1Seated to one side, that mendicant said to the Buddha:

“Sir, they speak of this thing called ‘ignorance’. What is ignorance? And how is an ignorant person defined?”

“Not knowing about suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering. This is called ignorance. And this is how an ignorant person is defined.

2That’s why you should practice meditation …”

1Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

"‘avijjā, avijjā’ti, bhante, vuccati. Katamā nu kho, bhante, avijjā; kittāvatā ca avijjāgato hotī"ti?

"Yaṁ kho, bhikkhu, dukkhe aññāṇaṁ, dukkhasamudaye aññāṇaṁ, dukkhanirodhe aññāṇaṁ, dukkhanirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya aññāṇaṁ – ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhu, avijjā; ettāvatā ca avijjāgato hotīti.

2Tasmātiha, bhikkhu, ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yogo karaṇīyo … pe … ‘Ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yogo karaṇīyo"ti.

Sattamaṁ.