A Question On the WorldLokapañhāsutta

Then a mendicant went up to the Buddha … and said to him:Atha kho aññataro bhikkhu yena bhagavā …pe… ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“Sir, they speak of this thing called ‘the world’.“‘Loko, loko’ti, bhante, vuccati. How is the world defined?”Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, lokoti vuccatī”ti?

“It wears away, mendicant, that’s why it’s called ‘the world’.“‘Lujjatī’ti kho, bhikkhu, tasmā lokoti vuccati. And what is wearing away?Kiñca lujjati? The eye is wearing away.Cakkhu kho, bhikkhu, lujjati. Sights … eye consciousness … eye contact is wearing away. The painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on eye contact is also wearing away.Rūpā lujjanti, cakkhuviññāṇaṁ lujjati, cakkhusamphasso lujjati, yampidaṁ cakkhusamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā tampi lujjati …pe…

The ear … nose … tongue … body …jivhā lujjati …pe… The mind … ideas … mind consciousness … mind contact is wearing away. The painful, pleasant, or neutral feeling that arises dependent on mind contact is also wearing away.mano lujjati, dhammā lujjanti, manoviññāṇaṁ lujjati, manosamphasso lujjati, yampidaṁ manosamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā tampi lujjati.

It wears away, mendicant, that’s why it’s called ‘the world’.”Lujjatīti kho, bhikkhu, tasmā lokoti vuccatī”ti.