sn.22.7 Saṁyutta Nikāya (Linked Discourses)

Agitation through Clinging (1)

At Savatthi. “Bhikkhus, I will teach you agitation through clinging and nonagitation through nonclinging. Listen to that and attend closely, I will speak.”

“Yes, venerable sir,” those bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this:

“And how, bhikkhus, is there agitation through clinging? Here, bhikkhus, the uninstructed worldling, who is not a seer of the noble ones and is unskilled and undisciplined in their Dhamma, who is not a seer of superior persons and is unskilled and undisciplined in their Dhamma, regards form as self, or self as possessing form, or form as in self, or self as in form. That form of his changes and alters. With the change and alteration of form, his consciousness becomes preoccupied with the change of form. Agitation and a constellation of mental states born of preoccupation with the change of form remain obsessing his mind. Because his mind is obsessed, he is frightened, distressed, and anxious, and through clinging he becomes agitated.

“He regards feeling as self … perception as self … volitional formations as self … consciousness as self, or self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in self, or self as in consciousness. That consciousness of his changes and alters. With the change and alteration of consciousness, his consciousness becomes preoccupied with the change of consciousness. Agitation and a constellation of mental states born of preoccupation with the change of consciousness remain obsessing his mind. Because his mind is obsessed, he is frightened, distressed, and anxious, and through clinging he becomes agitated.

“It is in such a way, bhikkhus, that there is agitation through clinging.

“And how, bhikkhus, is there nonagitation through nonclinging? Here, bhikkhus, the instructed noble disciple, who is a seer of the noble ones and is skilled and disciplined in their Dhamma, who is a seer of superior persons and is skilled and disciplined in their Dhamma, does not regard form as self, or self as possessing form, or form as in self, or self as in form. That form of his changes and alters. Despite the change and alteration of form, his consciousness does not become preoccupied with the change of form. No agitation and constellation of mental states born of preoccupation with the change of form remain obsessing his mind. Because his mind is not obsessed, he is not frightened, distressed, or anxious, and through nonclinging he does not become agitated.

“He does not regard feeling as self … perception as self … volitional formations as self … … consciousness as self, or self as possessing consciousness, or consciousness as in self, or self as in consciousness. That consciousness of his changes and alters. Despite the change and alteration of consciousness, his consciousness does not become preoccupied with the change of consciousness. No agitation and constellation of mental states born of preoccupation with the change of consciousness remain obsessing his mind. Because his mind is not obsessed, he is not frightened, distressed, or anxious, and through nonclinging he does not become agitated.

“It is in such a way, bhikkhus, that there is nonagitation through nonclinging.”

- Translator: Bhikkhu Bodhi

- Editor: Blake Walsh

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Anxiety Because of Grasping

At Sāvatthī.
“Mendicants, I will teach you how grasping leads to anxiety, and how not grasping leads to freedom from anxiety.
Listen and pay close attention, I will speak.”
“Yes, sir,” they replied.
The Buddha said this:
“And how does grasping lead to anxiety?
It’s when an unlearned ordinary person has not seen the noble ones, and is neither skilled nor trained in the teaching of the noble ones. They’ve not seen good persons, and are neither skilled nor trained in the teaching of the good persons.
They regard form as self, self as having form, form in self, or self in form.
But that form of theirs decays and perishes,
and consciousness latches on to the perishing of form.
Anxieties occupy their mind, born of latching on to the perishing of form, and originating in accordance with natural principles.
So they become frightened, worried, concerned, and anxious because of grasping.
They regard feeling as self …




They regard perception as self …
They regard choices as self …




They regard consciousness as self, self as having consciousness, consciousness in self, or self in consciousness.
But that consciousness of theirs decays and perishes,
and consciousness latches on to the perishing of consciousness.
Anxieties occupy their mind, born of latching on to the perishing of consciousness, and originating in accordance with natural principles.
So they become frightened, worried, concerned, and anxious because of grasping.
That’s how grasping leads to anxiety.
And how does not grasping lead to freedom from anxiety?
It’s when a learned noble disciple has seen the noble ones, and is skilled and trained in the teaching of the noble ones. They’ve seen good persons, and are skilled and trained in the teaching of the good persons.
They don’t regard form as self, self as having form, form in self, or self in form.
When that form of theirs decays and perishes,
consciousness doesn’t latch on to the perishing of form.
Anxieties—born of latching on to the perishing of form and originating in accordance with natural principles—don’t occupy their mind.
So they don’t become frightened, worried, concerned, or anxious because of grasping.
They don’t regard feeling as self …




They don’t regard perception as self …
They don’t regard choices as self …





They don’t regard consciousness as self …
When that consciousness of theirs decays and perishes,
consciousness doesn’t latch on to the perishing of consciousness.
Anxieties—born of latching on to the perishing of consciousness and originating in accordance with natural principles—don’t occupy their mind.
So they don’t become frightened, worried, concerned, or anxious because of grasping.
That’s how not grasping leads to freedom from anxiety.”