The identical structure as SN 35.195-200, with not-self (anattā) substituted, closing round two
Length
under 1 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
★☆☆☆☆ — closes round two's own eighteen-discourse matrix
Why this discourse
This file closes round two of Saṭṭhipeyyālavagga's own matrix: the exterior sense fields declared not-self across past, future, and present, completing a second eighteen-discourse round — the count the vagga's own closing colophon (at SN 35.227) will later confirm as “atītena ca dve nava” (“and with the past [set], two nines”, i.e. eighteen).
Reading guide
Not-self, closing round two's exterior half
“Sights, mendicants, are not-self in the past, future, and present…” completes the exterior half's own three-quality cycle in round two, mirroring the identical interior sequence at SN 35.186-194.
Round two complete: eighteen more discourses
SN 35.186 through 35.203 together give round two's full matrix — the identical structure as round one, with past/future/present now standing in for desire/greed/both. Eighteen discourses total, matching the vagga's own closing uddāna: “atītena ca dve nava”.
Round three begins next: the yad-aniccaṁ chain
SN 35.204 opens round three, keeping the interior/exterior split and the past/future/present variable, but replacing round two's simple declaration with the well-known chain formula (“what's impermanent is suffering, what's suffering is not-self…”) already published in Book III at SN 22.15-17 for the five aggregates.
atītena ca dve nava — “and with the past [set], two nines” — the vagga's own closing uddāna (at SN 35.227), confirming round two's own eighteen-discourse total (2 × 9)
bāhirāyatana — the six exterior sense fields — completing their own three-quality cycle in round two with this file
atītaṁ anāgataṁ paccuppannaṁ — past, future, present — unchanged across all eighteen discourses of round two
yadaniccaṁ taṁ dukkhaṁ — “what's impermanent is suffering” — the chain formula opening round three at SN 35.204, already published in this project at SN 22.15
The text
The complete merged file, apart from its own closing ellipsis: the declaration. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1“Mendicants, in the past … future … present sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and ideas are not-self …”
· · ·
Self-check quiz
5 questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.
Question 1 of 5
What quality does this file declare of the exterior sense fields, closing round two's own matrix?
Correct: A. Anattā closes the exterior half's own three-mark cycle in round two.
Question 2 of 5
What untranslated phrase from the vagga's own closing colophon confirms round two's own count?
Correct: A. This line from the closing uddāna specifically names round two's own eighteen-discourse total, phrased as two nines.
Question 3 of 5
What changes in round three, beginning at SN 35.204?
Correct: A. Round three keeps the same two-axis structure but adds the well-known impermanent-suffering-not-self chain.
Question 4 of 5
How many discourses does round two's full matrix (SN 35.186-203) contain in total?
Correct: A. The identical eighteen-discourse structure as round one, with a different second variable.
Question 5 of 5
What sense fields does this file address?
Correct: A. Bāhirāyatana, completing the exterior half begun at SN 35.195.
