That Which is Impermanent (Yadaniccasutta)
First published: February 28, 2026
What you learn
This sutta teaches the fundamental Buddhist insight that all five aggregates of existence—form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness—are impermanent, suffering, and without self. The Buddha presents a logical progression: because these aggregates are impermanent, they inevitably involve suffering, and because they involve suffering, they cannot constitute a permanent self. He instructs monks to see each aggregate with right wisdom through the threefold formula: "This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self." This teaching directly addresses the root cause of suffering by dismantling attachment to what we mistakenly consider to be our permanent identity.
Where it sits
This sutta appears in the Saṃyutta Nikāya's section on the five aggregates, which contains the Buddha's most systematic teachings on the components of personal existence. It belongs to the chapter on impermanence, establishing the foundational understanding that precedes deeper analytical teachings about the aggregates found elsewhere in this collection. The threefold formula presented here—examining phenomena as not-mine, not-I, and not-self—appears throughout the Pali Canon as a standard method for developing insight into the three characteristics of existence.
Suggested use
Use this sutta as a foundation for contemplative practice by systematically examining each aggregate during meditation, applying the threefold investigation to whatever arises in experience. When attachment or identification with thoughts, feelings, or bodily sensations occurs in daily life, recall the teaching that these phenomena are impermanent and therefore not suitable objects for clinging.
Guidance
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SN 22.15 — That Which is Impermanent (Yadaniccasutta)
sn22.15:gu:0001Guidance (not part of the sutta)
sn22.15:gu:0002What this discourse is really about
sn22.15:gu:0003Like a master craftsman demonstrating the same essential technique from multiple angles, this discourse takes us through a methodical examination of our most basic experience. Rather than offering complex philosophical arguments, it presents a simple yet profound formula—impermanence leads to suffering, suffering reveals the absence of self—and applies it systematically to each of the five aggregates that make up our sense of being human.
sn22.15:gu:0004What makes this sutta particularly valuable is its relentless clarity and repetitive structure. By hearing the same logical progression applied to form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness, something begins to shift in our understanding. The repetition isn't tedious—it's transformative, like water gradually wearing away stone. Each iteration deepens our recognition that what we cling to as "mine" or "myself" is actually a flowing process beyond our control, ultimately leading to the profound disenchantment that opens the door to freedom.
sn22.15:gu:0005Key teachings
sn22.15:gu:0006- The five aggregates (form, feeling, perception, formations, consciousness) are impermanent, which means they arise, change, and pass away
- Impermanence leads to suffering because we struggle to maintain these aggregates in any desired state permanently
- What is impermanent and involves suffering lacks the characteristics of a permanent self or belonging to a permanent self
- The threefold investigation "This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self" can be applied to each aggregate with right wisdom
- Liberation may occur through the progressive stages of seeing clearly, becoming disenchanted, developing dispassion, and achieving mental freedom
Common misunderstandings
sn22.15:gu:0008- Believing that recognizing impermanence means becoming nihilistic or denying the conventional reality of daily functioning
- Thinking that the teaching of not-self means there is continuity of experience or that actions have consequences
- Assuming that disenchantment means developing aversion toward the aggregates rather than seeing them clearly with attachment
Try this today
sn22.15:gu:0010- During meditation, observe each aggregate as it arises and passes away, noting "form is impermanent," "feeling is impermanent," etc., then apply the threefold formula to whatever you observe
- When strong emotions or physical sensations occur in daily life, recognize them as temporary formations that change, and remind yourself "this feeling is not mine, I am not this feeling, this feeling is not my self"
- Examine your sense of identity by investigating which aggregate you identify with most strongly, then systematically apply the teaching that this aggregate is impermanent, involves suffering, and lacks the characteristics of self
If this landed, read next
sn22.15:gu:0012- SN 22.85 - Provides the extended analysis of the five aggregates using the same threefold formula with additional questioning methods
- SN 22.59 - The famous "Anattalakkhana Sutta" that presents the foundational teaching on not-self through systematic questioning of each aggregate
- SN 22.95 - Demonstrates how to apply the understanding of impermanence to develop the foam analogy and other contemplations of the aggregates