At one time Venerable Sāriputta and Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita were staying near Benares, in the deer park at Isipatana. Then in the late afternoon, Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita came out of retreat, went to Venerable Sāriputta, bowed, sat down to one side, and said:

“Reverend Sāriputta, what things should an educated mendicant properly attend to?”

“An educated mendicant should properly attend to these five grasping aggregates as impermanent … as not-self. What five? That is, the grasping aggregates of form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness. An educated mendicant should properly attend to these five grasping aggregates as impermanent … as not-self. It’s possible that an educated mendicant who regards the five grasping aggregates in this way will realize the fruit of stream-entry.”

“But Reverend Sāriputta, what things should a mendicant stream-enterer properly attend to?”

“A mendicant stream-enterer should properly attend to these five grasping aggregates as impermanent … as not-self. It’s possible that a mendicant stream-enterer who regards the five grasping aggregates in this way will realize the fruit of once-return.” … “It’s possible that a mendicant once-returner who regards the five grasping aggregates in this way will realize the fruit of non-return.” … “It’s possible that a mendicant non-returner who regards the five grasping aggregates in this way will realize the fruit of perfection.” …

“But Reverend Sāriputta, what things should a perfected one properly attend to?”

“Reverend Koṭṭhita, a perfected one should properly attend to the five grasping aggregates as impermanent, as suffering, as diseased, as an abscess, as a dart, as misery, as an affliction, as alien, as falling apart, as empty, as not-self. A perfected one has nothing more to do, and nothing that needs improvement. Still, these things, when developed and cultivated, lead to blissful meditation in the present life, and also to mindfulness and situational awareness.”