Reading guide
The chain, confirmed complete
With this discourse, the three-part sequence begun at SN 46.71 is confirmed complete: impermanence (SN 46.71) leads to suffering (SN 46.72), and suffering leads to not-self (this discourse) — the canon's own classic three-characteristics teaching, here compressed into three consecutive single-line discourses rather than a single extended exposition.
Key terms
dukkhe anattasaññā — “the perception of not-self in suffering” — completing the chain, locating not-self as a consequence specifically of suffering, not as an independent contemplation
bhāvitā bahulīkatā — “developed and cultivated” — the standard phrase, followed by the source's own elision
satta bojjhaṅgā — the seven awakening factors, implicitly developed together with this meditation topic
anattā — “not-self” — the third of the canon's own three characteristics, here confirmed as the chain's own final link
sattamaṁ — “the seventh” — the Pāli root's own closing numeral for this discourse
The text
The complete discourse as the source itself gives it. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1“Mendicants, when the perception of not-self in suffering is developed and cultivated it’s very fruitful and beneficial. …”
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Self-check quiz
3 questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.
Question 1 of 3
What does this discourse complete, begun at SN 46.71?
Correct: A. The canon's own classic three-characteristics teaching, compressed across three consecutive discourses.
Question 2 of 3
How does this discourse's own title confirm its own place in the chain?
Correct: A. Consistent with SN 46.72's own precise "suffering IN impermanence" title.
Question 3 of 3
What overall structure does this three-discourse sequence exemplify?
Correct: A. Each perception building directly and logically on the one before it.