The Buddha shares to the bhikkhus that they could acquire a possession which is permanent, stable, of unchanging nature; or they could hold on to a self-view that doesn’t cause any sorrow, displeasure and despair when holding on it.
This teaching is from the section Planes of Realization of the book “In the Buddha’s Words” by Bhikkhu Bodhi.
Bhikkhus, you could acquire that possession which is permanent, stable, eternal, of unchanging nature, and will endure as long as eternity. Do you see any possession, bhikkhus, that is permanent, stable, eternal, of unchanging nature, and will endure as long as eternity?"
“Indeed not, Venerable Sir.”
"Good, bhikkhus. I, too, do not see any possession, bhikkhus, that is permanent, stable, eternal, of unchanging nature, and will endure as long as eternity.
Bhikkhus, you could hold on to a self-view, from which, if taken up, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair would not arise. Do you see, bhikkhus, any self-view which, if taken up and held on to, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair would not arise?"
“Indeed not, Venerable Sir.”
"Good, bhikkhus. I, too, do not see any attachment to self-view, bhikkhus, from which, if taken up, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair would not arise.
Bhikkhus, you should depend on that view which, if depended on, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair would not arise. Do you see, bhikkhus, any view as a basis which, if depended on, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair would not arise?"
“Indeed not, Venerable Sir.”
"Good, bhikkhus. I, too, do not see any view as a basis, bhikkhus, from which, if depended on, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair would not arise.
Or, bhikkhus, if there were a self, would it be proper to think ‘This belongs to me’?"
“Yes, venerable sir.”
“Or, bhikkhus, if there were something belonging to self, would it be proper to think ‘The self belongs to me’?”
“Yes, venerable sir.”
“And, bhikkhus, if the self and what belongs to the self are not found to exist truly and firmly, then this view: ‘This world is the self, I shall be after death, permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change; I shall endure as long as eternity,’ is entirely and completely misguided, isn’t it?”
“How could it not be, Venerable Sir? Indeed, Venerable Sir, it is entirely and completely foolish.”
“What do you think, bhikkhus, is form permanent or impermanent?”
“Impermanent, Venerable Sir.”
“But is what is impermanent suffering or happiness?”
“Suffering, Venerable Sir.”
“But is it fitting to regard what is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change as ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self’?”
“Indeed not, Venerable Sir.”
“What do you think, bhikkhus, is feeling … perception … formations … consciousness permanent or impermanent?”
“Impermanent, Venerable Sir.”
“But is what is impermanent suffering or happiness?”
“Suffering, Venerable Sir.”
“But is it fitting to regard what is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change as ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self’?”
“Indeed not, Venerable Sir.”
"Therefore, bhikkhus, any kind of form whatsoever, whether past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near, all form should be seen as it really is with correct wisdom thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’ Any kind of feeling … any kind of perception … any kind of formations … any kind of consciousness whatsoever, whether past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near, all consciousness should be seen as it really is with correct wisdom thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’
Seeing thus, bhikkhus, the learned disciple of the noble ones becomes disenchanted with form, disenchanted with feeling, disenchanted with perception, disenchanted with formations, disenchanted with consciousness. Through disenchantment, he becomes dispassionate. Through dispassion, he is liberated. When liberated, there is knowledge: ‘Liberated.’
He understands: ‘Birth is destroyed, the spiritual life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more of this state of being.’
Bhikkhus, this bhikkhu is called one who has lifted the barrier, one whose vision is unobstructed, one who has pulled out the dart, one without hindrances, a noble one who has lowered the banner, put down the burden, and is completely liberated.
And how, bhikkhus, does a bhikkhu lift the barrier? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu’s ignorance is abandoned, cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated, and not subject to future arising. Thus, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu lifts the barrier.
And how, bhikkhus, does a bhikkhu have unobstructed vision? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu’s cycle of rebirths leading to repeated births is abandoned, cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated, and not subject to future arising. Thus, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu has unobstructed vision.
And how, bhikkhus, does a bhikkhu pull out the dart? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu’s craving is abandoned, cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated, and not subject to future arising. Thus, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu pulls out the dart.
And how, bhikkhus, does a bhikkhu become without hindrances? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu’s five lower fetters are abandoned, cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, annihilated, and not subject to future arising. Thus, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu becomes without hindrances.
And how, bhikkhus, does a bhikkhu become a noble one who has lowered the banner, put down the burden, and is completely liberated? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu’s conceit ‘I am’ is abandoned, cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated, and not subject to future arising. Thus, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu becomes a noble one who has lowered the banner, put down the burden, and is completely liberated.
Thus, bhikkhus, the bhikkhu whose mind is liberated, the gods with Indra, with Brahmā, with Pajāpati, searching for that consciousness of the one thus gone, do not find it. And why is that? I declare, bhikkhus, that the one thus gone is not traceable in the present.
Thus, bhikkhus, some recluses and brahmins falsely, baselessly, and wrongly accuse me, saying: ‘The recluse Gotama is a proponent of annihilation, he teaches the destruction, the eradication, the non-existence of a being.’ Yet, bhikkhus, as I do not say, as I do not declare, those respected recluses and brahmins falsely, baselessly, and wrongly accuse me, saying: ‘The recluse Gotama is a proponent of annihilation, he teaches the destruction, the eradication, the non-existence of a being.’ Formerly and now, bhikkhus, I declare only suffering and the cessation of suffering. Bhikkhus, if others abuse, revile, scold, and harass the Tathāgata, there is no anger, no resentment, and no displeasure in the Tathāgata’s mind.
Bhikkhus, if others honor, respect, revere, and venerate the Tathāgata, there is no joy, no gladness, and no elation in the Tathāgata’s mind. Bhikkhus, if others honor, respect, revere, and venerate the Tathāgata, the Tathāgata thinks: ‘This has been previously understood by me; such things happen.’
Therefore, bhikkhus, if others abuse, revile, scold, and harass you, you should not harbor anger, resentment, or displeasure in your minds. Therefore, bhikkhus, if others honor, respect, revere, and venerate you, you should not harbor joy, gladness, or elation in your minds. Therefore, bhikkhus, if others honor, respect, revere, and venerate you, you should think: ‘This has been previously understood by me; such things happen.’
Therefore, bhikkhus, abandon what is not yours; when you have abandoned it, it will lead to your welfare and happiness for a long time.
And what, bhikkhus, is not yours? Form, bhikkhus, is not yours, abandon it; having abandoned it, it will lead to your welfare and happiness for a long time.
Feeling, bhikkhus, is not yours, abandon it; having abandoned it, it will lead to your welfare and happiness for a long time. Perception, bhikkhus, is not yours, abandon it; having abandoned it, it will lead to your welfare and happiness for a long time. Formations, bhikkhus, are not yours, abandon them; having abandoned them, they will lead to your welfare and happiness for a long time. Consciousness, bhikkhus, is not yours, abandon it; having abandoned it, it will lead to your welfare and happiness for a long time.
What do you think, bhikkhus, if someone were to carry away the grass, sticks, branches, and leaves here in Jeta’s Grove, or burn them, or do with them as they wish? Would it occur to you: ‘They are carrying us away, burning us, or doing with us as they wish’?
“Indeed not, venerable sir.” “And why is that?” “Because, venerable sir, it is not self, nor what belongs to self.”
"In the same way, bhikkhus, abandon what is not yours; having abandoned it, it will lead to your welfare and happiness for a long time. And what, bhikkhus, is not yours? Form, bhikkhus, is not yours, abandon it; having abandoned it, it will lead to your welfare and happiness for a long time. Feeling, bhikkhus … Perception, bhikkhus … Formations, bhikkhus … Consciousness, bhikkhus, is not yours, abandon it; having abandoned it, it will lead to your welfare and happiness for a long time.
Bhikkhus, the Dhamma well proclaimed by me thus is clear, open, evident, and free of patchwork. In the Dhamma well proclaimed by me thus, which is clear, open, evident, and free of patchwork, there are those bhikkhus who are Arahants, with taints destroyed, who have lived the spiritual life, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, reached their own goal, destroyed the fetters of becoming, and are completely liberated through final knowledge; there is no cycle for them to describe.
Bhikkhus, the Dhamma well proclaimed by me thus is clear, open, evident, and free of patchwork. In the Dhamma well proclaimed by me thus, which is clear, open, evident, and free of patchwork, for those bhikkhus who have abandoned the five lower fetters, all of them are spontaneously reborn, there they will attain final Nibbāna, not liable to return from that world.
Bhikkhus, the Dhamma well proclaimed by me thus is clear, open, evident, and free of patchwork. In the Dhamma well proclaimed by me thus, which is clear, open, evident, and free of patchwork, for those bhikkhus who have abandoned the three fetters, with greed, hatred, and delusion attenuated, all of them are once-returners, returning once more to this world, they will make an end of suffering.
Bhikkhus, the Dhamma well proclaimed by me thus is clear, open, evident, and free of patchwork. In the Dhamma well proclaimed by me thus, which is clear, open, evident, and free of patchwork, for those bhikkhus who have abandoned the three fetters, all of them are stream-enterers, not liable to fall into a lower state, fixed in their destiny, bound for full awakening.
Bhikkhus, the Dhamma well proclaimed by me thus is clear, open, evident, and free of patchwork. In the Dhamma well proclaimed by me thus, which is clear, open, evident, and free of patchwork, there are those bhikkhus who are followers of the Dhamma and followers of faith, all of them are bound for full awakening.
Bhikkhus, the Dhamma well proclaimed by me thus is clear, open, evident, and free of patchwork. In the Dhamma well proclaimed by me thus, which is clear, open, evident, and free of patchwork, for those who have mere faith and love in me, all of them are bound for heaven."
The Blessed One said this. The bhikkhus, satisfied, rejoiced in the Blessed One’s words.
In this teaching, the Buddha shares that he couldn’t find any possession that was permanent, or any self-view that when taken up and held on to didn’t bring sorrow, displeasure and despair.
He then shares to reflect on the mental qualities of the five aggregates and reflecting on them as being impermanent, having the nature of suffering and not-self, as a way of practice that leads to liberation and shares some analogies, ending with sharing the different distinctions his students have attained by following this way of practice.
Related Teachings:
Eight Persons Worth of Gifts (AN 8.59) - The Buddha is sharing in this teaching that it is beneficial to be associated with individuals that are enlightened or practicing to attain enlightenment. More context on the fetters and the stage of enlightenment is shared in this teaching.
Gradual Training, Gradual Practice, and Gradual Progress (MN 107) - The gradual training guideline teaching of the Buddha is how a student starting out in the teachings of the Buddha should gradually practice in to see gradual progress.