At one time the Buddha was staying near Ayodhya on the bank of the Ganges river. Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā ayujjhāyaṁ viharati gaṅgāya nadiyā tīre. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants: Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:

“Mendicants, suppose this Ganges river was carrying along a big lump of foam. And a person with clear eyes would see it and contemplate it, examining it rationally. And it would appear to them as completely vacuous, hollow, and insubstantial. For what substance could there be in a lump of foam? “Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, ayaṁ gaṅgā nadī mahantaṁ pheṇapiṇḍaṁ āvaheyya. Tamenaṁ cakkhumā puriso passeyya nijjhāyeyya yoniso upaparikkheyya. Tassa taṁ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyeyya, tucchakaññeva khāyeyya, asārakaññeva khāyeyya. Kiñhi siyā, bhikkhave, pheṇapiṇḍe sāro?

In the same way, a mendicant sees and contemplates any kind of form at all—past, future, or present; internal or external; coarse or fine; inferior or superior; near or far—examining it rationally. And it appears to them as completely vacuous, hollow, and insubstantial. For what substance could there be in form? Evameva kho, bhikkhave, yaṁ kiñci rūpaṁ atītānāgatapaccuppannaṁ …pe… yaṁ dūre santike vā taṁ bhikkhu passati nijjhāyati yoniso upaparikkhati. Tassa taṁ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyati, tucchakaññeva khāyati, asārakaññeva khāyati. Kiñhi siyā, bhikkhave, rūpe sāro?

Suppose it was autumn, when the heavens rain heavily, and a bubble on the water forms and pops right away. And a person with clear eyes would see it and contemplate it, examining it rationally. And it would appear to them as completely vacuous, hollow, and insubstantial. For what substance could there be in a water bubble? Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, saradasamaye thullaphusitake deve vassante udake udakapubbuḷaṁ uppajjati ceva nirujjhati ca. Tamenaṁ cakkhumā puriso passeyya nijjhāyeyya yoniso upaparikkheyya. Tassa taṁ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyeyya, tucchakaññeva khāyeyya, asārakaññeva khāyeyya. Kiñhi siyā, bhikkhave, udakapubbuḷe sāro?

In the same way, a mendicant sees and contemplates any kind of feeling at all … examining it rationally. And it appears to them as completely vacuous, hollow, and insubstantial. For what substance could there be in feeling? Evameva kho, bhikkhave, yā kāci vedanā atītānāgatapaccuppannā …pe… yā dūre santike vā taṁ bhikkhu passati nijjhāyati yoniso upaparikkhati. Tassa taṁ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyati, tucchakaññeva khāyati, asārakaññeva khāyati. Kiñhi siyā, bhikkhave, vedanāya sāro?

Suppose that in the last month of summer, at noon, a shimmering mirage appears. And a person with clear eyes would see it and contemplate it, examining it rationally. And it would appear to them as completely vacuous, hollow, and insubstantial. For what substance could there be in a mirage? Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, gimhānaṁ pacchime māse ṭhite majjhanhike kāle marīcikā phandati. Tamenaṁ cakkhumā puriso passeyya nijjhāyeyya yoniso upaparikkheyya. Tassa taṁ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyeyya, tucchakaññeva khāyeyya …pe… kiñhi siyā, bhikkhave, marīcikāya sāro?

In the same way, a mendicant sees and contemplates any kind of perception at all … examining it carefully. And it appears to them as completely vacuous, hollow, and insubstantial. For what substance could there be in perception? Evameva kho, bhikkhave, yā kāci saññā …pe….

Suppose there was a person in need of heartwood. Wandering in search of heartwood, they’d take a sharp axe and enter a forest. There they’d see a big banana trunk, straight and young and grown unskewed. They’d cut it down at the base, cut off the top, and unroll the coiled sheaths. But they wouldn’t even find sapwood, much less heartwood. And a person with clear eyes would see it and contemplate it, examining it rationally. And it would appear to them as completely vacuous, hollow, and insubstantial. For what substance could there be in a banana trunk? Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, puriso sāratthiko sāragavesī sārapariyesanaṁ caramāno tiṇhaṁ kuṭhāriṁ ādāya vanaṁ paviseyya. So tattha passeyya mahantaṁ kadalikkhandhaṁ ujuṁ navaṁ akukkukajātaṁ. Tamenaṁ mūle chindeyya; mūle chetvā agge chindeyya, agge chetvā pattavaṭṭiṁ vinibbhujeyya. So tassa pattavaṭṭiṁ vinibbhujanto pheggumpi nādhigaccheyya, kuto sāraṁ. Tamenaṁ cakkhumā puriso passeyya nijjhāyeyya yoniso upaparikkheyya. Tassa taṁ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyeyya, tucchakaññeva khāyeyya, asārakaññeva khāyeyya. Kiñhi siyā, bhikkhave, kadalikkhandhe sāro?

In the same way, a mendicant sees and contemplates any kind of choices at all … examining them rationally. And they appear to them as completely vacuous, hollow, and insubstantial. For what substance could there be in choices? Evameva kho, bhikkhave, ye keci saṅkhārā atītānāgatapaccuppannā …pe… ye dūre santike vā taṁ bhikkhu passati nijjhāyati yoniso upaparikkhati. Tassa taṁ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyati, tucchakaññeva khāyati, asārakaññeva khāyati. Kiñhi siyā, bhikkhave, saṅkhāresu sāro?

Suppose an illusionist or their apprentice was to demonstrate an illusion at the crossroads. And a person with clear eyes would see it and contemplate it, examining it rationally. And it would appear to them as completely vacuous, hollow, and insubstantial. For what substance could there be in an illusion? Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, māyākāro vā māyākārantevāsī vā catumahāpathe māyaṁ vidaṁseyya. Tamenaṁ cakkhumā puriso passeyya nijjhāyeyya yoniso upaparikkheyya. Tassa taṁ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyeyya, tucchakaññeva khāyeyya, asārakaññeva khāyeyya. Kiñhi siyā, bhikkhave, māyāya sāro?

In the same way, a mendicant sees and contemplates any kind of consciousness at all—past, future, or present; internal or external; coarse or fine; inferior or superior; near or far—examining it rationally. And it appears to them as completely vacuous, hollow, and insubstantial. For what substance could there be in consciousness? Evameva kho, bhikkhave, yaṁ kiñci viññāṇaṁ atītānāgatapaccuppannaṁ …pe… yaṁ dūre santike vā, taṁ bhikkhu passati nijjhāyati yoniso upaparikkhati. Tassa taṁ passato nijjhāyato yoniso upaparikkhato rittakaññeva khāyati, tucchakaññeva khāyati, asārakaññeva khāyati. Kiñhi siyā, bhikkhave, viññāṇe sāro?

Seeing this, a learned noble disciple grows disillusioned with form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness. Evaṁ passaṁ, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako rūpasmimpi nibbindati, vedanāyapi … saññāyapi … saṅkhāresupi … viññāṇasmimpi nibbindati. Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they’re freed. When they’re freed, they know they’re freed. Nibbindaṁ virajjati; virāgā vimuccati. Vimuttasmiṁ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ hoti …pe… They understand: ‘… there is nothing further for this place.’” nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāti”.

That is what the Buddha said. Idamavoca bhagavā. Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say: Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:

“Form is like a lump of foam; “Pheṇapiṇḍūpamaṁ rūpaṁ, feeling is like a bubble; vedanā bubbuḷūpamā; perception seems like a mirage; Marīcikūpamā saññā, choices like a banana plant; saṅkhārā kadalūpamā; and consciousness like an illusion: Māyūpamañca viññāṇaṁ, so taught the kinsman of the Sun. desitādiccabandhunā.

However you contemplate them, Yathā yathā nijjhāyati, examining them rationally, yoniso upaparikkhati; they’re vacuous and hollow Rittakaṁ tucchakaṁ hoti, when you look at them closely. yo naṁ passati yoniso.

Concerning this body, Imañca kāyaṁ ārabbha, he of vast wisdom has taught bhūripaññena desitaṁ; that when three things are given up, Pahānaṁ tiṇṇaṁ dhammānaṁ, you’ll see this form discarded. rūpaṁ passatha chaḍḍitaṁ.

When vitality, warmth, and consciousness Āyu usmā ca viññāṇaṁ, leave this body, yadā kāyaṁ jahantimaṁ; it lies dumped there, Apaviddho tadā seti, food for others, insentient. parabhattaṁ acetanaṁ.

Such is this continuity, Etādisāyaṁ santāno, this illusion, this lament of fools. māyāyaṁ bālalāpinī; It’s said to be a killer, Vadhako esa akkhāto, for no core is found here. sāro ettha na vijjati.

An energetic mendicant Evaṁ khandhe avekkheyya, should examine the aggregates like this, bhikkhu āraddhavīriyo; with situational awareness and mindfulness Divā vā yadi vā rattiṁ, whether by day or by night. sampajāno paṭissato.

They should give up all fetters, Jaheyya sabbasaṁyogaṁ, and make a refuge for themselves. kareyya saraṇattano; They should live as though their head was on fire, Careyyādittasīsova, aspiring to the state that does not pass.” patthayaṁ accutaṁ padan”ti.