cakkhuṁ paṭicca uppajjati sukhaṁ somanassaṁ, ayaṁ cakkhussa assādo. Yaṁ cakkhuṁ aniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, ayaṁ cakkhussa ādīnavo. Yo cakkhusmiṁ chandarāgavinayo chandarāgappahānaṁ, idaṁ cakkhussa nissaraṇaṁ.

Yaṁ sotaṁ …pe… yaṁ ghānaṁ …pe… yaṁ jivhaṁ paṭicca uppajjati sukhaṁ somanassaṁ, ayaṁ jivhāya assādo. Yaṁ jivhā aniccā dukkhā vipariṇāmadhammā, ayaṁ jivhāya ādīnavo. Yo jivhāya chandarāgavinayo chandarāgappahānaṁ, idaṁ jivhāya nissaraṇaṁ. Yaṁ kāyaṁ …pe… yaṁ manaṁ paṭicca uppajjati sukhaṁ somanassaṁ, ayaṁ manassa assādo. Yaṁ mano anicco dukkho vipariṇāmadhammo, ayaṁ manassa ādīnavo. Yo manasmiṁ chandarāgavinayo chandarāgappahānaṁ, idaṁ manassa nissaraṇan’ti.

Yāvakīvañcāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imesaṁ channaṁ ajjhattikānaṁ āyatanānaṁ evaṁ assādañca assādato, ādīnavañca ādīnavato, nissaraṇañca nissaraṇato yathābhūtaṁ nābbhaññāsiṁ, neva tāvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya ‘anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddho’ti paccaññāsiṁ.

Yato ca khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imesaṁ channaṁ ajjhattikānaṁ āyatanānaṁ evaṁ assādañca assādato, ādīnavañca ādīnavato, nissaraṇañca nissaraṇato yathābhūtaṁ abbhaññāsiṁ, athāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya ‘anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddho’ti paccaññāsiṁ.

Ñāṇañca pana me dassanaṁ udapādi: ‘akuppā me vimutti, ayamantimā jāti, natthi dāni punabbhavo’”ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

At Sāvatthī.

“Pubbeva me, bhikkhave, sambodhā anabhisambuddhassa bodhisattasseva sato etadahosi:

“Mendicants, before my awakening—when I was still unawakened but intent on awakening—I thought:

‘ko nu kho cakkhussa assādo, ko ādīnavo, kiṁ nissaraṇaṁ?

‘What’s the gratification, the drawback, and the escape when it comes to the eye …

Ko sotassa …pe…

ear …

ko ghānassa

nose …

ko jivhāya

tongue …

ko kāyassa

body …

ko manassa assādo, ko ādīnavo, kiṁ nissaraṇan’ti?

and mind?’

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, etadahosi:

Then it occurred to me:

‘yaṁ kho cakkhuṁ paṭicca uppajjati sukhaṁ somanassaṁ, ayaṁ cakkhussa assādo.

‘The pleasure and happiness that arise from the eye: this is its gratification.

Yaṁ cakkhuṁ aniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhammaṁ, ayaṁ cakkhussa ādīnavo.

That the eye is impermanent, suffering, and perishable: this is its drawback.

Yo cakkhusmiṁ chandarāgavinayo chandarāgappahānaṁ, idaṁ cakkhussa nissaraṇaṁ.

Removing and giving up desire and greed for the eye: this is its escape.

Yaṁ sotaṁ …pe…

The pleasure and happiness that arise from the ear …

yaṁ ghānaṁ …pe…

nose …

yaṁ jivhaṁ paṭicca uppajjati sukhaṁ somanassaṁ, ayaṁ jivhāya assādo.

tongue …

Yaṁ jivhā aniccā dukkhā vipariṇāmadhammā, ayaṁ jivhāya ādīnavo.

Yo jivhāya chandarāgavinayo chandarāgappahānaṁ, idaṁ jivhāya nissaraṇaṁ.

Yaṁ kāyaṁ …pe…

body …

yaṁ manaṁ paṭicca uppajjati sukhaṁ somanassaṁ, ayaṁ manassa assādo.

mind: this is its gratification.

Yaṁ mano anicco dukkho vipariṇāmadhammo, ayaṁ manassa ādīnavo.

That the mind is impermanent, suffering, and perishable: this is its drawback.

Yo manasmiṁ chandarāgavinayo chandarāgappahānaṁ, idaṁ manassa nissaraṇan’ti.

Removing and giving up desire and greed for the mind: this is its escape.’

Yāvakīvañcāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imesaṁ channaṁ ajjhattikānaṁ āyatanānaṁ evaṁ assādañca assādato, ādīnavañca ādīnavato, nissaraṇañca nissaraṇato yathābhūtaṁ nābbhaññāsiṁ, neva tāvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya ‘anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddho’ti paccaññāsiṁ.

As long as I didn’t truly understand these six interior sense fields’ gratification, drawback, and escape in this way for what they are, I didn’t announce my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its gods, Māras, and Divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans.

Yato ca khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imesaṁ channaṁ ajjhattikānaṁ āyatanānaṁ evaṁ assādañca assādato, ādīnavañca ādīnavato, nissaraṇañca nissaraṇato yathābhūtaṁ abbhaññāsiṁ, athāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya ‘anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddho’ti paccaññāsiṁ.

But when I did truly understand these six interior sense fields’ gratification, drawback, and escape in this way for what they are, I announced my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its gods, Māras, and Divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans.

Ñāṇañca pana me dassanaṁ udapādi:

Knowledge and vision arose in me:

‘akuppā me vimutti, ayamantimā jāti, natthi dāni punabbhavo’”ti.

‘My freedom is unshakable; this is my last rebirth; now there’ll be no more future lives.’”

Paṭhamaṁ.

Topics & Qualities:

Giving

Giving

The act of generosity, sharing, or offering to others without expecting anything in return. Giving is considered a foundational virtue in Buddhist practice, fostering selflessness and compassion.

Also known as: generosity, charity, donation, almsgiving, donating, philanthropy, providing with, gift with
Pāli: dāna
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Giving up

Giving up

The mental quality of renunciation and release from attachment. It delights in simplicity and freedom rather than in sensual pleasure. Giving up is not loss but the joyful abandoning of burden, opening the way to peace and insight.

Also known as: renunciation, relinquishment, letting go, abandonment
Pāli: nekkhamma
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Greed

Greed

A grasping mental quality of craving, possessiveness, or lustful wanting that clings to objects or experiences; it fuels attachment and obstructs renunciation and contentment

Also known as: acquisitiveness, avarice, covetousness, rapacity, money grabbing, grabbiness
Pāli: lobha, gedha
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Happiness

Happiness

Bodily ease and comfort; a pleasant feeling experienced with the body. In the third jhāna, one dwells experiencing this pleasure with the body. It is abandoned, along with bodily pain, for the fourth jhāna to arise.

Also known as: pleasant abiding, positive state of mind, sense of ease
Pāli: sukha
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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
View all discourses →
Vision

Vision

The corrective clarity that clearly sees into the true nature of things as they actually are.

Also known as: knowledge and vision, seeing clearly, seeing things as they are, seeing the truth, seeing the dhamma
Pāli: dassana, ñāṇadassana, yathābhūtañāṇadassana
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Last updated on July 27, 2026