SN 56.16

Dutiyadhāraṇasutta

“Dhāretha no tumhe, bhikkhave, mayā cattāri ariyasaccāni desitānī”ti? Evaṁ vutte, aññataro bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “ahaṁ kho, bhante, dhāremi bhagavatā cattāri ariyasaccāni desitānī”ti.

Remembering (2nd)

“Mendicants, do you remember the four noble truths that I taught?” When he said this, one of the mendicants said to the Buddha: “I do, sir.”

“Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, dhāresi mayā cattāri ariyasaccāni desitānī”ti? “Dukkhaṁ khvāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā paṭhamaṁ ariyasaccaṁ desitaṁ dhāremi. Yo hi koci, bhante, samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā evaṁ vadeyya: ‘netaṁ dukkhaṁ paṭhamaṁ ariyasaccaṁ yaṁ samaṇena gotamena desitaṁ. Ahametaṁ dukkhaṁ paṭhamaṁ ariyasaccaṁ paccakkhāya aññaṁ dukkhaṁ paṭhamaṁ ariyasaccaṁ paññapessāmī’ti— netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. Dukkhasamudayaṁ khvāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā …pe… dukkhanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ khvāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā catutthaṁ ariyasaccaṁ desitaṁ dhāremi. Yo hi koci, bhante, samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā evaṁ vadeyya: ‘netaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā catutthaṁ ariyasaccaṁ yaṁ samaṇena gotamena desitaṁ. Ahametaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ catutthaṁ ariyasaccaṁ paccakkhāya aññaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ catutthaṁ ariyasaccaṁ paññapessāmī’ti— netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. Evaṁ khvāhaṁ, bhante, dhāremi bhagavatā cattāri ariyasaccāni desitānī”ti.

“How so, mendicant?” “Sir, I remember that suffering is the first noble truth you’ve taught. For if any ascetic or brahmin should say this: ‘What the ascetic Gotama teaches is not the first noble truth of suffering. I’ll deny this first noble truth of suffering and describe another first noble truth of suffering.’ That is not possible. The origin of suffering … The cessation of suffering … The practice that leads to the cessation of suffering is the fourth noble truth you’ve taught. For if any ascetic or brahmin should say this: ‘What the ascetic Gotama teaches is not the fourth noble truth of the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering. I’ll deny this fourth noble truth of the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering and describe another fourth noble truth of the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering.’ That is not possible. That’s how I remember the four noble truths as you’ve taught them.”

“Sādhu sādhu, bhikkhu. Sādhu kho tvaṁ, bhikkhu, dhāresi mayā cattāri ariyasaccāni desitānīti. Dukkhaṁ kho, bhikkhu, mayā paṭhamaṁ ariyasaccaṁ desitaṁ, tathā naṁ dhārehi. Yo hi koci, bhikkhu, samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā evaṁ vadeyya: ‘netaṁ dukkhaṁ paṭhamaṁ ariyasaccaṁ yaṁ samaṇena gotamena desitaṁ. Ahametaṁ dukkhaṁ paṭhamaṁ ariyasaccaṁ paccakkhāya aññaṁ dukkhaṁ paṭhamaṁ ariyasaccaṁ paññapessāmī’ti— netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. Dukkhasamudayaṁ kho, bhikkhu …pe… dukkhanirodhaṁ kho, bhikkhu …pe… dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā kho, bhikkhu, mayā catutthaṁ ariyasaccaṁ desitaṁ, tathā naṁ dhārehi. Yo hi koci, bhikkhu, samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā evaṁ vadeyya: ‘netaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā catutthaṁ ariyasaccaṁ yaṁ samaṇena gotamena desitaṁ. Ahametaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ catutthaṁ ariyasaccaṁ paccakkhāya aññaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ catutthaṁ ariyasaccaṁ paññapessāmī’ti— netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. Evaṁ kho tvaṁ, bhikkhu, dhārehi mayā cattāri ariyasaccāni desitānīti.

“Good, good, mendicant! It’s good that you remember the four noble truths as I’ve taught them. Suffering is the first noble truth I’ve taught, and that’s how you should remember it. For if any ascetic or brahmin should say this: ‘What the ascetic Gotama teaches is not the first noble truth of suffering. I’ll deny this first noble truth of suffering and describe another first noble truth of suffering.’ That is not possible. The origin of suffering … The cessation of suffering … The practice that leads to the cessation of suffering is the fourth noble truth I’ve taught, and that’s how you should remember it. For if any ascetic or brahmin should say this: ‘What the ascetic Gotama teaches is not the fourth noble truth of the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering. I’ll deny this fourth noble truth of the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering and describe another fourth noble truth of the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering.’ That is not possible. That’s how you should remember the four noble truths as I’ve taught them.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhu, ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yogo karaṇīyo …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yogo karaṇīyo”ti.

That’s why you should practice meditation …”