Reading guide
The teaching in one sentence
Experience is built from six sense faculties, six sense objects, six kinds of consciousness, six kinds of contact, six kinds of feeling, and six kinds of craving, each arising in strict dependence on what precedes it — and because every single link in that chain can be shown to arise and vanish, none of them, examined individually or added up together, is fit to be called a self.
Six things to understand
The Buddha opens by announcing a teaching that is “good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end,” naming it directly: the six sets of six. He states all six as a block before explaining any of them — the six interior sense fields, the six exterior sense fields, the six classes of consciousness, the six classes of contact, the six classes of feeling, and the six classes of craving, each one flatly declared something that “should be understood.” Then, one at a time, he unpacks each set using the same refrain: “That’s what I said, but why did I say it?” — followed by the explanation, then “that’s what I said, and this is why I said it,” then a label: “this is the first set of six,” and so on through the sixth. The six sets are cumulative, each depending on the one before it: the interior fields (eye through mind) meet the exterior fields (sights through ideas) to produce consciousness; sense, object, and consciousness meeting together is contact; contact is a requirement for feeling; and feeling is a requirement for craving. By the sixth set, the Buddha has walked the assembly from bare sense contact all the way to the arising of craving, in six clearly labeled steps.
Why none of it is self
Having laid out the six sets, the Buddha turns to a direct refutation of self-view, and does it by building a chain. “If anyone says, ‘the eye is self,’ that is not tenable. The arising and vanishing of the eye is evident, so it would follow that one’s self arises and vanishes.” Since no one is prepared to accept a self that flickers in and out of existence with each passing sense-moment, the eye cannot be self. The same argument is then run for sights, for eye consciousness, for eye contact, for feeling, and for craving — and each time the conclusion is restated cumulatively: “so the eye is not self,” then “so the eye and sights are not self,” then “so the eye, sights, and eye consciousness are not self,” building link by link until the full six-part chain, from bare eye contact through to craving, has been ruled out as a candidate for selfhood. The same reasoning is then applied, in brief, to the parallel chain running from the mind through ideas, mind consciousness, mind contact, feeling, and craving — and by extension to the ear, nose, tongue, and body in between, each following the identical logic without needing to be spelled out again in full.
Two opposite practices
Next the Buddha names the practice that actually produces a sense of fixed identity in the first place — what the text calls, in Sujato’s translation, “the origin of substantial reality” (a rendering of sakkāya, the Pāli term for personal identity or “the existing body”). It consists of nothing more exotic than regarding each item in the chain — the eye, sights, eye consciousness, eye contact, feeling, craving, and the same six-part sequence for every other sense — as “this is mine, I am this, this is my self.” Its precise opposite, regarding each of the same items as “this is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self,” is named as the practice that leads to the cessation of that same substantial reality. Identity, on this account, is not a metaphysical fact to be discovered or denied in the abstract; it is a habit of regarding, applied moment to moment to the same six-part sequence, and it can be reversed by regarding differently.
The three tendencies underneath feeling
The discourse then explains why this habit of regarding is so hard to simply drop by an act of will. Each sense contact gives rise to a felt tone — pleasant, painful, or neutral — and each felt tone recruits a specific underlying tendency if met the wrong way. Approving of and clinging to a pleasant feeling entrenches the underlying tendency to greed. Sorrowing, wailing, and lamenting over a painful feeling entrenches the underlying tendency to aversion. Failing to truly understand a neutral feeling’s origin, disappearance, gratification, drawback, and escape entrenches the underlying tendency to ignorance. The Buddha states flatly that without giving up all three tendencies across all three kinds of feeling, “it is quite impossible to make an end of suffering in this very life” — and, run in reverse, that doing so makes ending suffering “quite possible.” The entire analysis, in other words, closes not on an abstract metaphysical point but on a practical diagnosis of exactly where clinging takes root, feeling by feeling, six times over.
The result
The discourse ends with the standard formula for full awakening — disillusionment with the whole six-part chain, desire fading, freedom, and the declaration that rebirth is ended. What marks this sutta out is the scale of the result recorded: “the minds of sixty mendicants were freed from defilements by not grasping.” Most discourses in the collection report one or a handful of listeners reaching such an attainment on the spot; sixty, in a single sitting, is exceptional, and it is very likely part of why this particular analysis — exhaustive and repetitive as it is — was preserved with such evident care.
Key terms
The text
The teaching announced
§1–3So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this: “Mendicants, I shall teach you the Dhamma that’s good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased. And I shall reveal a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure, namely, the six sets of six. Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.” “Yes, sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this: “The six interior sense fields should be understood. The six exterior sense fields should be understood. The six classes of consciousness should be understood. The six classes of contact should be understood. The six classes of feeling should be understood. The six classes of craving should be understood.
The six sets, explained
§4–9‘The six interior sense fields should be understood.’ That’s what I said, but why did I say it? There are the sense fields of the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. ‘The six interior sense fields should be understood.’ That’s what I said, and this is why I said it. This is the first set of six.
‘The six exterior sense fields should be understood.’ That’s what I said, but why did I say it? There are the sense fields of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and ideas. ‘The six exterior sense fields should be understood.’ That’s what I said, and this is why I said it. This is the second set of six.
‘The six classes of consciousness should be understood.’ That’s what I said, but why did I say it? Eye consciousness arises dependent on the eye and sights. Ear consciousness arises dependent on the ear and sounds. Nose consciousness arises dependent on the nose and smells. Tongue consciousness arises dependent on the tongue and tastes. Body consciousness arises dependent on the body and touches. Mind consciousness arises dependent on the mind and ideas. ‘The six classes of consciousness should be understood.’ That’s what I said, and this is why I said it. This is the third set of six.
‘The six classes of contact should be understood.’ That’s what I said, but why did I say it? Eye consciousness arises dependent on the eye and sights. The meeting of the three is contact. Ear consciousness arises dependent on the ear and sounds. The meeting of the three is contact. Nose consciousness arises dependent on the nose and smells. The meeting of the three is contact. Tongue consciousness arises dependent on the tongue and tastes. The meeting of the three is contact. Body consciousness arises dependent on the body and touches. The meeting of the three is contact. Mind consciousness arises dependent on the mind and ideas. The meeting of the three is contact. ‘The six classes of contact should be understood.’ That’s what I said, and this is why I said it. This is the fourth set of six.
‘The six classes of feeling should be understood.’ That’s what I said, but why did I say it? Eye consciousness arises dependent on the eye and sights. The meeting of the three is contact. Contact is a requirement for feeling. Ear consciousness arises dependent on the ear and sounds. The meeting of the three is contact. Contact is a requirement for feeling. Nose consciousness arises dependent on the nose and smells. The meeting of the three is contact. Contact is a requirement for feeling. Tongue consciousness arises dependent on the tongue and tastes. The meeting of the three is contact. Contact is a requirement for feeling. Body consciousness arises dependent on the body and touches. The meeting of the three is contact. Contact is a requirement for feeling. Mind consciousness arises dependent on the mind and ideas. The meeting of the three is contact. Contact is a requirement for feeling. ‘The six classes of feeling should be understood.’ That’s what I said, and this is why I said it. This is the fifth set of six.
‘The six classes of craving should be understood.’ That’s what I said, but why did I say it? Eye consciousness arises dependent on the eye and sights. The meeting of the three is contact. Contact is a requirement for feeling. Feeling is a requirement for craving. Ear consciousness … Nose consciousness … Tongue consciousness … Body consciousness … Mind consciousness arises dependent on the mind and ideas. The meeting of the three is contact. Contact is a requirement for feeling. Feeling is a requirement for craving. ‘The six classes of craving should be understood.’ That’s what I said, and this is why I said it. This is the sixth set of six.
Why none of it is self — the eye chain
§10If anyone says, ‘the eye is self,’ that is not tenable. The arising and vanishing of the eye is evident, so it would follow that one’s self arises and vanishes. That’s why it’s not tenable to claim that the eye is self. So the eye is not self. If anyone says, ‘sights are self,’ that is not tenable. The arising and vanishing of sights is evident, so it would follow that one’s self arises and vanishes. That’s why it’s not tenable to claim that sights are self. So the eye is not self and sights are not self. If anyone says, ‘eye consciousness is self,’ that is not tenable. The arising and vanishing of eye consciousness is evident, so it would follow that one’s self arises and vanishes. That’s why it’s not tenable to claim that eye consciousness is self. So the eye, sights, and eye consciousness are not self. If anyone says, ‘eye contact is self,’ that is not tenable. The arising and vanishing of eye contact is evident, so it would follow that one’s self arises and vanishes. That’s why it’s not tenable to claim that eye contact is self. So the eye, sights, eye consciousness, and eye contact are not self. If anyone says, ‘feeling is self,’ that is not tenable. The arising and vanishing of feeling is evident, so it would follow that one’s self arises and vanishes. That’s why it’s not tenable to claim that feeling is self. So the eye, sights, eye consciousness, eye contact, and feeling are not self. If anyone says, ‘craving is self,’ that is not tenable. The arising and vanishing of craving is evident, so it would follow that one’s self arises and vanishes. That’s why it’s not tenable to claim that craving is self. So the eye, sights, eye consciousness, eye contact, feeling, and craving are not self.
The same argument, through the mind
§11–15If anyone says, ‘the ear is self’ … ‘the nose is self’ … ‘the tongue is self’ … ‘the body is self’ … ‘the mind is self,’ that is not tenable. The arising and vanishing of the mind is evident, so it would follow that one’s self arises and vanishes. That’s why it’s not tenable to claim that the mind is self. So the mind is not self. If anyone says, ‘ideas are self’ … ‘mind consciousness is self’ … ‘mind contact is self’ … ‘feeling is self’ … ‘craving is self,’ that is not tenable. The arising and vanishing of craving is evident, so it would follow that one’s self arises and vanishes. That’s why it’s not tenable to claim that craving is self. So the mind, ideas, mind consciousness, mind contact, feeling, and craving are not self.
The practice that leads to the origin of substantial reality
§16–21Now, mendicants, this is the practice that leads to the origin of substantial reality. You regard the eye like this: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self.’ You regard sights … eye consciousness … eye contact … feeling … craving like this: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self.’ You regard the ear … nose … tongue … body … mind … ideas … mind consciousness … mind contact … feeling … craving like this: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self.’
The practice that leads to its cessation
§22–27But this is the practice that leads to the cessation of substantial reality. You regard the eye like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’ You regard sights … eye consciousness … eye contact … feeling … craving like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’ You regard the ear … nose … tongue … body … mind like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’ You regard ideas … mind consciousness … mind contact … feeling … craving like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’
The three underlying tendencies, entrenched
§28–33Eye consciousness arises dependent on the eye and sights. The meeting of the three is contact. Contact is a requirement for the arising of what is felt as pleasant, painful, or neutral. When you experience a pleasant feeling, if you approve, welcome, and keep clinging to it, the underlying tendency to greed underlies that. When you experience a painful feeling, if you sorrow and wail and lament, beating your breast and falling into confusion, the underlying tendency to aversion underlies that. When you experience a neutral feeling, if you don’t truly understand that feeling’s origin, disappearance, gratification, drawback, and escape, the underlying tendency to ignorance underlies that. Mendicants, without giving up the underlying tendency to greed for pleasant feeling, without dispelling the underlying tendency to aversion towards painful feeling, without eradicating ignorance in the case of neutral feeling, without giving up ignorance and without giving rise to knowledge, it is quite impossible to make an end of suffering in this very life.
Ear consciousness … Nose consciousness … Tongue consciousness … Body consciousness … Mind consciousness arises dependent on the mind and ideas. The meeting of the three is contact. Contact is a requirement for the arising of what is felt as pleasant, painful, or neutral. When you experience a pleasant feeling, if you approve, welcome, and keep clinging to it, the underlying tendency to greed underlies that. When you experience a painful feeling, if you sorrow and wail and lament, beating your breast and falling into confusion, the underlying tendency to aversion underlies that. When you experience a neutral feeling, if you don’t truly understand that feeling’s origin, disappearance, gratification, drawback, and escape, the underlying tendency to ignorance underlies that. Mendicants, without giving up the underlying tendency to greed for pleasant feeling, without dispelling the underlying tendency to aversion towards painful feeling, without eradicating ignorance in the case of neutral feeling, without giving up ignorance and without giving rise to knowledge, it is quite impossible to make an end of suffering in this very life.
The three underlying tendencies, undone
§34–39Eye consciousness arises dependent on the eye and sights. The meeting of the three is contact. Contact is a requirement for the arising of what is felt as pleasant, painful, or neutral. When you experience a pleasant feeling, if you don’t approve, welcome, and keep clinging to it, the underlying tendency to greed does not underlie that. When you experience a painful feeling, if you don’t sorrow or wail or lament, beating your breast and falling into confusion, the underlying tendency to aversion does not underlie that. When you experience a neutral feeling, if you truly understand that feeling’s origin, disappearance, gratification, drawback, and escape, the underlying tendency to ignorance does not underlie that. Mendicants, after giving up the underlying tendency to greed for pleasant feeling, after dispelling the underlying tendency to aversion towards painful feeling, after eradicating ignorance in the case of neutral feeling, after giving up ignorance and giving rise to knowledge, it’s quite possible to make an end of suffering in this very life.
Ear consciousness … Nose consciousness … Tongue consciousness … Body consciousness … Mind consciousness arises dependent on the mind and ideas. The meeting of the three is contact. Contact is a requirement for what is felt as pleasant, painful, or neutral. When you experience a pleasant feeling, if you don’t approve, welcome, and keep clinging to it, the underlying tendency to greed does not underlie that. When you experience a painful feeling, if you don’t sorrow or wail or lament, beating your breast and falling into confusion, the underlying tendency to aversion does not underlie that. When you experience a neutral feeling, if you truly understand that feeling’s origin, disappearance, gratification, drawback, and escape, the underlying tendency to ignorance does not underlie that. Mendicants, after giving up the underlying tendency to greed for pleasant feeling, after dispelling the underlying tendency to aversion towards painful feeling, after eradicating ignorance in the case of neutral feeling, after giving up ignorance and giving rise to knowledge, it’s quite possible to make an end of suffering in this very life.
Disillusionment, and the result
§40–41Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with the eye, sights, eye consciousness, eye contact, feeling, and craving. They grow disillusioned with the ear … nose … tongue … body … mind, ideas, mind consciousness, mind contact, feeling, and craving. Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they’re freed. When it is freed, they know it is freed. They understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.’” That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said. And while this discourse was being spoken, the minds of sixty mendicants were freed from defilements by not grasping.
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