The Related Discourses

1. The Aggregates

158 (46). Worldly Food

1. Thus have I heard:[1] One time, the Buddha was staying at Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park in Jeta’s Grove of Śrāvastī.

2. It was then that the Bhagavān addressed the monks, “There are five acquired aggregates. What are the five? The acquired aggregate of form … feeling … conception … volition … the acquired aggregate of consciousness. Suppose ascetics or priests are aware of their various past lives using the knowledge of past lives. That past consciousness, future consciousness, or present consciousness [that’s recollected] are all these five acquired aggregates. About that past consciousness, future consciousness, or present consciousness, [they think]: ‘Throughout my past, my form was thus, my feeling was thus, my conception was thus, my volition was thus, and my consciousness was thus.’

3. “If something is resistant and divisible, it’s called the acquired aggregate of form. When something resists when touched by hand, stone, stick, blade, cold, heat, thirst, hunger, biting insects, vipers, wind, or rain, it’s called resistant contact. Therefore, something resistant is the acquired aggregate of form. Moreover, this acquired aggregate of form is impermanent, painful, and liable to change.

4. “The aspects of sensation is the acquired aggregate of feeling. What is felt? Pain is felt, pleasure is felt, and what’s neither painful nor pleasant is felt; therefore, we call these aspects of sensation the acquired aggregate of feeling. Moreover, this acquired aggregate of feeling is impermanent, painful, and liable to change.

5. “Conceptions are the acquired aggregate of conception. What’s conceived? The concept ‘few,’ the concept ‘many,’ the concept ‘measureless,’ and complete nothingness creates the concept ‘nothingness;’ therefore, they are called the acquired aggregate of conception. Moreover, this acquired aggregate of conception is impermanent, painful, and liable to change.

6. “The nature of acting is the acquired aggregate of volition. What acts? It’s the acting of form … feeling … conception … volition … the acting of consciousness; therefore, the nature of acting is the acquired aggregate of volition. Moreover, this acquired aggregate of volition is impermanent, painful, and liable to change.

7. “The nature of distinguishing[2] is the acquired aggregate of consciousness. What’s cognized? Form is cognized … sound … odor … flavor … touch … ideas are cognized; therefore, this is called the acquired aggregate of consciousness. Moreover, this acquired aggregate of consciousness is impermanent, painful, and liable to change.

8. “Monks, well-versed noble disciples train in this way regarding this acquired aggregate of form: ‘My present form that’s made of food is like the forms I had that were made of food during past lives. They were like the present.’ Again, disciples think, ‘My present form that’s made of food will be like the future forms that I’ll have if I continue to be attached to pleasure. Those forms made of food will continue to be like this present one.’ After knowing this, they don’t look back at past form, aren’t attached to the pleasure of future form, and become disillusioned with present form. They part with desire, extinguish it, and head for cessation.

9. “Noble disciples train in this way regarding this acquired aggregate of feeling … conception … volition … consciousness: ‘My present consciousness that’s made of food is like the former consciousness made of food that I had during past lives. They were like this present one.’ … ‘My present consciousness that’s made of food will be like my future consciousness if I continue to be attached to pleasure. That consciousness that’s made of food will also be like this present one.’ After knowing this, they don’t look back at past consciousness, aren’t attached to the pleasure of future consciousness, and become disillusioned with present consciousness. They part with desire, extinguish it, and head for cessation.

10. “They decrease and don’t increase; retreat and don’t advance; cease and aren’t produced; and are abandoned and not acquired. What’s decreased and not increased? Form decreases and doesn’t increase. Feeling … conception … volition … consciousness decreases and doesn’t increase. What retreats and doesn’t advance? Form retreats and doesn’t advance. Feeling … conception … volition … consciousness retreats and doesn’t advance. What ceases and isn’t produced? Form ceases and isn’t produced. Feeling … conception … volition … consciousness ceases and isn’t produced. What’s abandoned and not acquired? Form is abandoned and not acquired. Feeling … conception … volition … consciousness is abandoned and not acquired.

11. “Decreasing and not increasing, they peacefully decrease and abide. Retreating and not advancing, they peacefully retreat and abide. Ceasing and not produced, they peacefully cease and abide. Abandoned and not acquired, they don’t give rise to attachment. After this disciple is not attached to [the aggregates], they themselves realize Nirvāṇa: ‘My births have been ended, the religious life has been established, and the task has been accomplished. I myself know I’m not subject to a later existence.’”

12. When the Buddha spoke this sūtra, a group of monks didn’t produce the contaminants, and their minds were liberated.

13. After the Buddha spoke this sūtra, the monks who heard what the Buddha taught rejoiced and approved.

Summary Verse

• [149] Myself, [150] lowly, [151] seeds,
  [152] Involvement, [153] five turns, [154] seven,
  [155-156] Two on bondage and awakening,
  [157] Aggregates of three times and [158] worldly food.

Notes

1. This is sūtra no. 46 in the Taisho edition and no. 158 in Yinshun (T99.2.11b21-12a8). It’s parallel with SN 22.79. Note that there are some significant departures between the two versions. [back]
2. distinguishing. The Chinese here could be a literal translation of vi- (別) -jñā- (知). [back]

Translator: Charles Patton

Last Revised: 10 November 2023