The bare six-item list plus the compressed formula reference, matching SN 25.3–5's own treatment
Length
Under a minute to read
Northern parallel
A rough counterpart may exist in the Chinese Saṃyukta-āgama (T99), though this reading guide does not assert a specific matching sutra number
Difficulty
★☆☆☆☆ — brief and familiar by this point in the sequence
Why this discourse
This saṃyutta's own halfway point: perception (saññā) of each of the six sense objects, the link the standard chain places after feeling — the mental act of recognizing and labeling what has been felt, prior to any intention forming around it.
Reading guide
Six perceptions, one for each sense object
"Perception of sights is impermanent, decaying, and perishing. Perception of sounds, perception of smells, perception of tastes, perception of touches, and perception of ideas are impermanent, decaying, and perishing" — naming perception by its object (sights, sounds, and so on) rather than by the faculty or contact that gave rise to it, a subtle shift in framing from SN 25.4 and 25.5's own "born of" phrasing.
Recognition, not yet reaction
Perception's role in the standard chain is to identify and label experience — "this is blue," "this is a voice" — a cognitive act distinct from both the raw feeling that precedes it and the intention that may follow it. This discourse simply declares that act impermanent, without elaborating on its function, trusting readers already familiar with the standard chain to supply the context.
The saṃyutta's own midpoint
With this discourse, five of this saṃyutta's ten categories are complete (faculties, objects, consciousness, contact, feeling, and now perception makes six) — four remain: intention, craving, the elements, and the aggregates.
The same compressed treatment, unchanged
As with the four discourses before it, only the six-item list and the formula's opening words survive; the full three-tier conclusion remains supplied by SN 25.1 and 25.2's own complete versions.
Key terms
saññā — perception — the cognitive act of recognizing and labeling sense experience, the subject of this discourse
rūpasaññā — perception of sights — the first of the six perceptions named, framed by object rather than by originating contact
cetanā — intention — the next link in this saṃyutta's own sequence (SN 25.7), following perception
peyyāla — an elision mark — continuing this saṃyutta's compression pattern from SN 25.3–5
sotāpanno avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyano — a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, assured, destined for awakening — this saṃyutta's standing conclusion
The text
The complete discourse as bilara-data preserves it: the six perceptions named impermanent, then the formula's opening words alone. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, perception of sights is impermanent, decaying, and perishing. Perception of sounds, perception of smells, perception of tastes, perception of touches, and perception of ideas are impermanent, decaying, and perishing. Someone who has faith and confidence in these teachings is called a follower by faith. …”
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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 six items does this discourse declare impermanent?
Correct: A. Naming perception by its object rather than by originating contact.
Question 2 of 10
How does this discourse's framing differ from SN 25.4 and 25.5's own "born of" phrasing?
Correct: A. A subtle shift in framing between discourses in this saṃyutta's sequence.
Question 3 of 10
What role does perception play in the standard analytical chain?
Correct: A. A cognitive act of identification, prior to intention forming around it.
Question 4 of 10
What milestone does this discourse mark in this saṃyutta's own ten-part sequence?
Correct: A. Faculties, objects, consciousness, contact, feeling, and now perception.
Question 5 of 10
What four categories remain after this discourse?
Correct: A. Completing this saṃyutta's full ten-part analytical sequence.
Question 6 of 10
Where is this discourse set?
Correct: A. Matching the setting of most discourses in this saṃyutta.
Question 7 of 10
How does this discourse's compression compare to the four discourses before it?
Correct: A. The six-item list plus the formula's opening words, unchanged since SN 25.3.
Question 8 of 10
What discourse examines the link that follows perception in this sequence?
Correct: A. Continuing one link at a time through the standard chain.
Question 9 of 10
What is the first of the six perceptions named in this discourse?
Correct: A. Followed by perception of sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and ideas.
Question 10 of 10
What does this discourse trust the reader to supply, given its own compression?
Correct: A. Supplied by memory from this saṃyutta's own opening two discourses.
