SN 56.3

Paṭhamakulaputtasutta

“Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, atītamaddhānaṁ kulaputtā sammā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajiṁsu, sabbe te catunnaṁ ariyasaccānaṁ yathābhūtaṁ abhisamayāya. Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, anāgatamaddhānaṁ kulaputtā sammā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajissanti, sabbe te catunnaṁ ariyasaccānaṁ yathābhūtaṁ abhisamayāya. Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, etarahi kulaputtā sammā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti, sabbe te catunnaṁ ariyasaccānaṁ yathābhūtaṁ abhisamayāya.

A Gentleman (1st)

“Mendicants, whatever gentlemen—past, future, or present—rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness, all of them do so in order to truly comprehend the four noble truths.

Katamesaṁ catunnaṁ? Dukkhassa ariyasaccassa dukkhasamudayassa ariyasaccassa dukkhanirodhassa ariyasaccassa dukkhanirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya ariyasaccassa. Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, atītamaddhānaṁ kulaputtā sammā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajiṁsu …pe… pabbajissanti …pe… pabbajanti, sabbe te imesaṁyeva catunnaṁ ariyasaccānaṁ yathābhūtaṁ abhisamayāya.

What four? The noble truths of suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering. Whatever gentlemen—past, future, or present—rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness, all of them do so in order to truly comprehend the four noble truths.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yogo karaṇīyo, ‘ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti yogo karaṇīyo, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti yogo karaṇīyo, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yogo karaṇīyo”ti.

That’s why you should practice meditation to understand: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’.”