Thus I have heard: One time, the Buddha was staying at the Karandaka Bamboo Park of Rājagṛha.
It was then that the Bhagavān addressed the monks, “Foolish, untaught, ordinary men become disillusioned with, free of desire for, and abandon the body of the four basic elements but not awareness. Why is that? They see that the body of the four basic elements has its increase, decrease, acquisition, and loss, but an foolish, untaught ordinary man is unable to become disillusioned with, free of desire for, or be liberated from the heart, mind, and awareness. Why is that? They’ve protected, valued, and tied themselves to it for a long night. Whether ascertained or grasped, they say: ‘This is me, it belongs to me, and both is present in the other.’ Therefore, a foolish, untaught ordinary man is unable to become disillusioned with, free desire of, and abandon it.
“A foolish, untaught ordinary man should rather tie himself and what belongs to himself to the body of the four basic elements and not tie himself and what belongs to himself to awareness. Why is that? He might observe the form body of four basic elements lasting ten … twenty … thirty … or a hundred years, whether it’s a good time or he makes some minor mistakes. His heart, mind, and awareness changes with each moment during day and night, arising as one thing and perishing as another. It’s like a monkey wandering in a forest, staying momentarily in place or another. It climbs on branches and twigs, releasing one and grasping another. That man’s heart, mind, and awareness are likewise, arising as one thing and perishing as another.
“The well-versed, noble disciple considers and observes well the dependent arising of things. That is, a pleasant feeling arises dependent on a pleasant contact. When they notice that pleasant feeling, they truly know that they have noticed a pleasant feeling. When that pleasant contact ceases, the pleasant feeling that dependently arose from that pleasant contact also ceases. It stops, cools, subsides, and disappears. Like that pleasant feeling, a painful contact … happy contact … sad contact … indifferent contact dependently gives rise to an indifferent feeling. When the disciple notices that indifferent feeling, they truly know that they’ve noticed an indifferent feeling. When that indifferent contact ceases, the indifferent feeling that dependently arose from that indifferent contact also ceases. It stops, cools, subsides, and disappears.
“That disciple would contemplate it in this way: ‘These feelings arise from contact, enjoy contact, and are tied to contact. Because this or that contact is pleasant, this or that feeling is pleasant. When this or that contact that’s pleasant ceases, this or that feeling that’s pleasant also ceases. It stops, cools, subsides, and disappears.’
“Thus, the well-versed, noble disciple becomes disillusioned with form, disillusioned with feeling … conception … volition … and awareness. Because of this disillusionment, they don’t enjoy them. Because they don’t enjoy them, they’re liberated. Being liberated, they know and see: ‘My births have been ended, the religious practice has been established, and the task has been accomplished. I myself know that I won’t be subject to a later existence.’”
After the Buddha spoke this sūtra, the monks who heard what he taught rejoiced and approved.