One day, as dawn’s first light touched the ancient trees surrounding the Blessed One’s dwelling, a certain monk approached. Having journeyed far, he carried with him a question that had lingered in his mind like a whisper in the stillness. When he reached the Blessed One, he bowed deeply, then settled himself reverently to one side.
The Blessed One looked upon him with calm eyes, and in the silence between them, a gentle warmth grew.
Then the monk spoke, “Revered One, often I hear the word ‘world’ [loka] spoken, and I wonder: what truly is meant by ‘the world’? In what way does this word apply?”
The Blessed One paused, his gaze settling into the distance, as if seeing through and beyond the visible world. After a moment, he turned to the monk with a small, compassionate smile and said, “It is called ‘the world,’ monk, because it is bound to disintegrate [lujjati]. Consider this deeply: everything you know in this world—each form and sensation—is bound to decay. Nothing here is permanent, and thus it is called ‘the world.’
“Tell me, what do you see before you?” the Blessed One asked.
The monk looked around, seeing the familiar: the morning sunlight filtering through leaves, the colors of life blooming quietly. “I see this world around us,” he replied.
The Blessed One nodded. “Yes, and within what you see lies the truth of this disintegration. Consider the eye itself, which perceives the forms around us. Even the eye, precious and wondrous, will fade. Forms, too, are destined to pass away. And the consciousness that arises in dependence on the eye, and even the contact of perception, each dissolves over time. Any feeling that arises from this contact—whether pleasurable, painful, or neither pleasure nor pain—will vanish like a mist at dawn.
“It is the same with the ear, monk,” the Blessed One continued. “The ear hears sounds, but the ear itself will not last. Sounds, too, will vanish. Each sound, whether delightful or disturbing, arises only to disappear, leaving only an echo of itself in memory.”
The monk listened intently, the simplicity of each word settling into his heart. The Blessed One went on, his voice a steady river of wisdom.
“In this same way, the nose perceives aromas, the tongue perceives tastes, and even the body perceives sensations, all destined to disintegrate. A sensation, when pleasant, seems like a gift; when painful, a burden. Yet, both arise from the same origin and flow into the same destiny—into dissolution.
“And finally, there is the intellect, that inner world of thoughts and ideas. The intellect, too, is impermanent, monk. The ideas that arise, the consciousness that perceives them, and the contact that allows their presence—all these, too, must disintegrate. And with them, any experience that arises from thought, whether joyful, sorrowful, or neutral, must fade.
“This is the truth of the world: everything that is, all that we perceive, is bound by the law of disintegration. And this, monk, is why we call it ‘the world.’”
The monk sat quietly, his mind stilled by the insight offered. In the Blessed One’s words, he saw that his question was not merely answered but had dissolved into understanding, like waves settling into a calm sea.
The Blessed One allowed the silence to deepen. Then he continued, “Monk, you may also hear the word ‘cosmos’ [loka], and in truth, this teaching holds for that, too. For the cosmos is nothing more than the world expanded outward, bound by the same law. No eye can perceive beyond impermanence, no form can escape it. Just as the cosmos was born, so too will it pass.
“And so, monk, just as the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and intellect all experience the universe in a single, shared transience, so too does the cosmos as a whole. For everything we know, on every scale, arises only to fall, to disappear as gently as it first appeared.”
The monk bowed his head in gratitude, feeling the depth of the Blessed One’s words resonate within him. In the quietness, he understood that the answer he sought was not only spoken but felt—a profound truth of the world and cosmos alike. And with this, he felt the peace of acceptance settle over him like the light of a new day.
Wisdom Tea 