sutta » sn » sn12 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 12.33

Ñāṇavatthusutta

Grounds for Knowledge

Sāvatthiyaṁ …
At Sāvatthī.

“Catucattārīsaṁ vo, bhikkhave, ñāṇavatthūni desessāmi,
“Mendicants, I will teach forty-four grounds for knowledge.

taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.
Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.”

“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.
“Yes, sir,” they replied.

Bhagavā etadavoca:
The Buddha said this:

“Katamāni, bhikkhave, catucattārīsaṁ ñāṇavatthūni?
“And what are the forty-four grounds for knowledge?

Jarāmaraṇe ñāṇaṁ, jarāmaraṇasamudaye ñāṇaṁ, jarāmaraṇanirodhe ñāṇaṁ, jarāmaraṇanirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya ñāṇaṁ;
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.

jātiyā ñāṇaṁ, jātisamudaye ñāṇaṁ, jātinirodhe ñāṇaṁ, jātinirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya ñāṇaṁ;
Knowledge of rebirth …

bhave ñāṇaṁ, bhavasamudaye ñāṇaṁ, bhavanirodhe ñāṇaṁ, bhavanirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya ñāṇaṁ;
Knowledge of continued existence …

upādāne ñāṇaṁ, upādānasamudaye ñāṇaṁ, upādānanirodhe ñāṇaṁ, upādānanirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya ñāṇaṁ;
Knowledge of grasping …

taṇhāya ñāṇaṁ, taṇhāsamudaye ñāṇaṁ, taṇhānirodhe ñāṇaṁ, taṇhānirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya ñāṇaṁ;
Knowledge of craving …

vedanāya ñāṇaṁ, vedanāsamudaye ñāṇaṁ, vedanānirodhe ñāṇaṁ, vedanānirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya ñāṇaṁ;
Knowledge of feeling …

phasse ñāṇaṁ …pe…
Knowledge of contact …

saḷāyatane ñāṇaṁ …
Knowledge of the six sense fields …

nāmarūpe ñāṇaṁ …
Knowledge of name and form …

viññāṇe ñāṇaṁ …
Knowledge of consciousness …

saṅkhāresu ñāṇaṁ, saṅkhārasamudaye ñāṇaṁ, saṅkhāranirodhe ñāṇaṁ, saṅkhāranirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya ñāṇaṁ.
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.

Imāni vuccanti, bhikkhave, catucattārīsaṁ ñāṇavatthūni.
These are called the forty-four grounds for knowledge.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, jarāmaraṇaṁ?
And what is old age and death?

Yā tesaṁ tesaṁ sattānaṁ tamhi tamhi sattanikāye jarā jīraṇatā khaṇḍiccaṁ pāliccaṁ valittacatā āyuno saṁhāni indriyānaṁ paripāko,
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.

ayaṁ vuccati jarā.
This is called old age.

Yā tesaṁ tesaṁ sattānaṁ tamhā tamhā sattanikāyā cuti cavanatā bhedo antaradhānaṁ maccu maraṇaṁ kālakiriyā khandhānaṁ bhedo kaḷevarassa nikkhepo.
The passing away, passing on, 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.

Idaṁ vuccati maraṇaṁ.
This is called death.

Iti ayañca jarā, idañca maraṇaṁ;
Such is old age, and such is death.

idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, jarāmaraṇaṁ.
This is called old age and death.

Jātisamudayā jarāmaraṇasamudayo;
Rebirth is the origin of old age and death.

jātinirodhā jarāmaraṇanirodho;
When rebirth ceases, old age and death cease.

ayameva ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo jarāmaraṇanirodhagāminī paṭipadā, seyyathidaṁ—
The practice that leads to the cessation of old age and death is simply this noble eightfold path, that is:

sammādiṭṭhi …pe… sammāsamādhi.
right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion.

Yato kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako evaṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ pajānāti, evaṁ jarāmaraṇasamudayaṁ pajānāti, evaṁ jarāmaraṇanirodhaṁ pajānāti, evaṁ jarāmaraṇanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānāti, idamassa dhamme ñāṇaṁ.
A 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.

So iminā dhammena diṭṭhena viditena akālikena pattena pariyogāḷhena atītānāgatena yaṁ neti.
With this present phenomenon that is seen, known, immediate, attained, and fathomed, they infer to the past and future.

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

Yepi hi keci anāgatamaddhānaṁ samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā jarāmaraṇaṁ abhijānissanti, jarāmaraṇasamudayaṁ abhijānissanti, jarāmaraṇanirodhaṁ abhijānissanti, jarāmaraṇanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ abhijānissanti, sabbete evameva abhijānissanti, seyyathāpāhaṁ etarahīti.
Whatever 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.

Idamassa anvaye ñāṇaṁ.
This is their inferential knowledge.

Yato kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvakassa imāni dve ñāṇāni parisuddhāni honti pariyodātāni—
A noble disciple has purified and cleansed these two knowledges—

dhamme ñāṇañca anvaye ñāṇañca.
knowledge of the present phenomena, and inferential knowledge.

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.
When a noble disciple has done this, they’re one who is 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 also ‘one who stands pushing open the door to freedom from death’.

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, jāti …
And what is rebirth? …

katamo ca, bhikkhave, bhavo …
And what is continued existence? …

katamañca, bhikkhave, upādānaṁ …
And what is grasping? …

katamā ca, bhikkhave, taṇhā …
And what is craving? …

katamā ca, bhikkhave, vedanā …
And what is feeling? …

katamo ca, bhikkhave, phasso …
And what is contact? …

katamañca, bhikkhave, saḷāyatanaṁ …
And what are the six sense fields? …

katamañca, bhikkhave, nāmarūpaṁ …
And what are name and form? …

katamañca, bhikkhave, viññāṇaṁ …
And what is consciousness? …

katame ca, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā?
And what are choices?

Tayome, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā—
There are three kinds of choices.

kāyasaṅkhāro, vacīsaṅkhāro, cittasaṅkhāroti.
Choices by way of body, speech, and mind.

Ime vuccanti, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā.
These are called choices.

Avijjāsamudayā saṅkhārasamudayo;
Ignorance is the origin of choices.

avijjānirodhā saṅkhāranirodho;
When ignorance ceases, choices cease.

ayameva ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo saṅkhāranirodhagāminī paṭipadā, seyyathidaṁ—
The practice that leads to the cessation of choices is simply this noble eightfold path, that is:

sammādiṭṭhi …pe… sammāsamādhi.
right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion.

Yato kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako evaṁ saṅkhāre pajānāti, evaṁ saṅkhārasamudayaṁ pajānāti, evaṁ saṅkhāranirodhaṁ pajānāti, evaṁ saṅkhāranirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānāti, idamassa dhamme ñāṇaṁ.
A noble disciple understands choices, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation. This is their knowledge of the present phenomenon.

So iminā dhammena diṭṭhena viditena akālikena pattena pariyogāḷhena atītānāgatena yaṁ neti.
With this present phenomenon that is seen, known, immediate, attained, and fathomed, they infer to the past and future.

Ye kho keci atītamaddhānaṁ samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā saṅkhāre abbhaññaṁsu, saṅkhārasamudayaṁ abbhaññaṁsu, saṅkhāranirodhaṁ abbhaññaṁsu, saṅkhāranirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ abbhaññaṁsu, sabbete evameva abbhaññaṁsu, seyyathāpāhaṁ etarahi.
Whatever 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.

Ye hipi keci anāgatamaddhānaṁ samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā saṅkhāre abhijānissanti, saṅkhārasamudayaṁ abhijānissanti, saṅkhāranirodhaṁ abhijānissanti, saṅkhāranirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ abhijānissanti, sabbete evameva abhijānissanti, seyyathāpāhaṁ etarahi.
Whatever 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.

Idamassa anvaye ñāṇaṁ.
This is their inferential knowledge.

Yato kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvakassa imāni dve ñāṇāni parisuddhāni honti pariyodātāni—
A noble disciple has purified and cleansed these two knowledges—

dhamme ñāṇañca anvaye ñāṇañca.
knowledge of the present phenomena, and inferential knowledge.

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.
When a noble disciple has done this, they’re one who is 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 also ‘one who stands pushing open the door to freedom from death’.”

Tatiyaṁ.