Saṃyuktāgama, Volume 1, No. 1

The World-Honored One told the bhikṣus: You should contemplate the impermanence of the aggregate of form. One who can truly observe the impermanence of the aggregate of form is engaged in correct contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā). If one can correctly contemplate the impermanence of the aggregate of form, one will give rise to a mind of disenchantment toward the aggregate of form; when a mind of disenchantment toward the aggregate of form arises, one will eradicate one's fondness and craving for the aggregate of form. One whose fondness and craving for the aggregate of form has been completely eradicated is one whose mind has been liberated.

In the same way, then contemplate the impermanence of the aggregate of feeling, the aggregate of perception, the aggregate of volitional formations, and the aggregate of consciousness. One who can truly contemplate the impermanence of these four aggregates—feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness—is engaged in correct contemplative practice. One who engages in correct contemplative practice will give rise to a mind of disenchantment toward these four aggregates of feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness; one who has given rise to a mind of disenchantment can completely eradicate one's fondness and craving for these four aggregates. One whose fondness and craving for these four aggregates has been completely eradicated is one whose mind has been liberated.

Thus, bhikṣus, for one whose mind has been liberated, if one wishes to personally certify one's own liberation and the ability to enter Nirvāṇa without remainder, one can certify it oneself, without needing others to certify it. One will certify it by saying: My birth-and-death through countless kalpas of saṃsāra has come to an end in this very life; there will be no more birth and death. My pure brahma-conduct has already been established; my mind has attained purity, and I no longer have thoughts of desire. In this life, the work of liberating myself from birth and death that I undertook has been completed. I myself know that I will not receive a body of desire-realm existence, a body of form-realm existence, or a body of formless-realm existence in future lives; I will not be reborn again within the three realms, and when my life ends, I will enter Nirvāṇa without remainder.

The World-Honored One further told the bhikṣus: You should contemplate the suffering, emptiness, and non-self nature of the five aggregates. One who contemplates in this way is engaged in correct contemplative practice. One who can engage in correct contemplative practice will give rise to a mind of disenchantment toward the five aggregates; one who has given rise to a mind of disenchantment toward the five aggregates will eradicate one's fondness and craving for the five aggregates. One whose fondness and craving for the five aggregates has been completely eradicated, I declare, is one whose mind has been liberated. For one whose mind has been liberated, if one wishes to certify one's own liberation, one can certify it oneself. One will certify it by saying: Birth has been exhausted, brahma-conduct has been established, what was to be done has been done, and I know myself that there will be no more receiving of existence. At that time, the bhikṣus, having heard what the Buddha said, were all extremely joyful and received it with faith and put it into practice!