The Buddha alone, describing his own arising insight
Form
A single formula repeated eight times, once for each item of the catechism
Length
~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
★★☆☆☆ — terse and formulaic, worth comparing to its famous counterpart at Dhammacakkappavattana
Why this discourse
This discourse takes SN 36.23 and SN 36.24's own eightfold catechism and, rather than repeating the content of each answer, describes the arising of the insight itself: “'These are the feelings.' Such was the vision, knowledge, wisdom, realization, and light that arose in me regarding teachings not learned before from another” — the identical five-part formula this project recognizes from the Buddha's own first sermon on the four noble truths, here applied eight times over to feeling's own identity, origin, arising-practice, cessation, cessation-practice, gratification, drawback, and escape.
Reading guide
Naming the insight, not restating its content
Unlike SN 36.23 and SN 36.24, which both state what feeling is, what causes it, and so on, this discourse doesn't restate the content at all — each item is referred to only as “'these are the feelings'” or “'this is the origin of feeling'” in quotation, with the formula's own focus entirely on the fact and quality of the realization.
A formula shared with the Buddha's own first sermon
“Vision, knowledge, wisdom, realization, and light” (cakkhuṁ... ñāṇaṁ... paññā... vijjā... āloko) is the identical fivefold description the tradition uses for the Buddha's own realization of the four noble truths — applied here to feeling's own eightfold catechism, extending the same mode of knowing to a different subject.
Teachings not learned from another
The formula's own closing qualifier — “regarding teachings not learned before from another” (pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu) — marks this as original insight rather than received doctrine, consistent with SN 36.24's own framing of this catechism as something worked out before the Buddha's awakening rather than taught to him.
Eight repetitions, one formula, no variation
Every one of the eight items — feeling itself, its origin, the practice to its origin, its cessation, the practice to its cessation, and its gratification, drawback, and escape — receives the identical formula with only the subject clause changed, closing this three-discourse sequence (SN 36.23–25) with its most compressed and formulaic member.
Key terms
cakkhuṁ udapādi, ñāṇaṁ udapādi, paññā udapādi, vijjā udapādi, āloko udapādi — “vision, knowledge, wisdom, realization, and light arose” — the discourse's own fivefold formula, shared with the Buddha's own account of realizing the four noble truths
pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu — “regarding teachings not learned before from another” — the formula's own closing qualifier, marking this as original insight
‘imā vedanā’ti — “'these are the feelings'” — the first item's own quoted content, stated but not elaborated on
‘ayaṁ vedanānissaraṇan’ti — “'this is the escape from feeling'” — the eighth and final item's own quoted content, closing the sequence
aṭṭhamaṁ vedanāsatakaṁ — the discourse's own implicit eightfold structure — the same eight items met at SN 36.23 and SN 36.24, now each given the identical insight-formula
The text
The complete discourse: the fivefold insight formula applied to each of the eight items in turn. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1“‘These are the feelings.’ Such was the vision, knowledge, wisdom, realization, and light that arose in me regarding teachings not learned before from another. ‘This is the origin of feeling.’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the origin of feeling.’ … ‘This is the cessation of feeling.’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of feeling.’ … ‘This is the gratification of feeling.’ … ‘This is the drawback of feeling.’ … ‘This is the escape from feeling.’ Such was the vision, knowledge, wisdom, realization, and light that arose in me regarding teachings not learned before from another.”
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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 does this discourse do differently from SN 36.23 and SN 36.24?
Correct: A. Each item is only quoted ("'these are the feelings'"), with the formula's focus on the fact of realization.
Question 2 of 5
What famous formula does this discourse apply to each of the eight items?
Correct: A. Cakkhuṁ, ñāṇaṁ, paññā, vijjā, āloko — extending the same mode of knowing to feeling's own catechism.
Question 3 of 5
What does the formula's own closing qualifier, "regarding teachings not learned before from another," mark?
Correct: A. Consistent with SN 36.24's own framing of this catechism as pre-awakening self-discovery.
Question 4 of 5
How many times does the fivefold formula repeat in this discourse?
Correct: A. Feeling itself, its origin, the practice to its origin, cessation, the practice to cessation, and gratification, drawback, and escape.
Question 5 of 5
How does this discourse close the three-discourse sequence begun at SN 36.23?
Correct: A. Terse and formulaic, closing out the sequence on the fact and quality of realization itself.
