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# AN 3.134 · The Discourse on the Orderliness of the Dhamma (Dhamma-niyama Sutta)
- URL: https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/an-3-134/
- Published: 2026-06-20T01:52:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-07-13T16:51:24.000Z
- Description: Aṅguttara Nikāya · AN 3.134. Translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
- Author: Ninth Heaven Literature & Arts Association (NHLAA)
- Tags: Buddhism, Sutta Piṭaka, Text, Indian, The Buddha, Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu, Aṅguttara Nikāya, Discourse, English, Early Buddhist, Library

"Monks, whether or not there is the arising of Tathagatas, this property stands — this steadfastness of the Dhamma, this orderliness of the Dhamma: All processes are inconstant.

"The Tathagata directly awakens to that, breaks through to that. Directly awakening & breaking through to that, he declares it, teaches it, describes it, sets it forth. He reveals it, explains it, & makes it plain: All processes are inconstant.

"Whether or not there is the arising of Tathagatas, this property stands — this steadfastness of the Dhamma, this orderliness of the Dhamma: All processes are stressful.

"The Tathagata directly awakens to that, breaks through to that. Directly awakening & breaking through to that, he declares it, teaches it, describes it, sets it forth. He reveals it, explains it, & makes it plain: All processes are stressful.

"Whether or not there is the arising of Tathagatas, this property stands — this steadfastness of the Dhamma, this orderliness of the Dhamma: All phenomena are not-self.\[1\]

"The Tathagata directly awakens to that, breaks through to that. Directly awakening & breaking through to that, he declares it, teaches it, describes it, sets it forth. He reveals it, explains it, & makes it plain: All phenomena are not-self."

# Note

1.

The suttas are inconsistent on the question of whether Unbinding counts as a phenomenon (dhamma). [Iti 90](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/iti-90/), among others, states clearly that it is. [AN 10.58](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/an-10-58/), however, calls Unbinding the ending of all phenomena. [Sn 5.6](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/sn-5-6/) quotes the Buddha as calling the attainment of the goal the transcending of all phenomena, just as [Sn 4.6](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/sn-4-6/) and [Sn 4.10](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/sn-4-10/) state that the arahant has transcended dispassion, said to be the highest phenomenon. If the former definition applies here, Unbinding would be not-self. If the latter, the word phenomenon (as more inclusive than fabrication) would apply to the non-returner's experience of the Deathless (see [AN 9.36](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/an-9-36/)). The arahant's experience of Unbinding would be neither self nor not-self, as it lies beyond all designations (see [DN 15](https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/dn-15/)).

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*Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.* From [Access to Insight](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an03/an03.134.than.html?ref=journal.ninthheaven.co) (BCBS Edition). Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) — for free distribution only. Never sold.