The Buddha teaches on the internal and external sense bases regarding liable to wear out, analyzing the eye, sights, consciousness, contact, and feeling for insight and release.

SN 35.84 Liable to Wear Out

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami …pe… ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“‘Loko, loko’ti, bhante, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, lokoti vuccatī”ti?

“Yaṁ kho, ānanda, palokadhammaṁ, ayaṁ vuccati ariyassa vinaye loko. Kiñca, ānanda, palokadhammaṁ? Cakkhu kho, ānanda, palokadhammaṁ, rūpā palokadhammā, cakkhuviññāṇaṁ palokadhammaṁ, cakkhusamphasso palokadhammo, yampidaṁ cakkhusamphassapaccayā …pe… tampi palokadhammaṁ …pe…

jivhā palokadhammā, rasā palokadhammā, jivhāviññāṇaṁ palokadhammaṁ, jivhāsamphasso palokadhammo, yampidaṁ jivhāsamphassapaccayā …pe… tampi palokadhammaṁ …pe… mano palokadhammo, dhammā palokadhammā, manoviññāṇaṁ palokadhammaṁ, manosamphasso palokadhammo, yampidaṁ manosamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ dukkhaṁ adukkhamasukhaṁ tampi palokadhammaṁ.

Yaṁ kho, ānanda, palokadhammaṁ, ayaṁ vuccati ariyassa vinaye loko”ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

At Sāvatthī.

Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami …pe… ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Then Venerable Ānanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:

“‘Loko, loko’ti, bhante, vuccati.

“Sir, they speak of this thing called ‘the world’.

Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, lokoti vuccatī”ti?

How is the world defined?”

“Yaṁ kho, ānanda, palokadhammaṁ, ayaṁ vuccati ariyassa vinaye loko.

“Ānanda, that which is liable to wear out is called the world in the training of the Noble One.

Kiñca, ānanda, palokadhammaṁ?

And what is liable to wear out?

Cakkhu kho, ānanda, palokadhammaṁ, rūpā palokadhammā, cakkhuviññāṇaṁ palokadhammaṁ, cakkhusamphasso palokadhammo, yampidaṁ cakkhusamphassapaccayā …pe… tampi palokadhammaṁ …pe…

The eye is liable to wear out. Sights … eye consciousness … eye contact is liable to wear out. The painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on eye contact is also liable to wear out.

jivhā palokadhammā, rasā palokadhammā, jivhāviññāṇaṁ palokadhammaṁ, jivhāsamphasso palokadhammo, yampidaṁ jivhāsamphassapaccayā …pe… tampi palokadhammaṁ …pe…

The ear … nose … tongue … body …

mano palokadhammo, dhammā palokadhammā, manoviññāṇaṁ palokadhammaṁ, manosamphasso palokadhammo, yampidaṁ manosamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ dukkhaṁ adukkhamasukhaṁ tampi palokadhammaṁ.

The mind … ideas … mind consciousness … mind contact is liable to wear out. The painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on mind contact is also liable to wear out.

Yaṁ kho, ānanda, palokadhammaṁ, ayaṁ vuccati ariyassa vinaye loko”ti.

That which is liable to wear out is called the world in the training of the Noble One.”

Paṭhamaṁ.

Qualities:

Wisdom

Wisdom

Lived understanding and sound judgment that steers the mind away from suffering, distinct from mere accumulation of facts.

Also known as: (of a person) wise, astute, intelligent, learned, skilled, firm, stable, steadfast, an experiential understanding of the four noble truths
Pāli: paññā, medhā, dhīra, paṇḍita, asammūḷha
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Last updated on July 27, 2026