Thus I have heard: The Buddha was staying at the Kalandaka Bamboo Grove of Rājagṛha. At the time, Venerable Śāriputra was on Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa.
There was then a prominent man’s son named Śroṇa who went for walks every day. He went to Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa and visited Venerable Śāriputra there. After bowing at his feet, Śroṇa withdrew to sit at one side.
Śāriputra said, “Śroṇa, suppose ascetics or priests don’t truly know form, don’t truly know the formation of form, don’t truly know the cessation of form, and don’t truly know the path to the cessation of form. Śroṇa, you should know that these ascetics or priests aren’t capable of stopping form. In this way, suppose ascetics or priests don’t truly know feeling … conception … volition … awareness, don’t truly know the formation of awareness, don’t truly know the cessation of awareness, and don’t truly know the path to the cessation of awareness. [Śroṇa, you should know that these ascetics or priests] aren’t capable of stopping awareness.
“Śroṇa, suppose ascetics or priests do truly know form, truly know the formation of form, truly know the cessation of form, and truly know the path to the cessation of form. Therefore, Śroṇa, you should know that these ascetics or priests are capable of stopping form. In this way, Śroṇa, suppose ascetics or priests do truly know feeling … conception … volition … awareness, do truly know the formation of awareness, truly know the cessation of awareness, and truly know the path to the cessation of awareness. Śroṇa, you should know that these ascetics or priests are capable of stopping awareness.
“Śroṇa, what do you think? Is form permanent or impermanent?”
He replied, “Impermanent.”
Śāriputra asked, “If something is impermanent, is that painful?”
He replied, “It’s painful.”
Śāriputra asked, “If form is impermanent and painful, it’s subject to change. Would a noble disciple see form as self, different than self, or either being present in the other?”
He replied, “No.”
“Śroṇa, in this way, is feeling … conception … volition … awareness permanent or impermanent?”
He replied, “Impermanent.”
He further asked, “If something is impermanent, is it painful?”
He replied, “It’s painful.”
Śāriputra asked, “If [awareness] is impermanent and painful, then it’s subject to change. Would a noble disciple see awareness as self, different than self, or either being present in the other?”
He replied, “No.”
“Śroṇa, you should know that whether forms are past, future, or present, internal or external, crude or fine, beautiful or ugly, or distant or near, all those forms are not self, not different than self, and neither is present in the other. This is called truly knowing them. Śroṇa, a noble disciple who becomes disillusioned with form, becomes free of desire for it, and is liberated from it is freed from birth, old age, illness, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, and trouble.
“Thus, whether feelings … conceptions … volitions … instances of awareness are past, future, or present, internal or external, crude or fine, beautiful or ugly, or distant or near, all those instances of awareness are not self, not different than self, and neither is present in the other. This is called truly knowing them. Śroṇa, a noble disciple who becomes disillusioned with awareness, becomes free of desire for it, and is liberated from it is freed from birth, old age, illness, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, and trouble.”
When Śroṇa heard what Śāriputra taught, he rejoiced and celebrated. He then bowed and departed.