Dhammapada 20.2: 2. Aniccalakkhaṇavatthu

20.2.p1

Sabbe saṅkhārā aniccāti imaṃ dhammadesanaṃ satthā jetavane viharanto pañcasate bhikkhū ārabbha kathesi.

“*Impermanent are all existing things.*” This religious instruction was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to five hundred monks.

20.2.p2

Te kira satthu santike kammaṭṭhānaṃ gahetvā gantvā araññe vāyamantāpi arahattaṃ appatvā ‘‘visesetvā kammaṭṭhānaṃ uggaṇhissāmā’’ti satthu santikaṃ āgamiṃsu. Satthā ‘‘kiṃ nu kho imesaṃ sappāya’’nti vīmaṃsanto ‘‘ime kassapabuddhakāle vīsati vassasahassāni aniccalakkhaṇe anuyuñjiṃsu, tasmā aniccalakkhaṇeneva tesaṃ ekaṃ gāthaṃ desetuṃ vaṭṭatī’’ti cintetvā, ‘‘bhikkhave, kāmabhavādīsu sabbepi saṅkhārā hutvā abhāvaṭṭhena aniccā evā’’ti vatvā imaṃ gāthamāha –

The story goes that these five hundred monks, who had received a Subject of Meditation from the Teacher and who had striven and struggled with might and main in the forest without attaining Arahatship, returned to the Teacher for the purpose of obtaining a Subject of Meditation better suited to their needs. The Teacher inquired within himself, “What will be the most profitable Subject of Meditation for these monks?” Then he considered within himself, “In the dispensation of the Buddha Kassapa these monks devoted themselves for twenty thousand years to meditation on the Characteristic of Impermanence; therefore the Characteristic of Impermanence shall be the subject of the single Stanza which I shall pronounce.” And he said to them, “Monks, in the sphere of sensual existence and in the other spheres of existence all the Aggregates of Existence are by reason of unreality impermanent.” So saying, he pronounced the following Stanza,

20.2.277

‘‘Sabbe saṅkhārā aniccāti, yadā paññāya passati;
Atha nibbindati dukkhe, esa maggo visuddhiyā’’ti.

277. “Impermanent are all existing things.”
With wisdom who perceives this fact,
Straightway becomes contemptuous of suffering.
This is the Way of Salvation.

20.2.277_2

Tattha sabbe saṅkhārāti kāmabhavādīsu uppannā khandhā tattha tattheva nirujjhanato aniccāti yadā vipassanāpaññāya passati, atha imasmiṃ khandhapariharaṇadukkhe nibbindati, nibbindanto dukkhaparijānanādivasena saccāni paṭivijjhati. Esa maggo visuddhiyāti visuddhatthāya vodānatthāya esa maggoti attho.

20.2.277_3

Desanāvasāne te bhikkhū arahatte patiṭṭhahiṃsu, sampattaparisānampi sātthikā dhammadesanā ahosīti.

20.2.277_4

Aniccalakkhaṇavatthu dutiyaṃ.