Translating Classical Buddhism to Modern English

The Related Discourses

1. The Aggregates

（五八）十問 1.170 (58). Ten Questions
如是我聞： 一時，佛住舍衛國、東園、鹿母講堂。 1. Thus I have heard:1 One time, the Buddha was staying at Mṛgāra’s Mother’s Meeting Hall in the East Park of Śrāvastī.
爾時，世尊於晡時從禪覺，於諸比丘前敷座，而坐。 告諸比丘： 「有五受陰。 云何為五？ 謂色受陰，受⋯想⋯行⋯識受陰。」 2. It was then that the Bhagavān roused from his meditation in the afternoon, prepared a seat in front of the monks, and sat down. Then, he addressed the monks, “There are five acquired aggregates. What are the five? They are the acquired aggregate of form, feeling … conception … volition … and the acquired aggregate of awareness.”
時，有一比丘從坐起，整衣服偏袒右肩，右膝著地。 合掌，白佛言： 「世尊，此五受陰，色受陰，受⋯想⋯行⋯識受陰耶？」 3. There was then a monk who rose from his seat, adjusted his robe to bare his right shoulder, and knelt his right knee to the ground. With his palms together, he asked the Buddha, “Bhagavān, these five acquired aggregates are the acquired aggregate of form, feeling … conception … volition … and the acquired aggregate of awareness?”
佛告比丘： 「還坐而問，當為汝說。」 The Buddha told the monk, “Return to your seat and ask this question, and I will explain it for you.”
時，彼比丘為佛作禮，還復本坐。 白佛言： 「世尊，此五受陰，以何為根？ 以何集？ 以何生？ 以何觸？」 4. That monk then bowed to the Buddha and returned to his original seat. He asked the Buddha, “Bhagavān, what is the root of these five acquired aggregates? What forms them? What gives rise to them? What instigates them?”2
佛告比丘： 「此五受陰，欲為根。 欲集、欲生、欲觸。」 The Buddha told the monk, “Desire is the root of these five acquired aggregates. Desire forms them, desire gives rise to them, and desire instigates them.”
時，彼比丘聞佛所說，歡喜、隨喜。 而白佛言： 「世尊，為說五陰即受。 善哉所說！ 今當更問。 世尊，陰即受，為五陰異受耶？」 5. That monk rejoiced and was gladdened when he heard what the Buddha said. He then said to the Buddha, “Bhagavān, you’ve said that the five aggregates are acquired. That is an excellent teaching! Now, I have another question. Bhagavān, are the aggregates in fact acquisition or are the five aggregates different from acquisition?”
佛告比丘： 「非五陰即受，亦非五陰異受。 能於彼有欲貪者是五受陰。」 The Buddha told the monk, “It’s not that the five aggregates are acquisition nor that they are different from acquisition. The things for which someone can have desire and greed are the five acquired aggregates.”
比丘白佛： 「善哉！世尊，歡喜、隨喜。 今復更問。 世尊，有二陰相關耶？」 6. The monk said to the Buddha, “Good! Bhagavān, I rejoice and am gladdened. Now I have another question. Bhagavān, are there two aggregates that are connected to each other?”
佛告比丘： 「如是，如是。 猶若有一人如是思惟： 『我於未來得如是色、如是受、如是想、如是行、如是識。』 是名比丘陰陰相關也。」 The Buddha told the monk, “So it is, so it is. It’s like a person who thinks in this way: ‘In the future, I will obtain such form, such feeling, such conception, such volition, and such awareness.’ This is called the connection between a monk’s aggregates with [other] aggregates.”
比丘白佛： 「善哉所說，歡喜、隨喜。 更有所問： 世尊，云何名陰？」 7. The monk said to the Buddha, “I rejoice at and am gladdened by such excellent words. I have another question. Bhagavān, what is called ‘an aggregate’?”
佛告比丘： 「諸所有色，若過去、若未來、若現在，若內、若外，若麤、若細，若好、若醜，若遠、若近，彼一切總說陰。 是名為陰。 受、想、行、識亦復如是。 如是，比丘，是名為陰。」 The Buddha told the monk, “Whatever forms there are, whether past, future, or present, internal or external, crude or fine, beautiful or ugly, far or near, they are all generally explained as an aggregate. This is called an aggregate. Feeling, conception, volition, and awareness are likewise. In this way, monk, they are called aggregates.”
比丘白佛： 「善哉所說，歡喜、隨喜。 更有所問： 世尊，何因何緣名為色陰？ 何因何緣名受⋯想⋯行⋯識陰？」 8. The monk said to the Buddha, “I rejoice at and am gladdened by such excellent words. I have another question. Bhagavān, what is the cause and what is the condition for calling it the form aggregate? What is the cause and what is the condition for called it the feeling … conception … volition … awareness aggregate?”
佛告比丘： 「四大因、四大緣是名色陰。 所以者何？ 諸所有色陰，彼一切悉皆四大，緣四大造故。 觸因、觸緣，生受、想、行，是故名受、想、行陰。 所以者何？ 若所有受、想、行，彼一切觸緣故。 名色因、名色緣，是故名為識陰。 所以者何？ 若所有識，彼一切名色緣故。」 The Buddha told the monk, “The four elements are the causes and the four elements are the conditions for calling it the form aggregate. Why is that? Whatever forms there are in that aggregate, they are all the four elements, or their creation is dependent on the four elements. Contact is the cause and contact is the condition that gives rise to feeling, conception, and volition, so they are called the feeling, conception, and volition aggregates. Why is that? Whatever feelings, concepts, and volitions there are, they are all conditioned by contact. Name and form are the causes and name and form are the conditions [of awareness], therefore it’s called the awareness aggregate. Why is that? Whatever instances of awareness there are, they are all conditioned by name and form.”
比丘白佛： 「善哉所說，歡喜、隨喜。 更有所問： 云何色味？ 云何色患？ 云何色離？ 云何受⋯想⋯行⋯識味？ 云何識患？ 云何識離？」 9. The monk said to the Buddha, “I rejoice at and am gladdened by such excellent words. I have another question: What is the enjoyment of form? What is the trouble of form? What is the escape from form? What is the enjoyment of feeling … conception … volition … awareness? What is the trouble of awareness? What is the escape of awareness?”
佛告比丘： 「緣色生喜、樂是名色味。 若色無常、苦、變易法，是名色患。 若於色調伏欲貪、斷欲貪、越欲貪，是名色離。 若緣受⋯想⋯行⋯識生喜、樂，是名識味。 受⋯想⋯行⋯識，無常、苦、變易法，是名識患。 於受⋯想⋯行⋯識，調伏欲貪、斷欲貪、越欲貪，是名識離。」 The Buddha told the monk, “The delight and happiness that arises conditioned by form is called the enjoyment of form. If form is impermanent, painful, and something liable to change, this is called the trouble of form. If someone controls their desire and greed for form, ends that desire and greed, and goes beyond that desire and greed, this is called the escape from form. The delight and happiness that arises conditioned by feeling … conception … volition … awareness is called the enjoyment of awareness. If feeling … conception … volition … awareness is impermanent, painful, and something liable to change, this is called the trouble of awareness. If someone controls their desire and greed for feeling … conception … volition … awareness, ends that desire and greed, and goes beyond that desire and greed, this is called the escape from awareness.”
比丘白佛： 「善哉所說，歡喜、隨喜。 更有所問： 世尊，云何生我慢？」 10. The monk said to the Buddha, “I rejoice at and am gladdened by such excellent words. I have another question: Bhagavān, what gives rise to self conceit?”
佛告比丘： 「愚癡、無聞凡夫於色見我、異我、相在。 於受⋯想⋯行⋯識見我、異我、相在。 於此生我慢。」 The Buddha told the monk, “A foolish, uneducated ordinary man sees form as self, different than self, or either being present in the other. He sees feeling … conception … volition … awareness as self, different than self, or either being present in the other. These things give rise to self conceit.”
比丘白佛： 「善哉所說，歡喜、隨喜。 更有所問： 世尊，云何得無我慢？」 11. The monk said to the Buddha, “I rejoice at and am gladdened by such excellent words. I have another question: Bhagavān, what obtains the absence of self conceit?”
佛告比丘： 「多聞聖弟子不於色見我、異我、相在。 不於受⋯想⋯行⋯識，見我、異我、相在。」 The Buddha told the monk, “The learned noble disciple doesn’t see form as self, different than self, or either being present in the other. He doesn’t see feeling … conception … volition … awareness as self, different than self, or either being present in the other.”
比丘白佛： 「善哉所說⋯ 更有所問： 何所知、何所見，疾得漏盡？」 12. The monk said to the Buddha, “[I rejoice at and am gladdened by] such excellent words. I have another question: The contaminants are completely ended by knowing and seeing what?”
佛告比丘： 「諸所有色，若過去、若未來、若現在，若內、若外，若麤、若細，若好、若醜，若遠、若近，彼一切非我、不異我、不相在。 受、想、行、識亦復如是。 比丘，如是知、如是見，疾得漏盡。」 The Buddha told the monk, “Whatever forms that there are, whether past, present, or future, internal or external, crude or fine, beautiful or ugly, or far or near, they are all not self, not different than self, and neither are present in the other. Feeling, conception, volition, and awareness are likewise. Monk, one quickly reaches the end of the contaminants when they know and see in this way.”
爾時，會中復有異比丘，鈍根無知。 在無明㲉起惡邪見，而作是念： 「若無我者，作無我業。 於未來世，誰當受報？」 13. At that point, there was another monk in the assembly who had dull faculties and knew nothing. Having pernicious views hatched from the egg of ignorance, he thought, “If someone has no self, then the deeds that they do have no self. Who will receive their consequences in a future world?”
爾時，世尊知彼比丘心之所念。 告諸比丘： 「於此眾中，若有愚癡人，無智明，而作是念： 『若色無我⋯受⋯想⋯行⋯識無我，作無我業。 誰當受報？』 如是所疑，先以解釋彼。 云何比丘？ 色為常耶，為非常耶？」 14. The Bhagavān then knew this thought in the mind of that monk. He told the monks, “Suppose there were a foolish person in this assembly lacking knowledge or insight who thinks, ‘If form has no self … feeling … conception … volition … awareness has no self, then deeds that are done have no self. Who will experience their consequences?’ Someone with such doubts should first understand them. How is it, monks? Is form permanent or impermanent?”
答言： 「無常，世尊。」 They replied, “Impermanent, Bhagavān.”
「若無常者，是苦耶？」 15. “If something is impermanent, is it painful?”
答言： 「是苦，世尊。」 They replied, “It’s painful, Bhagavān.”
「若無常、苦，是變易法。 多聞聖弟子於中寧見是我、異我、相在不？」 16. “If it’s impermanent and painful, this is something liable to change. Would a learned noble disciple see this as self, different than self, or either being present in the other?”
答言： 「不也，世尊，」 They replied, “No, Bhagavān.”
「受、想、行、識亦復如是。 是故，比丘，若所有色，若過去、若未來、若現在，若內、若外，若麤、若細，若好、若醜，若遠、若近，彼一切非我、非我所。 如是見者，是為正見。 受、想、行、識亦復如是。 多聞聖弟子如是觀者便修厭。 厭已離欲。 離欲已解脫。 解脫知見： 『我生已盡，梵行已立，所作已作。』 自知不受後有。」 17. “Feeling, conception, volition, and awareness are likewise. Therefore, monks, whatever forms there are, whether past, present, or future, internal or external, crude or fine, beautiful or ugly, or far or near, they all are not self, nor do they belong to self. Seeing it in this way is right view. Feeling, conception, volition, and awareness are likewise. The learned noble disciple who contemplates in this way then will cultivate disenchantment. Once he is disenchanted, he is free of desire. Once he is free of desire, he is liberated. The liberated know and see: ‘My births have been ended, the religious practice has been established, and the task has been accomplished.’ They themselves know they won’t be subject to another existence.”
佛說此經時，眾多比丘不起諸漏，心得解脫。 佛說此經已，諸比丘聞佛所說歡喜，奉行。 18. When the Buddha taught this sūtra, many monks did not produce the contaminants [anymore], and their minds were liberated. After he taught this sūtra, the monks who heard what the Buddha taught rejoiced and approved of it.
Summary Verse
  • 陰、根、陰即受、
    二陰共相關、
    名字、因、二味、
    我慢、疾漏盡。
  • [170] Aggregates, their root, and “Are aggregates acquisition?”
    Two aggregates connected,
    Their names, causes, and enjoyment,
    Two on self conceit, and quickly ending the contaminants.3
雜阿含經卷第二 End of Fascicle Two of the Related Discourses

Notes

  1. This is sūtra no. 58 in the Taisho edition and no. 170 in Yinshun (T99.2.14b12-15b3). It’s parallel with SN 22.82.

    The narrative introducing this discourse is different than the introduction to SN 22.82. There, the setting was an assembly of the monks during the night of the full moon sabbath. Here, there is no special occasion other than the Buddha emerging from meditation. He then goes to the monks, and briefly states that there are five acquired aggregates. Both introductions serve to explain why a monk approached the Buddha to ask a series of ten questions. Some of these questions analyze how these acquired aggregates are different than the five aggregates, which suggests that the concept was introduced after the aggregates were well established.

    Comparing the series of ten questions and answers here to those in SN 22.82, the answers are nearly identical, but several questions are put in different terms. For instance, there is a question in SN 22.82 about personality view (P. sakkāyadiṭṭhi) that is paralleled here with a question about self conceit (C. 我慢, S. asmimāna). In another case, a question here about what one must know and see to end the contaminants is paralleled in SN 22.82 by a question about ending I-making, mine-making, etc. These alternate forms of the questions have little impact on their answers and should probably be considered equivalent to each other. [back]

  2. what is the root … come together … arise … instigated? C. 以何為根？以何集？以何生？以何觸？ In SN 22.82, there is only one question about the root of the acquired aggregates. This series of four questions is very similar to the series of questions asked about the pains suffered by sentient beings in SĀ 3.9. I have translated them similarly as I did there. See the notes to that sūtra for a discussion of these terms. [back]

  3. This uddāna verse only lists the questions that were asked in this sūtra, which leaves the preceding eleven sūtras (SĀ 1.159-169) without an uddāna. Yinshun suggests that 二味 should be amended to 味二, given that there are two questions on the subject of self conceit. It’s also notable that the last section about karma is absent from the uddāna. [back]

Translator: Charles Patton

Last Revised: 10 January 2026

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