Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthi in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. Then the Venerable Rāhula approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him:
“Venerable sir, it would be good if the Blessed One would teach me the Dhamma in brief, so that, having heard the Dhamma from the Blessed One, I might dwell alone, withdrawn, diligent, ardent, and resolute.”
“What do you think, Rāhula, is the eye permanent or impermanent?” – “Impermanent, venerable sir.” – “Is what is impermanent suffering or happiness?” – “Suffering, venerable sir.” – “Is what is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change fit to be regarded thus: ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self’?” – “No, venerable sir.”
“Is the ear … the nose … the tongue … the body … the mind permanent or impermanent?” – “Impermanent, venerable sir.” – “Is what is impermanent suffering or happiness?” – “Suffering, venerable sir.” – “Is what is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change fit to be regarded thus: ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self’?” – “No, venerable sir.”
“Seeing thus, Rāhula, the instructed noble disciple experiences revulsion towards the eye, revulsion towards the ear, revulsion towards the nose, revulsion towards the tongue, revulsion towards the body, revulsion towards the mind. Experiencing revulsion, he becomes dispassionate. Through dispassion [his mind] is liberated. When it is liberated there comes the knowledge: ‘It’s liberated.’ He understands: ‘Destroyed is birth, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more for this state of being.’”
… “What do you think, Rāhula, are forms … … sounds … odours … tastes … tactile objects … mental phenomena permanent or impermanent?” – “Impermanent, venerable sir.”… “Seeing thus, Rāhula, the instructed noble disciple experiences revulsion towards forms … revulsion towards mental phenomena. Experiencing revulsion, he becomes dispassionate…. He understands: ‘... there is no more for this state of being.’”
… “What do you think, Rāhula, is eye-consciousness … earconsciousness … nose-consciousness … tongue-consciousness … body-consciousness … mind-consciousness permanent or impermanent?” – “Impermanent, venerable sir.”… “Seeing thus, Rāhula, the instructed noble disciple experiences revulsion towards eye-consciousness … revulsion towards mindconsciousness. Experiencing revulsion, he becomes dispassionate…. He understands: ‘... there is no more for this state of being.’”
… “What do you think, Rāhula, is eye-contact … ear-contact … nose-contact … tongue-contact … body-contact … mind-contact permanent or impermanent?” – “Impermanent, venerable sir.”… “Seeing thus, Rāhula, the instructed noble disciple experiences revulsion towards eye-contact … revulsion towards mind-contact. Experiencing revulsion, he becomes dispassionate…. He understands: ‘... there is no more for this state of being.’”
… “What do you think, Rāhula, is feeling born of eye-contact … feeling born of ear-contact … feeling born of nose-contact … feeling born of tongue-contact … feeling born of body-contact … feeling born of mind-contact permanent or impermanent?” – “Impermanent, venerable sir.”…
“Seeing thus, Rāhula, the instructed noble disciple experiences revulsion towards feeling born of eye-contact … revulsion towards feeling born of mind-contact. Experiencing revulsion, he becomes dispassionate…. He understands: ‘... there is no more for this state of being.’”
… “What do you think, Rāhula, is perception of forms … perception of sounds … perception of odours … perception of tastes … perception of tactile objects … perception of mental phenomena permanent or impermanent?” – “Impermanent, venerable sir.”… “Seeing thus, Rāhula, the instructed noble disciple experiences revulsion towards perception of forms … revulsion towards perception of mental phenomena. Experiencing revulsion, he becomes dispassionate…. He understands: ‘... there is no more for this state of being.’”
… “What do you think, Rāhula, is volition regarding forms … volition regarding sounds … volition regarding odours … volition regarding tastes … volition regarding tactile objects … volition regarding mental phenomena permanent or impermanent?” – “Impermanent, venerable sir.”… “Seeing thus, Rāhula, the instructed noble disciple experiences revulsion towards volition regarding forms … revulsion towards volition regarding mental phenomena. Experiencing revulsion, he becomes dispassionate…. He understands: ‘... there is no more for this state of being.’”
… “What do you think, Rāhula, is craving for forms … craving for sounds … craving for odours … craving for tastes … craving for tactile objects … craving for mental phenomena permanent or impermanent?” – “Impermanent, venerable sir.”… “Seeing thus, Rāhula, the instructed noble disciple experiences revulsion towards craving for forms … revulsion towards craving for mental phenomena. Experiencing revulsion, he becomes dispassionate…. He understands: ‘... there is no more for this state of being.’”
… “What do you think, Rāhula, is the earth element … the water element … the heat element … the air element … the space element … the consciousness element permanent or impermanent?” – “Impermanent, venerable sir.”… “Seeing thus, Rāhula, the instructed noble disciple experiences revulsion towards the earth element … … revulsion towards the water element … revulsion towards the heat element … revulsion towards the air element … revulsion towards the space element … revulsion towards the consciousness element. Experiencing revulsion, he becomes dispassionate…. He understands: ‘... there is no more for this state of being.’”
… “What do you think, Rāhula, is form … feeling … perception … volitional formations … consciousness permanent or impermanent?” – “Impermanent, venerable sir.” … “Seeing thus, Rāhula, the instructed noble disciple experiences revulsion towards form … revulsion towards consciousness. Experiencing revulsion, he becomes dispassionate…. He understands: ‘... there is no more for this state of being.’”