A single opening line, elided exactly as SN 22.140
Length
Among the shortest discourses in this vagga
Northern parallel
Shares its structure with SN 22.137 and SN 22.140, now applied to not-self
Difficulty
Approachable, though reasoning "give up desire because something is not-self" differs subtly from the impermanence/suffering cases
Why this discourse
Opens the third and final three-discourse set in this vagga's opening sequence: the identical structure once more, now reasoning from not-self (anattā) — completing the full traversal of this book's three marks as independent grounds for the same instruction to give up desire.
Reading guide
The third mark, the same compression
"You should give up desire for what is not-self..." — the identical single-line, elided presentation as SN 22.140, now substituting anattā for dukkha.
A subtly different kind of reason
Where "give up desire because it is impermanent" or "because it is suffering" both point to a quality unfolding in time (something changes, something hurts), "give up desire because it is not-self" points instead to a mistaken relationship (treating something as belonging to or constituting oneself) — a structural rather than temporal reason for release.
That the identical grammatical template accommodates all three kinds of reason without alteration suggests the underlying instruction (give up desire for X, because X is Y) is flexible enough to carry genuinely different arguments, not merely repeating one argument under three names.
Completing the three marks as independent grounds
With impermanence (SN 22.137-139), suffering (SN 22.140-142), and now not-self (SN 22.143-145) each given their own full three-discourse treatment, this vagga has demonstrated that the instruction to release desire and greed can be reached independently from any one of the three marks — not requiring all three together, though elsewhere in this book (SN 22.15-17) the three are also shown building on each other in sequence.
The final set's own remaining discourses
SN 22.144 will substitute greed for desire, and SN 22.145 will combine them, completing this vagga's full 3×3 opening structure before SN 22.146 shifts to an entirely different kind of discourse.
Key terms
anattā — not-self — the third mark, and the quality this discourse reasons from
anicca — impermanent — the first mark, reasoned from at SN 22.137-139
dukkha — suffering — the second mark, reasoned from at SN 22.140-142
chanda — desire — this discourse's own term, matching SN 22.137 and SN 22.140's own opening term
peyyāla — an elision mark, representing the unstated aggregate-by-aggregate elaboration
The text
The complete discourse as given in the source, a single opening line with the remainder elided. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, you should give up desire for what is not-self. …”
· · ·
Self-check quiz
Ten questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.
Question 1 of 10
What quality does this discourse reason from, opening the vagga's third set?
Correct: A. Completing the traversal of this book's three marks as independent grounds.
Question 2 of 10
How does "not-self" differ in kind from "impermanent" and "suffering" as a reason for releasing desire?
Correct: A. A structural reason rather than a temporal one.
Question 3 of 10
What does the identical grammatical template accommodating all three marks suggest?
Correct: A. "Give up desire for X because X is Y" accommodates temporal and structural reasons alike.
Question 4 of 10
What has this vagga demonstrated by giving each of the three marks its own full three-discourse treatment?
Correct: A. Not requiring all three marks together, though elsewhere (SN 22.15-17) they also build on each other.
Question 5 of 10
What discourse earlier in this book shows the three marks building on each other in sequence?
Correct: A. A different mode of relating the three marks, compared to this vagga's independent-grounds approach.
Question 6 of 10
What term does this discourse use, matching SN 22.137 and SN 22.140's own opening term?
Correct: A. The first term in each of the vagga's three parallel sets.
Question 7 of 10
How much text does the source give for this discourse?
Correct: A. Matching SN 22.140's own extreme compression.
Question 8 of 10
What discourses close this final three-discourse set?
Correct: A. Substituting greed, then combining desire and greed, completing this vagga's 3×3 opening structure.
Question 9 of 10
How many aggregates does this instruction (by inference) apply to?
Correct: A. Following the established pattern from the earlier two sets.
Question 10 of 10
Where is this discourse set?
Correct: A. Continuing the setting of the surrounding discourses in this vagga.
