sn.22.8 Saṁyutta Nikāya (Linked Discourses)

Agitation through Clinging (2)

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

“And how, bhikkhus, is there agitation through clinging? Here, bhikkhus, the uninstructed worldling regards form thus: ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self.’ That form of his changes and alters. With the change and alteration of form, there arise in him sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair.

“He regards feeling thus … perception thus … volitional formations thus … consciousness thus: ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self.’ That consciousness of his changes and alters. With the change and alteration of consciousness, there arise in him sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair.

“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 does not regard form thus: ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self.’ That form of his changes and alters. With the change and alteration of form, there do not arise in him sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair.

“He does not regard feeling thus … perception thus … volitional formations thus … consciousness thus: ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self.’ That consciousness of his changes and alters. With the change and alteration of consciousness, there do not arise in him sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair.

“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 (2nd)

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.
And how does grasping lead to anxiety?
It’s when an unlearned ordinary person regards form like this: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self.’
But that form of theirs decays and perishes,
which gives rise to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.
They regard feeling …
perception …
choices …
consciousness like this: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self.’
But that consciousness of theirs decays and perishes,
which gives rise to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.
That’s how grasping leads to anxiety.
And how does not grasping lead to freedom from anxiety?
It’s when a learned noble disciple regards form like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’
When that form of theirs decays and perishes,
it doesn’t give rise to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.
They regard feeling …
perception …
choices …
consciousness like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’
When that consciousness of theirs decays and perishes,
it doesn’t give rise to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.
That’s how not grasping leads to freedom from anxiety.”