1Then a certain bhikkhu approached the Blessed One … and said to him: "Venerable sir, is there one thing through the abandoning of which ignorance is abandoned by a bhikkhu and true knowledge arises?"

2"There is one thing, bhikkhu, through the abandoning of which ignorance is abandoned by a bhikkhu and true knowledge arises."

3"And what is that one thing, venerable sir?"

4"Ignorance, bhikkhu, is that one thing through the abandoning of which ignorance is abandoned by a bhikkhu and true knowledge arises."[n.42] Though it may sound redundant to say that ignorance must be abandoned in order to abandon ignorance, this statement underscores the fact that ignorance is the most fundamental cause of bondage, which must be eliminated to eliminate all the other bonds.

5"But, venerable sir, how should a bhikkhu know, how should he see, for ignorance to be abandoned by him and true knowledge to arise?"

6"Here, bhikkhu, a bhikkhu has heard, ‘Nothing is worth adhering to.’ When a bhikkhu has heard, ‘Nothing is worth adhering to,’ he directly knows everything. Having directly known everything, he fully understands everything. Having fully understood everything, he sees all signs differently.[n.43] The first part of this instruction, as far as "he fully understands everything," is included in the "brief advice on liberation through the extinction of craving" at MN37 (MN I 251,21–25) and AN7.61 (AN IV 88,11–15); the sequel is different. Spk: "He sees all signs differently" (sabbanimittīni aññato passati): He sees all the signs of formations (saṅkhāranimitāni) in a way different from that of people who have not fully understood the adherences. For such people see all signs as self, but one who has fully understood the adherences sees them as nonself, not as self. Thus in this sutta the characteristic of nonself is discussed.

He sees the eye differently, he sees forms differently … eye-consciousness … eye-contact … whatever feeling arises with eye-contact as condition … that too he sees differently.

He sees differently the ear … the nose … the tongue … the body …

He sees differently the mind … mental phenomena … mind-consciousness … mind-contact … whatever feeling arises with mind-contact as condition … that too he sees differently.

"When, bhikkhu, a bhikkhu knows and sees thus, ignorance is abandoned by him and true knowledge arises."

1Atha kho aññataro bhikkhu … pe … etadavoca: "atthi nu kho, bhante, eko dhammo yassa pahānā bhikkhuno avijjā pahīyati, vijjā uppajjatī"ti?

2"Atthi kho, bhikkhu, eko dhammo yassa pahānā bhikkhuno avijjā pahīyati, vijjā uppajjatī"ti.

3"Katamo pana, bhante, eko dhammo yassa pahānā bhikkhuno avijjā pahīyati, vijjā uppajjatī"ti?

4"Avijjā kho, bhikkhu, eko dhammo yassa pahānā bhikkhuno avijjā pahīyati, vijjā uppajjatī"ti.

5"Kathaṁ pana, bhante, jānato, kathaṁ passato avijjā pahīyati, vijjā uppajjatī"ti?

6"Idha, bhikkhu, bhikkhuno sutaṁ hoti: ‘sabbe dhammā nālaṁ abhinivesāyā’ti. Evañcetaṁ, bhikkhu, bhikkhuno sutaṁ hoti: ‘sabbe dhammā nālaṁ abhinivesāyā’ti. So sabbaṁ dhammaṁ abhijānāti, sabbaṁ dhammaṁ abhiññāya sabbaṁ dhammaṁ parijānāti, sabbaṁ dhammaṁ pariññāya sabbanimittāni aññato passati,

cakkhuṁ aññato passati, rūpe … cakkhuviññāṇaṁ … cakkhusamphassaṁ … yampidaṁ cakkhusamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā tampi aññato passati.

… pe …

manaṁ aññato passati, dhamme … manoviññāṇaṁ … manosamphassaṁ … yampidaṁ manosamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā tampi aññato passati.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhu, jānato evaṁ passato bhikkhuno avijjā pahīyati, vijjā uppajjatī"ti.

Sattamaṁ.