10.
The Discourse on the Range of Language
62.
At Sāvatthī.
"There are these three ranges of language, ranges of designation, and ranges of concepts that are unadulterated and never before adulterated, which are not being adulterated and will not be adulterated, which are not repudiated by wise ascetics and brahmins.
Which three?
Whatever matter, monks, is past, ceased, changed - 'it was' is its term, 'it was' is its designation, 'it was' is its concept;
not its term 'it is', not its term 'it will be'.
Whatever feeling is past, ceased, changed - 'it was' is its term, 'it was' is its designation, 'it was' is its concept; not its term 'it is', not its term 'it will be'.
Whatever perception... whatever activities are past, ceased, changed - 'they were' is their term, 'they were' is their designation, 'they were' is their concept; not their term 'they are', not their term 'they will be'.
Whatever consciousness is past, ceased, changed - 'it was' is its term, 'it was' is its designation, 'it was' is its concept; not its term 'it is', not its term 'it will be'.
Whatever matter, monks, is unborn, not yet manifest - 'it will be' is its term, 'it will be' is its designation, 'it will be' is its concept; not its term 'it is', not its term 'it was'.
Whatever feeling is unborn, not yet manifest - 'it will be' is its term, 'it will be' is its designation, 'it will be' is its concept; not its term 'it is', not its term 'it was'.
Whatever perception... whatever activities are unborn, not yet manifest - 'they will be' is their term, 'they will be' is their designation, 'they will be' is their concept; not their term 'they are', not their term 'they were'.
Whatever consciousness is unborn, not yet manifest - 'it will be' is its term, 'it will be' is its designation, 'it will be' is its concept; not its term 'it is', not its term 'it was'.
Whatever matter, monks, has arisen, has become manifest - 'it is' is its term, 'it is' is its designation, 'it is' is its concept; not its term 'it was', not its term 'it will be'.
Whatever feeling has arisen, has become manifest - 'it is' is its term, 'it is' is its designation, 'it is' is its concept; not its term 'it was', not its term 'it will be'.
Whatever perception... whatever activities have arisen, have become manifest - 'they are' is their term, 'they are' is their designation, 'they are' is their concept; not their term 'they were', not their term 'they will be'.
Whatever consciousness has arisen, has become manifest - 'it is' is its term, 'it is' is its designation, 'it is' is its concept; not its term 'it was', not its term 'it will be'.
"These, monks, are the three ranges of language, ranges of designation, and ranges of concepts that are unadulterated and never before adulterated, which are not being adulterated and will not be adulterated, which are not repudiated by wise ascetics and brahmins. Even those, monks, who were the Ukkalā and Vassabhaññā, proponents of noncausality, proponents of the inefficacy of action, proponents of nihilism, even they did not think these three ranges of language, ranges of designation, ranges of concepts should be censured and repudiated. What is the reason for this? Because of fear of blame, insult, anger, and reproof."