1At Sāvatthī. Then the Venerable Ānanda approached the Blessed One … and said to him:

2"Venerable sir, it is said, ‘the world, the world.’ In what way, venerable sir, is it said ‘the world’?"

"Whatever is subject to disintegration, Ānanda, is called the world in the Noble One's Discipline.[n.47] Yaṁ kho Ānanda palokadhammaṁ ayaṁ vuccati ariyassa vinaye loko. Paloka is from palujjati, "to disintegrate," an augmented form of lujjati, and has no etymological connection with loka, world; see SN35.82. And what is subject to disintegration?

The eye, Ānanda, is subject to disintegration, forms are subject to disintegration, eye-consciousness is subject to disintegration, eye-contact is subject to disintegration, and whatever feeling arises with eye-contact as condition— whether pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant— that too is subject to disintegration.

The ear is subject to disintegration …
The nose is subject to disintegration …
The tongue is subject to disintegration …
The body is subject to disintegration …

The mind is subject to disintegration; mental phenomena are subject to disintegration; mind-consciousness is subject to disintegration; mind-contact is subject to disintegration; and whatever feeling arises with mind-contact as condition— whether pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant— that too is subject to disintegration.

Whatever is subject to disintegration, Ānanda, is called the world in the Noble One's Discipline." sn.iv.54

1Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami … pe … ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

2"‘Loko, loko’ti, bhante, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, lokoti vuccatī"ti?

"Yaṁ kho, Ānanda, palokadhammaṁ, ayaṁ vuccati ariyassa vinaye loko. Kiñca, Ānanda, palokadhammaṁ?

Cakkhu kho, Ānanda, palokadhammaṁ, rūpā palokadhammā, cakkhuviññāṇaṁ palokadhammaṁ, cakkhusamphasso palokadhammo, yampidaṁ cakkhusamphassapaccayā … pe … tampi palokadhammaṁ.

… pe … jivhā palokadhammā, rasā palokadhammā, jivhāviññāṇaṁ palokadhammaṁ, jivhāsamphasso palokadhammo, yampidaṁ jivhāsamphassapaccayā … pe … tampi palokadhammaṁ … pe …

mano palokadhammo, dhammā palokadhammā, manoviññāṇaṁ palokadhammaṁ, manosamphasso palokadhammo, yampidaṁ manosamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā tampi palokadhammaṁ.

Yaṁ kho, Ānanda, palokadhammaṁ, ayaṁ vuccati ariyassa vinaye loko"ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.