1At Sāvatthī.

“Mendicants, I will teach forty-four grounds for knowledge. Listen and pay close attention, I will speak.”

“Yes, sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

2“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.

3And 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, perishing, 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.

4Rebirth 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 thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion.

5A 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 present phenomenon. With this present phenomenon that is seen, known, immediate, attained, and fathomed, they infer to the past and future.

6Whatever 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.

7Whatever 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.

8A noble disciple has purified and cleansed these two knowledges — knowledge of the present phenomena, and inferential knowledge. When a noble disciple has done this, they’re 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 knowledge’, ‘one who has entered the stream of the teaching’, ‘a noble one with penetrative wisdom’, and ‘one who stands pushing open the door of the deathless’.

9And 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.

10Ignorance 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 thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion.

11A noble disciple understands choices, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation. This is their knowledge of the present phenomenon. With this present phenomenon that is seen, known, immediate, attained, and fathomed, they infer to the past and future.

12Whatever 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.

13Whatever 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.

14A noble disciple has purified and cleansed these two knowledges — knowledge of the present phenomena, and inferential knowledge. When a noble disciple has done this, they’re 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 knowledge’, ‘one who has entered the stream of the teaching’, ‘a noble one with penetrative wisdom’, and ‘one who stands pushing open the door of the deathless’.”

1Sāvatthiyaṁ …

"Catucattārīsaṁ vo, bhikkhave, ñāṇavatthūni desessāmi, taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī"ti.

"Evaṁ, bhante"ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca: 

2"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 … sankhāresu ñāṇaṁ, sankhārasamudaye ñāṇaṁ, sankhāranirodhe ñāṇaṁ, sankhāranirodha­gāminiyā paṭipadāya ñāṇaṁ. Imāni vuccanti, bhikkhave, catucattārīsaṁ ñāṇavatthūni.

3Katamañca, 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.

4Jātisamudayā jarāmaraṇa­samudayo; jātinirodhā jarāmaraṇanirodho; ayameva ariyo aṭṭhangiko maggo jarāmaraṇa­nirodhagāminī paṭipadā, seyyathidaṁ – sammādiṭṭhi … pe … sammāsamādhi.

5Yato kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako evaṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ pajānāti, evaṁ jarāmaraṇa­samudayaṁ pajānāti, evaṁ jarāmaraṇanirodhaṁ pajānāti, evaṁ jarāmaraṇa­nirodha­gāminiṁ paṭipadāṁ pajānāti, idamassa dhamme ñāṇaṁ. So iminā dhammena diṭṭhena viditena akālikena pattena pariyogāḷhena atītānāgatena yaṁ neti.

6Ye kho keci atītamaddhānaṁ samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā jarāmaraṇaṁ abbhaññaṁsu, jarāmaraṇa­samudayaṁ abbhaññaṁsu, jarāmaraṇanirodhaṁ abbhaññaṁsu, jarāmaraṇa­nirodha­gāminiṁ paṭipadāṁ abbhaññaṁsu, sabbete evameva abbhaññaṁsu, seyyathāpāhaṁ etarahi.

7Yepi hi keci anāga­tamaddhānaṁ samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā jarāmaraṇaṁ abhijānissanti, jarāmaraṇa­samudayaṁ abhijānissanti, jarāmaraṇanirodhaṁ abhijānissanti, jarāmaraṇa­nirodha­gāminiṁ paṭipadāṁ abhijānissanti, sabbete evameva abhijānissanti, seyyathāpāhaṁ etarahīti. Idamassa anvaye ñāṇaṁ.

8Yato 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.

9Katamā 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, sankhārā? Tayome, bhikkhave, sankhārā – kāyasankhāro, vacīsankhāro, cittasankhāroti. Ime vuccanti, bhikkhave, sankhārā.

10Avijjāsamudayā sankhārasamudayo; avijjānirodhā sankhāranirodho; ayameva ariyo aṭṭhangiko maggo sankhāranirodha­gāminī paṭipadā, seyyathidaṁ – sammādiṭṭhi … pe … sammāsamādhi.

11Yato kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako evaṁ sankhāre pajānāti, evaṁ sankhārasamudayaṁ pajānāti, evaṁ sankhāra­nirodhaṁ pajānāti, evaṁ sankhāranirodha­gāminiṁ paṭipadāṁ pajānāti, idamassa dhamme ñāṇaṁ. So iminā dhammena diṭṭhena viditena akālikena pattena pariyogāḷhena atītānāgatena yaṁ neti.

12Ye kho keci atītamaddhānaṁ samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā sankhāre abbhaññaṁsu, sankhārasamudayaṁ abbhaññaṁsu, sankhāra­nirodhaṁ abbhaññaṁsu, sankhāranirodha­gāminiṁ paṭipadāṁ abbhaññaṁsu, sabbete evameva abbhaññaṁsu, seyyathāpāhaṁ etarahi.

13Ye hipi keci anāga­tamaddhānaṁ samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā sankhāre abhijānissanti, sankhārasamudayaṁ abhijānissanti, sankhāra­nirodhaṁ abhijānissanti, sankhāranirodha­gāminiṁ paṭipadāṁ abhijānissanti, sabbete evameva abhijānissanti, seyyathāpāhaṁ etarahi. Idamassa anvaye ñāṇaṁ.

14Yato 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.

Tatiyaṁ.