1At Sāvatthī.

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

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

2“And what are the seventy-seven grounds for knowledge? The knowledge that rebirth is a condition for old age and death, and the knowledge that when rebirth doesn’t exist, there is no old age and death. Also regarding the past: the knowledge that rebirth is a condition for old age and death, and the knowledge that when rebirth doesn’t exist, there is no old age and death. Also regarding the future: the knowledge that rebirth is a condition for old age and death, and the knowledge that when rebirth doesn’t exist, there is no old age and death. And also their knowledge that even this knowledge of the stability of natural principles is liable to end, vanish, fade away, and cease.

3The knowledge that continued existence is a condition for rebirth … The knowledge that ignorance is a condition for choices, and the knowledge that when ignorance doesn’t exist, there are no choices. Also regarding the past: the knowledge that ignorance is a condition for choices, and the knowledge that when ignorance doesn’t exist, there are no choices. Also regarding the future: the knowledge that ignorance is a condition for choices, and the knowledge that when ignorance doesn’t exist, there are no choices. And also their knowledge that even this knowledge of the stability of natural principles is liable to end, vanish, fade away, and cease.

These are called the seventy-seven grounds for knowledge.”

1Sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati.

"Sattasattari vo, bhikkhave, ñāṇavatthūni desessāmi. Taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī"ti.

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

2"Katamāni, bhikkhave, sattasattari ñāṇavatthūni? Jātipaccayā jarāmaraṇanti ñāṇaṁ; asati jātiyā natthi jarāmaraṇanti ñāṇaṁ; atītampi addhānaṁ jātipaccayā jarāmaraṇanti ñāṇaṁ, asati jātiyā natthi jarāmaraṇanti ñāṇaṁ; anāgatampi addhānaṁ jātipaccayā jarāmaraṇanti ñāṇaṁ, asati jātiyā natthi jarāmaraṇanti ñāṇaṁ; yampissa taṁ dhammaṭṭhitiñāṇaṁ tampi khayadhammaṁ vayadhammaṁ virāgadhammaṁ nirodhadhammanti ñāṇaṁ.

3Bhavapaccayā jātīti ñāṇaṁ … pe … upādānapaccayā bhavoti ñāṇaṁ … taṇhāpaccayā upādānanti ñāṇaṁ … vedanāpaccayā taṇhāti ñāṇaṁ … phassapaccayā vedanāti ñāṇaṁ … saḷāyatanapaccayā phassoti ñāṇaṁ … nāmarūpapaccayā saḷāyatananti ñāṇaṁ … viññāṇapaccayā nāmarūpanti ñāṇaṁ … saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇanti ñāṇaṁ; avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārāti ñāṇaṁ, asati avijjāya natthi saṅkhārāti ñāṇaṁ; atītampi addhānaṁ avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārāti ñāṇaṁ, asati avijjāya natthi saṅkhārāti ñāṇaṁ; anāgatampi addhānaṁ avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārāti ñāṇaṁ, asati avijjāya natthi saṅkhārāti ñāṇaṁ; yampissa taṁ dhammaṭṭhitiñāṇaṁ tampi khayadhammaṁ vayadhammaṁ virāgadhammaṁ nirodhadhammanti ñāṇaṁ.

Imāni vuccanti, bhikkhave, sattasattari ñāṇavatthūnī"ti.

Catutthaṁ.