Khacchaniyya Sutta
(On That Which Is ‘Chewed’ by the Five Aggregates — “That-Which-Chews” Discourse)
[158] — Setting (Sāvatthī)
Sāvatthī. … Bhikkhus, it is true: when a certain monk or brahmin recollects many past abodes of birth (nappaṇevaasa — many past lives/places of dwelling), he recollects them in sequence. Likewise, those monks or brahmins will recollect the upādāna-khandha (upādāna-khandha — the five clinging-aggregates; here: the five aggregates regarded as objects of clinging) or one of the khandhas (khandha — aggregate, collection) in turn.
What are these aggregates of clinging — the five upādāna-khandhā? They recollect form (rūpa) thus: “In a former time I had such-and-such a body (form).” They recollect feeling (vedanā) thus: “In a former time I had such-and-such a feeling.” They recollect perception (saññā) thus: “In a former time I had such-and-such perception.” They recollect formations (saṅkhārā) thus: “In a former time I had such-and-such mental formations (saṅkhāra).” They recollect consciousness (viññāṇa) thus: “In a former time I had such-and-such consciousness.”
[159] — What each aggregate is called
Bhikkhus, why is that called form (rūpa — corporeal form)? Because it is subject to decay — it breaks up. Why does it break up? Because of cold, because of heat, because of hunger, because of thirst, because of contact with biting insects, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and creeping things (small animals), and so on.
Bhikkhus, why is it called feeling (vedanā — affective tone)? Because it is experienced — it is what is felt. What is experienced? Sometimes pleasant experience, sometimes painful experience, sometimes neutral experience that is neither pleasure nor pain.
Bhikkhus, why is it called perception (saññā — recognition)? Because it remembers and discerns. What does it remember and discern? It remembers and discerns green, yellow, red, white, and so on.
Bhikkhus, why is it called saṅkhāra (saṅkhāra — conditioned formations/mental volitions)? Because it is fabricated, conditioned — it is the conditioned activities (saṅkhata-dhamma) that are fabricated. What conditioned fabrications? Fabrications pertaining to form as form, fabrications pertaining to feeling as feeling, fabrications pertaining to perception as perception, fabrications pertaining to saṅkhāra as saṅkhāra, fabrications pertaining to consciousness as consciousness.
Bhikkhus, why is it called consciousness (viññāṇa — knowing)? Because it cognizes. What does it cognize? It cognizes tastes — sour, bitter, pungent, sweet, astringent, not-astringent, salty, bland, and so on.
[160] — “We are eaten” — the insight of the noble follower
Bhikkhus, the noble follower (ariyasāvaka) who has heard will reflect and see thus: “Now I am being eaten by form (rūpa). Even in the past I was eaten by form, just as I am now eaten by present form. And so, I will be delighted in future forms — that in future times I too shall be eaten by future form, just as I am eaten by present form now.” When he sees thus, he has no longing for past form, he does not delight in future form, and he practices for disenchantment (nibbindati — weariness), for dispassion (virāga — cooling of craving), for the cessation (nirodha) of present form.
The noble follower who has heard likewise sees: “Now I am being eaten by feeling… Now I am being eaten by perception… Now I am being eaten by saṅkhāra… Now I am being eaten by consciousness.” Even in former times I was eaten by consciousness as I am now eaten by present consciousness. And so I will be attracted to future consciousness — in future I shall be eaten by future consciousness, just as by present consciousness. When he sees thus, he has no longing for past consciousness, he does not delight in future consciousness, and he practices for disenchantment, for dispassion, for the cessation of present consciousness.
[161] — The Teacher’s Question about Impermanence
The Blessed One asked: “Bhikkhus, how do you regard this? Is form (rūpa) permanent or impermanent?”
They replied: “Impermanent, Venerable Sir.”
The Blessed One asked: “What is impermanent — is it painful or pleasant?”
They replied: “It is painful, Venerable Sir.”
The Blessed One said: “What is impermanent, painful, and subject to change — is it fitting to regard that as ‘That is mine, I am that, that is my self’?”
They replied: “No, Venerable Sir; it is not fitting to see it so.”
The Blessed One asked: “Are feeling (vedanā), perception (saññā), formations (saṅkhārā), and consciousness (viññāṇa) permanent or impermanent?”
They replied: “Impermanent, Venerable Sir.”
The Blessed One asked: “What is impermanent — is it painful or pleasant?”
They replied: “It is painful, Venerable Sir.”
The Blessed One said: “What is impermanent, painful, and subject to change — is it fitting to regard that as ‘That is mine, I am that, that is my self’?”
They replied: “No, Venerable Sir.”
[162] — See with right wisdom: not-self
Bhikkhus, whatever kind of form there is — past, future, or present; internal or external; coarse or subtle; inferior or superior; far or near — all such forms you should see with right wisdom as they truly are: “That is not mine, I am not that, that is not my self.” Whatever kind of feeling, whatever kind of perception, whatever kind of saṅkhāra, whatever kind of consciousness — past, future, or present; far or near — you should see all consciousness likewise with right wisdom as they truly are: “That is not mine, I am not that, that is not my self.”
Bhikkhus, such an ariya-sāvaka the Tathāgata (Tathāgata — thus-come one; a title of the Buddha) calls one who will be free from accumulation (anavajjato vattaṃ? — literally: free from hoarding/collecting), who will abandon, who will not cling, who will disperse and not gather together, who will put out and not kindle again.
[163] — What the noble disciple abandons and how
Bhikkhus, the noble disciple will be free from accumulation of what? He will be free from accumulation of form, feeling, perception, saṅkhāra, and consciousness. He will not accumulate form, feeling, perception, saṅkhāra, consciousness. He will abandon — he will not cling to them. He will disperse — he will not collect them. He will put them out — he will not kindle them into flame.
Bhikkhus, the noble disciple who has heard and sees thus becomes disenchanted with form, disenchanted with feeling, with perception, with saṅkhāra, with consciousness. When disenchanted, he is dispassionate; when dispassionate, he is liberated (vimutta). When liberated, he knows: “I am liberated; birth is ended; the holy life has been lived; the task is done; there is no further becoming for me.”
Bhikkhus, such a monk we call one who is not unaccumulating and not yet already unaccumulating, but who stands in the state of having been made unaccumulating; not one who has not abandoned and not one who has not ceased, but one who has abandoned and stands; not one who has not dispersed and not one who has not put out, but one who has dispersed and stands; not one who has not put out and not one who has not kindled, but one who has put out and stands.
[164] — Clarification and heavenly reverence
Bhikkhus, the noble disciple will not be one who merely does not cause accumulation; rather, he is one who has been freed from accumulation and stands thus. He will not be one who does not abandon; rather, he is one who has abandoned and stands. He will not be one who does not disperse; rather, one who has dispersed and stands. He will not be one who does not put out; rather, one who has put out and stands.
Bhikkhus, devas, sakka, brahmās, and the great lord (Pañcabhūta? — lofty heavenly beings) reverentially salute a monk whose mind is thus liberated, and they say from afar:
“O noble one, O foremost man, we pay homage to you, O noble being; we bow to you who are not known to us personally but whom we reverence on account of your deep investigation and attainment.”
Thus ends the Khacchaniyya Sutta.
Compact Pāli glossary (intensive)
- rūpa (form) — corporeal phenomena; the material aggregate.
- vedanā (feeling) — affective tone: pleasant, painful, or neutral.
- saññā (perception) — recognition/labeling of qualities (e.g., color).
- saṅkhāra (formations) — conditioned mental formations, volitional fabrications.
- viññāṇa (consciousness) — knowing; discriminative awareness (sensory/mental).
- upādāna-khandha (upādāna-khandha) — aggregates of clinging; the khandhas as objects of attachment.
- ariyasāvaka (noble disciple) — one who follows the noble Dhamma and practices it in accord with the noble ones.
- nibbindati / virāga / nirodha — disenchantment, dispassion, cessation.
- Tathāgata — an epithet of the Buddha (thus-come one).
- appamāṇa / brahmavihāra — (not in this sutta but often related) boundless states / divine abidings.