SN 12.33

Ñāṇavatthusutta

Sāvatthiyaṁ … “Catucattārīsaṁ vo, bhikkhave, ñāṇavatthūni desessāmi, taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti. “Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:

Grounds for Knowledge

At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, I will teach forty-four grounds for knowledge. Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.” “Yes, sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

“Katamāni, bhikkhave, catucattārīsaṁ ñāṇavatthūni? Jarāmaraṇe ñāṇaṁ, jarāmaraṇasamudaye ñāṇaṁ, jarāmaraṇanirodhe ñāṇaṁ, jarāmaraṇanirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya ñāṇaṁ; jātiyā ñāṇaṁ, jātisamudaye ñāṇaṁ, jātinirodhe ñāṇaṁ, jātinirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya ñāṇaṁ; bhave ñāṇaṁ, bhavasamudaye ñāṇaṁ, bhavanirodhe ñāṇaṁ, bhavanirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya ñāṇaṁ; upādāne ñāṇaṁ, upādānasamudaye ñāṇaṁ, upādānanirodhe ñāṇaṁ, upādānanirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya ñāṇaṁ; taṇhāya ñāṇaṁ, taṇhāsamudaye ñāṇaṁ, taṇhānirodhe ñāṇaṁ, taṇhānirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya ñāṇaṁ; vedanāya ñāṇaṁ, vedanāsamudaye ñāṇaṁ, vedanānirodhe ñāṇaṁ, vedanānirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya ñāṇaṁ; phasse ñāṇaṁ …pe… saḷāyatane ñāṇaṁ … nāmarūpe ñāṇaṁ … viññāṇe ñāṇaṁ … saṅkhāresu ñāṇaṁ, saṅkhārasamudaye ñāṇaṁ, saṅkhāranirodhe ñāṇaṁ, saṅkhāranirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya ñāṇaṁ. Imāni vuccanti, bhikkhave, catucattārīsaṁ ñāṇavatthūni.

“And what are the forty-four grounds for knowledge? Knowledge of old age and death, knowledge of the origin of old age and death, knowledge of the cessation of old age and death, and knowledge of the practice that leads to the cessation of old age and death. Knowledge of rebirth … Knowledge of continued existence … Knowledge of grasping … Knowledge of craving … Knowledge of feeling … Knowledge of contact … Knowledge of the six sense fields … Knowledge of name and form … Knowledge of consciousness … Knowledge of choices, knowledge of the origin of choices, knowledge of the cessation of choices, and knowledge of the practice that leads to the cessation of choices. These are called the forty-four grounds for knowledge.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, jarāmaraṇaṁ? Yā tesaṁ tesaṁ sattānaṁ tamhi tamhi sattanikāye jarā jīraṇatā khaṇḍiccaṁ pāliccaṁ valittacatā āyuno saṁhāni indriyānaṁ paripāko, ayaṁ vuccati jarā. Yā tesaṁ tesaṁ sattānaṁ tamhā tamhā sattanikāyā cuti cavanatā bhedo antaradhānaṁ maccu maraṇaṁ kālakiriyā khandhānaṁ bhedo kaḷevarassa nikkhepo. Idaṁ vuccati maraṇaṁ. Iti ayañca jarā, idañca maraṇaṁ; idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, jarāmaraṇaṁ.

And what is old age and death? The old age, decrepitude, broken teeth, grey hair, wrinkly skin, diminished vitality, and failing faculties of the various sentient beings in the various orders of sentient beings. This is called old age. The passing away, passing on, disintegration, demise, mortality, death, decease, breaking up of the aggregates, and laying to rest of the corpse of the various sentient beings in the various orders of sentient beings. This is called death. Such is old age, and such is death. This is called old age and death.

Jātisamudayā jarāmaraṇasamudayo; jātinirodhā jarāmaraṇanirodho; ayameva ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo jarāmaraṇanirodhagāminī paṭipadā, seyyathidaṁ— sammādiṭṭhi …pe… sammāsamādhi.

Rebirth is the origin of old age and death. When rebirth ceases, old age and death cease. The practice that leads to the cessation of old age and death is simply this noble eightfold path, that is: right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion.

Yato kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako evaṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ pajānāti, evaṁ jarāmaraṇasamudayaṁ pajānāti, evaṁ jarāmaraṇanirodhaṁ pajānāti, evaṁ jarāmaraṇanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānāti, idamassa dhamme ñāṇaṁ. So iminā dhammena diṭṭhena viditena akālikena pattena pariyogāḷhena atītānāgate nayaṁ neti.

A noble disciple understands old age and death, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation. This is their knowledge of the teaching. With this teaching that is seen, understood, immediately attained, and fathomed, they apply the method to the past and future.

Ye kho keci atītamaddhānaṁ samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā jarāmaraṇaṁ abbhaññaṁsu, jarāmaraṇasamudayaṁ abbhaññaṁsu, jarāmaraṇanirodhaṁ abbhaññaṁsu, jarāmaraṇanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ abbhaññaṁsu, sabbete evameva abbhaññaṁsu, seyyathāpāhaṁ etarahi.

Whatever ascetics and brahmins in the past directly knew old age and death, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation, all of them directly knew these things in exactly the same way that I do now.

Yepi hi keci anāgatamaddhānaṁ samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā jarāmaraṇaṁ abhijānissanti, jarāmaraṇasamudayaṁ abhijānissanti, jarāmaraṇanirodhaṁ abhijānissanti, jarāmaraṇanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ abhijānissanti, sabbete evameva abhijānissanti, seyyathāpāhaṁ etarahīti. Idamassa anvaye ñāṇaṁ.

Whatever ascetics and brahmins in the future will directly know old age and death, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation, all of them will directly know these things in exactly the same way that I do now. This is their inferential knowledge.

Yato kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvakassa imāni dve ñāṇāni parisuddhāni honti pariyodātāni— dhamme ñāṇañca anvaye ñāṇañca. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako diṭṭhisampanno itipi, dassanasampanno itipi, āgato imaṁ saddhammaṁ itipi, passati imaṁ saddhammaṁ itipi, sekkhena ñāṇena samannāgato itipi, sekkhāya vijjāya samannāgato itipi, dhammasotaṁ samāpanno itipi, ariyo nibbedhikapañño itipi, amatadvāraṁ āhacca tiṭṭhati itipīti.

A noble disciple has purified and cleansed these two knowledges— knowledge of the teaching and inferential knowledge. When a noble disciple has done this, they’re one who is called ‘one accomplished in view’, ‘one accomplished in vision’, ‘one who has come to the true teaching’, ‘one who sees this true teaching’, ‘one endowed with a trainee’s insight’, ‘one endowed with a trainee’s knowledge’, ‘one who has entered the stream of the teaching’, ‘a noble one with penetrative wisdom’, and also ‘one who stands pressing against the door to freedom from death’.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, jāti … katamo ca, bhikkhave, bhavo … katamañca, bhikkhave, upādānaṁ … katamā ca, bhikkhave, taṇhā … katamā ca, bhikkhave, vedanā … katamo ca, bhikkhave, phasso … katamañca, bhikkhave, saḷāyatanaṁ … katamañca, bhikkhave, nāmarūpaṁ … katamañca, bhikkhave, viññāṇaṁ … katame ca, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā? Tayome, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā— kāyasaṅkhāro, vacīsaṅkhāro, cittasaṅkhāroti. Ime vuccanti, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā.

And what is rebirth? … And what is continued existence? … And what is grasping? … And what is craving? … And what is feeling? … And what is contact? … And what are the six sense fields? … And what are name and form? … And what is consciousness? … And what are choices? There are three kinds of choices. Choices by way of body, speech, and mind. These are called choices.

Avijjāsamudayā saṅkhārasamudayo; avijjānirodhā saṅkhāranirodho; ayameva ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo saṅkhāranirodhagāminī paṭipadā, seyyathidaṁ— sammādiṭṭhi …pe… sammāsamādhi.

Ignorance is the origin of choices. When ignorance ceases, choices cease. The practice that leads to the cessation of choices is simply this noble eightfold path, that is: right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion.

Yato kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako evaṁ saṅkhāre pajānāti, evaṁ saṅkhārasamudayaṁ pajānāti, evaṁ saṅkhāranirodhaṁ pajānāti, evaṁ saṅkhāranirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānāti, idamassa dhamme ñāṇaṁ. So iminā dhammena diṭṭhena viditena akālikena pattena pariyogāḷhena atītānāgate nayaṁ neti.

A noble disciple understands choices, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation. This is their knowledge of the teaching. With this teaching that is seen, understood, immediately attained, and fathomed, they apply the method to the past and future.

Ye kho keci atītamaddhānaṁ samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā saṅkhāre abbhaññaṁsu, saṅkhārasamudayaṁ abbhaññaṁsu, saṅkhāranirodhaṁ abbhaññaṁsu, saṅkhāranirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ abbhaññaṁsu, sabbete evameva abbhaññaṁsu, seyyathāpāhaṁ etarahi.

Whatever ascetics and brahmins in the past directly knew choices, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation, all of them directly knew these things in exactly the same way that I do now.

Ye hipi keci anāgatamaddhānaṁ samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā saṅkhāre abhijānissanti, saṅkhārasamudayaṁ abhijānissanti, saṅkhāranirodhaṁ abhijānissanti, saṅkhāranirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ abhijānissanti, sabbete evameva abhijānissanti, seyyathāpāhaṁ etarahi. Idamassa anvaye ñāṇaṁ.

Whatever ascetics and brahmins in the future will directly know choices, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation, all of them will directly know these things in exactly the same way that I do now. This is their inferential knowledge.

Yato kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvakassa imāni dve ñāṇāni parisuddhāni honti pariyodātāni— dhamme ñāṇañca anvaye ñāṇañca. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako diṭṭhisampanno itipi, dassanasampanno itipi, āgato imaṁ saddhammaṁ itipi, passati imaṁ saddhammaṁ itipi, sekkhena ñāṇena samannāgato itipi, sekkhāya vijjāya samannāgato itipi, dhammasotaṁ samāpanno itipi, ariyo nibbedhikapañño itipi, amatadvāraṁ āhacca tiṭṭhati itipī”ti.

A noble disciple has purified and cleansed these two knowledges— knowledge of the teaching and inferential knowledge. When a noble disciple has done this, they’re one who is called ‘one accomplished in view’, ‘one accomplished in vision’, ‘one who has come to the true teaching’, ‘one who sees this true teaching’, ‘one endowed with a trainee’s insight’, ‘one endowed with a trainee’s knowledge’, ‘one who has entered the stream of the teaching’, ‘a noble one with penetrative wisdom’, and also ‘one who stands pressing against the door to freedom from death’.”