1At Baraṇasi in the Deer Park at Isipatana. Sitting to one side, the Venerable Sāriputta said to the Venerable Mahakoṭṭhita: "Friend Mahakoṭṭhita, it is said, ‘ignorance, ignorance.’ What now, friend, is ignorance, and in what way is one immersed in ignorance?"

2"Here, friend, the uninstructed worldling does not understand as it really is the gratification, the danger, and the escape in the case of form, feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness. This, friend, is called ignorance, and in this way one is immersed in ignorance."

3"Friend Mahakoṭṭhita, it is said, ‘true knowledge, true knowledge.’ What now, friend, is true knowledge, and in what way has one arrived at true knowledge?"

4"Here, friend, the instructed noble disciple understands as it really is the gratification, the danger, and the escape in the case of form, feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness. This, friend, is called true knowledge, and in this way one has arrived at true knowledge."

1Bārāṇasiyaṁ vihāranti isipatane migadāye. Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto sāyanhasamayaṁ … pe … ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā sāriputto āyasmantaṁ mahākoṭṭhikaṁ etadavoca: "‘avijjā, avijjā’ti, āvuso koṭṭhika, vuccati. Katamā nu kho, āvuso, avijjā; kittāvatā ca avijjāgato hotī"ti?

2"Idhāvuso, assutavā puthujjano rūpassa assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti. Vedanāya … pe … saññāya … saṅkhārānaṁ … viññāṇassa assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti. Ayaṁ vuccatāvuso, avijjā; ettāvatā ca avijjāgato hotī"ti.

3Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā sāriputto āyasmantaṁ mahākoṭṭhikaṁ etadavoca: "‘vijjā, vijjā’ti, āvuso koṭṭhika, vuccati. Katamā nu kho, āvuso, vijjā; kittāvatā ca vijjāgato hotī"ti?

4"Idhāvuso, sutavā ariyasāvako rūpassa assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti. Vedanāya … pe … saññāya … saṅkhārānaṁ … viññāṇassa assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti. Ayaṁ vuccatāvuso, vijjā; ettāvatā ca vijjāgato hotī"ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.