10.
The Discourse on the Perception of Impermanence
102.
At Sāvatthī.
"The perception of impermanence, monks, when developed and cultivated, consumes all sensual lust, consumes all lust for material form, consumes all lust for existence, consumes all ignorance, uproots all the conceit 'I am'."
"Just as, monks, in the autumn season, a farmer ploughing with a great plough ploughs while splitting apart all the root networks; so too, monks, the perception of impermanence, when developed and cultivated, consumes all sensual lust, consumes all lust for material form, consumes all lust for existence, consumes all ignorance, uproots all the conceit 'I am'.
"Just as, monks, a reaper of reeds, having reaped the reeds, grasping them at the top, shakes them down, shakes them out, and beats them; so too, monks, the perception of impermanence, when developed and cultivated, consumes all sensual lust, etc. uproots all the conceit 'I am'.
"Just as, monks, when a bunch of mangoes is cut from its stalk, all the mangoes connected to the stalk follow along with it; so too, monks, the perception of impermanence, when developed, etc. uproots all the conceit 'I am'.
"Just as, monks, whatever rafters there are of a pinnacle building, all of them go to the pinnacle, slope towards the pinnacle, converge at the pinnacle, the pinnacle is declared the foremost among them; so too, monks, the perception of impermanence, when developed, etc. uproots all the conceit 'I am'.
"Just as, monks, whatever root odours there are, black orris is declared the foremost among them; so too, monks, the perception of impermanence, etc. uproots all the conceit 'I am'.
"Just as, monks, whatever heartwood odours there are, red sandalwood is declared the foremost among them; so too, monks, the perception of impermanence, etc. uproots all the conceit 'I am'.
"Just as, monks, whatever flower odours there are, jasmine is declared the foremost among them; so too, monks, the perception of impermanence, etc. uproots all the conceit 'I am'.
"Just as, monks, whatever petty kings there are, all of them become followers of a wheel-turning monarch, the wheel-turning monarch is declared the foremost among them; so too, monks, the perception of impermanence, etc. uproots all the conceit 'I am'.
"Just as, monks, whatever radiance there is of the stars, all of it is not worth a sixteenth fraction of the radiance of the moon, the radiance of the moon is declared the foremost among them; so too, monks, the perception of impermanence, etc. uproots all the conceit 'I am'.
"Just as, monks, in the autumn season, when the sky is clear and free from clouds, the sun ascending into the sky, having dispelled all the darkness in space, shines and burns and is brilliant; so too, monks, the perception of impermanence, when developed and cultivated, consumes all sensual lust, consumes all lust for material form, consumes all lust for existence, consumes all ignorance, uproots all the conceit 'I am'.
"And how, monks, is the perception of impermanence developed, how is it cultivated, so that it consumes all sensual lust, etc. abolishes all the conceit 'I am'? 'Such is matter, such is the origin of matter, such is the passing away of matter; such is feeling... such is perception... such are activities... such is consciousness, such is the origin of consciousness, such is the passing away of consciousness' - thus developed, monks, the perception of impermanence, thus cultivated, consumes all sensual lust, consumes all lust for material form, consumes all lust for existence, consumes all ignorance, abolishes all the conceit 'I am'." The tenth.