It is a short sutta, a “Thera Gāthā” uttered by an Arahant “Siṅgālapituttheragāthā”:
“Ahu buddhassa dāyādo, bhikkhu bhesakaḷāvane;
Kevalaṁ aṭṭhisaññāya, apharī pathaviṁ imaṁ;
Maññehaṁ kāmarāgaṁ so, khippameva pahissatī”ti.
Translation:
“There was an heir of the Buddha, a bhikkhu in Bhesakaḷā forest,
who suffused the entire earth with the perception of “anicca saññā” (meaning he would not generate kama raga for anything on Earth)
I think he will quickly eliminate sensual desire (kāma rāga.)”
The critical point is to realize the following:
- There, aṭṭhi saññā means to realize the futility of craving things that induce kāma rāga, i.e., to cultivate “anicca saññā” for “sensual objects.”
- The “Aṭṭhikamahapphala Sutta (SN 46.57)” states that one who cultivates aṭṭhika saññā can become an Arahant or at least an Anagami: “Aṭṭhikasaññāya, bhikkhave, bhāvitāya bahulīkatāya dvinnaṁ phalānaṁ aññataraṁ phalaṁ pāṭikaṅkhaṁ—diṭṭheva dhamme aññā, sati vā upādisese anāgāmitā.” Here, “aññā” is an Arahant.
- The English translations of aṭṭhi saññā as “perception of bones” in the first sutta and “perception of a skeleton” in the second sutta in the above links are wrong. One cannot become an Arahant by contemplating “bones” or “skeletons.”
The meaning becomes evident in the “Girimānanda Sutta (AN 10.60)“: “Idhānanda, bhikkhu sabbasaṅkhāresu aṭṭīyati harāyati jigucchati.” I have explained this verse in #10 of “Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta – According to Some Key Suttā“