[505] **"Look upon the world as empty" (suññato lokaṃ avekkhassu):** "the world" (loka) means the hell-world, the animal-world, the world of the realm of hungry ghosts, the human world, the deva-world, the world of the aggregates (khandha), the world of the elements (dhātu), the world of the sense bases (āyatana), this world, the other world, the Brahmā-world together with its devas.
A certain bhikkhu said this to the Blessed One: "'The world, the world,' venerable sir, is said by the Blessed One. In what way, venerable sir, is it called 'the world'?" "'It disintegrates' (lujjati), bhikkhu — thus it is called 'the world.' And what disintegrates? The eye disintegrates, forms disintegrate, eye-consciousness disintegrates, eye-contact disintegrates, and whatever feeling (vedanā) arises with eye-contact as condition — whether pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant — that too disintegrates. The ear disintegrates, sounds disintegrate; the nose disintegrates, odours disintegrate; the tongue disintegrates, tastes disintegrate; the body disintegrates, tangibles disintegrate; the mind disintegrates, mental phenomena disintegrate; mind-consciousness disintegrates, mind-contact disintegrates, and whatever feeling arises with mind-contact as condition — whether pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant — that too disintegrates. 'It disintegrates,' bhikkhu — therefore it is called 'the world.'"
**"Look upon the world as empty":** one looks upon the world as empty (suñña) for two reasons: by way of discerning that it occurs without being subject to mastery (avassiyapavattasallakkhaṇa), or by way of contemplating formations as hollow (tucchasaṅkhārasamanupassanā).
How does one look upon the world as empty by way of discerning that it occurs without being subject to mastery? Mastery over form is not obtained; mastery over feeling is not obtained; mastery over perception is not obtained; mastery over volitional formations is not obtained; mastery over consciousness is not obtained.
For this was said by the Blessed One: "Bhikkhus, form is not self (anattā). For if, bhikkhus, this form were self, this form would not lead to affliction, and it would be possible with regard to form: 'Let my form be thus; let my form not be thus.' But because, bhikkhus, form is not self, form leads to affliction, and it is not possible with regard to form: 'Let my form be thus; let my form not be thus.' Feeling is not self. For if, bhikkhus, this feeling were self, this feeling would not lead to affliction, and it would be possible with regard to feeling: 'Let my feeling be thus; let my feeling not be thus.' But because, bhikkhus, feeling is not self, feeling leads to affliction, and it is not possible with regard to feeling: 'Let my feeling be thus; let my feeling not be thus.' Perception is not self. For if, bhikkhus, this perception were self, this perception would not lead to affliction, and it would be possible with regard to perception: 'Let my perception be thus; let my perception not be thus.' But because, bhikkhus, perception is not self, perception leads to affliction, and it is not possible with regard to perception: 'Let my perception be thus; let my perception not be thus.' Volitional formations are not self. For if, bhikkhus, these volitional formations were self, these volitional formations would not lead to affliction, and it would be possible with regard to volitional formations: 'Let my volitional formations be thus; let my volitional formations not be thus.' But because, bhikkhus, volitional formations are not self, volitional formations lead to affliction, and it is not possible with regard to volitional formations: 'Let my volitional formations be thus; let my volitional formations not be thus.' Consciousness is not self. For if, bhikkhus, this consciousness were self, this consciousness would not lead to affliction, and it would be possible with regard to consciousness: 'Let my consciousness be thus; let my consciousness not be thus.' But because, bhikkhus, consciousness is not self, consciousness leads to affliction, and it is not possible with regard to consciousness: 'Let my consciousness be thus; let my consciousness not be thus.'"
And this was said by the Blessed One: "Bhikkhus, this body is not yours, nor does it belong to others. It should be seen, bhikkhus, as old kamma, conditioned, generated by volition, something to be felt. Therein, bhikkhus, the instructed noble disciple attends carefully and thoroughly to dependent origination (paṭiccasamuppāda) itself: 'Thus, when this exists, that comes to be; with the arising of this, that arises. When this does not exist, that does not come to be; with the cessation of this, that ceases — that is: with ignorance (avijjā) as condition, volitional formations [come to be]; with volitional formations as condition, consciousness; with consciousness as condition, name-and-form; with name-and-form as condition, the six sense bases; with the six sense bases as condition, contact; with contact as condition, feeling; with feeling as condition, craving (taṇhā); with craving as condition, clinging; with clinging as condition, existence; with existence as condition, birth; with birth as condition, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair come to be. Such is the origin of this whole mass of suffering (dukkha). But with the remainderless fading away and cessation of that very ignorance comes the cessation of volitional formations; with the cessation of volitional formations, the cessation of consciousness; with the cessation of consciousness, the cessation of name-and-form; with the cessation of name-and-form, the cessation of the six sense bases; with the cessation of the six sense bases, the cessation of contact; with the cessation of contact, the cessation of feeling; with the cessation of feeling, the cessation of craving; with the cessation of craving, the cessation of clinging; with the cessation of clinging, the cessation of existence; with the cessation of existence, the cessation of birth; with the cessation of birth, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair cease. Such is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering.'" Thus one looks upon the world as empty by way of discerning that it occurs without being subject to mastery.
How does one look upon the world as empty by way of contemplating formations as hollow? No core is obtained in form; no core is obtained in feeling; no core is obtained in perception; no core is obtained in volitional formations; no core is obtained in consciousness. Form is coreless, without core, devoid of core — whether of any core consisting in permanence, any core consisting in happiness, or any core consisting in self, or of anything permanent, stable, eternal, or not subject to change. Feeling is coreless, without core, devoid of core; perception is coreless, without core, devoid of core; volitional formations are coreless, without core, devoid of core; consciousness is coreless, without core, devoid of core — whether of any core consisting in permanence, any core consisting in happiness, or any core consisting in self, or of anything permanent, stable, eternal, or not subject to change. Just as a reed is coreless, without core, devoid of core; just as a castor-oil plant is coreless, without core, devoid of core; just as an udumbara fig tree is coreless, without core, devoid of core; just as a setagaccha tree is coreless, without core, devoid of core; just as a pālibhaddaka (coral) tree is coreless, without core, devoid of core; just as a lump of foam is coreless, without core, devoid of core; just as a water bubble is coreless, without core, devoid of core; just as a plantain trunk is coreless, without core, devoid of core; just as a magical illusion (māyā) is coreless, without core, devoid of core — even so form is coreless, without core, devoid of core — whether of any core consisting in permanence, any core consisting in happiness, or any core consisting in self, or of anything permanent, stable, eternal, or not subject to change; feeling is coreless, without core, devoid of core; perception is coreless, without core, devoid of core; volitional formations are coreless, without core, devoid of core; consciousness is coreless, without core, devoid of core — whether of any core consisting in permanence, any core consisting in happiness, or any core consisting in self, or of anything permanent, stable, eternal, or not subject to change. Thus one looks upon the world as empty by way of contemplating formations as hollow. For these two reasons one looks upon the world as empty.
Furthermore, one looks upon the world as empty in six modes: one looks upon form as without lordship, as not conforming to one's wishes, as affording no comfort, as not subject to one's control, as mere occurrence, and as void; one looks upon feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness as without lordship, as not conforming to one's wishes, as affording no comfort, as not subject to one's control, as mere occurrence, and as void. Thus one looks upon the world as empty in six modes. Furthermore, one looks upon the world as empty in ten modes: one looks upon form as void, as hollow, as empty, as not self, as coreless, as a murderer, as annihilation, as the root of misery, as subject to taints (āsava), and as conditioned; one looks upon feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness as void, as hollow, as empty, as not self, as coreless, as a murderer, as annihilation, as the root of misery, as subject to taints, and as conditioned. Thus one looks upon the world as empty in ten modes. Furthermore, one looks upon the world as empty in twelve modes: form is not a being, not a soul, not a person, not a man, not a youth, not a woman, not a male, not self, not what belongs to self, not I, not mine — nor is there anyone [therein]; feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness are not a being, not a soul, not a person, not a man, not a youth, not a woman, not a male, not self, not what belongs to self, not I, not mine — nor is there anyone [therein]. Thus one looks upon the world as empty in twelve modes.
For this was said by the Blessed One: "Bhikkhus, whatever is not yours, abandon it; when you have abandoned it, that will lead to your welfare and happiness for a long time. And what, bhikkhus, is not yours? Form, bhikkhus, is not yours: abandon it; when you have abandoned it, that will lead to your welfare and happiness for a long time. Feeling, bhikkhus, is not yours: abandon it; when you have abandoned it, that will lead to your welfare and happiness for a long time. Perception, bhikkhus, is not yours: abandon it; when you have abandoned it, that will lead to your welfare and happiness for a long time. Volitional formations, bhikkhus, are not yours: abandon them; when you have abandoned them, that will lead to your welfare and happiness for a long time. Consciousness, bhikkhus, is not yours: abandon it; when you have abandoned it, that will lead to your welfare and happiness for a long time. What do you think, bhikkhus? If people were to carry off the grass, sticks, branches, and foliage in this Jeta's Grove, or burn them, or do with them as they wish, would it occur to you: 'People are carrying us off, or burning us, or doing with us as they wish'?" "No, venerable sir." "For what reason?" "Because, venerable sir, that is neither our self nor what belongs to our self." "Even so, bhikkhus, whatever is not yours, abandon it; when you have abandoned it, that will lead to your welfare and happiness for a long time. And what, bhikkhus, is not yours? Form, bhikkhus, is not yours: abandon it; when you have abandoned it, that will lead to your welfare and happiness for a long time. Feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness, bhikkhus, are not yours: abandon them; when you have abandoned them, that will lead to your welfare and happiness for a long time." Thus too one looks upon the world as empty.
The venerable Ānanda said this to the Blessed One: "'The world is empty,' venerable sir, it is said. In what way, venerable sir, is it said, 'The world is empty'?" "Because, Ānanda, it is empty of self and of what belongs to self, therefore it is said, 'The world is empty.' And what, Ānanda, is empty of self and of what belongs to self? The eye is empty, forms are empty, eye-consciousness is empty, eye-contact is empty, and whatever feeling arises with eye-contact as condition — whether pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant — that too is empty of self and of what belongs to self. The ear is empty, sounds are empty; the nose is empty, odours are empty; the tongue is empty, tastes are empty; the body is empty, tangibles are empty; the mind is empty, mental phenomena are empty; mind-consciousness is empty, mind-contact is empty, and whatever feeling arises with mind-contact as condition — whether pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant — that too is empty of self and of what belongs to self. Because, Ānanda, it is empty of self and of what belongs to self, therefore it is said, 'The world is empty.'" Thus too one looks upon the world as empty.
For one who sees as it really is
the bare arising of dhammas,
the bare continuity of formations,
there is no fear, headman.
When with wisdom one sees the world
as equal to grass and wood,
one would wish for nothing else
apart from non-relinking (appaṭisandhi).
Thus too one looks upon the world as empty.
For this was said by the Blessed One: "Even so, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu investigates form as far as the range of form extends; he investigates feeling as far as the range of feeling extends; he investigates perception as far as the range of perception extends; he investigates volitional formations as far as the range of volitional formations extends; he investigates consciousness as far as the range of consciousness extends. As that bhikkhu investigates form as far as the range of form extends, investigates feeling as far as the range of feeling extends, investigates perception as far as the range of perception extends, investigates volitional formations as far as the range of volitional formations extends, investigates consciousness as far as the range of consciousness extends, then whatever notion anyone may have of 'I' or 'mine' or 'I am' — even that does not exist for him." Thus too one looks upon the world as empty.
**"Look upon the world as empty":** look upon the world as empty, review it, weigh it, examine it, elucidate it, make it evident — thus, "look upon the world as empty."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.