The Emptiness of Formations

This is what I have heard:

Once the Buddha was staying in the Jeta Grove in Anathapindaka’s monastery in the town of Shravasti. At that time he said to the bhikshus:

(In brief) it is like when there is the clapping of two hands, there is a sound, just so when eyes and form condition each other there is the arising of eyes consciousness. When these three elements (eyes, form and eyes consciousness) come together it gives rise to contact. Contact gives rise to feeling (vedana). Feeling gives rise to perception (samjna) and volition (cetana).

All these things are not a self, they are not permanent, (if they were a self then) that would be an impermanent self, not eternal, not secure, not unchanging. Why is that? Monks these are things that arise and have to go through birth, decay and death.

Monks, all formations (phenomena) are a magic show, like flames, they only last for a bare instant (kṣaṇa) and then they are destroyed, they do not truly come and then go.

Therefore, monks you should have a thorough understanding that such formations are empty, you should accept that they are empty, mindfully observe them and always remember that formations are impermanent, they are phenomena that cannot last, they cannot remain for any length of time without changing. They are not the self and they do not belong to a self.

What is true of the eyes is also true of the ears, nose, tongue, body and mind. When mind and objects of mind condition each other, mind consciousness arises. When mind, object of mind and mind consciousness arise there are contact, feelings, perceptions and volition. All these things are without a separate self and impermanent. They are not a self and they do not belong to a self.

~Samyuktagama 273