1"Is there a method of exposition, bhikkhus, by means of which a bhikkhu—apart from faith, apart from personal preference, apart from oral tradition, apart from reasoned reflection, apart from acceptance of a view after pondering it[n.150] As at 12:68. These five grounds for the acceptance of a thesis are examined critically by the Buddha at MN95 (MN II 170,26-171,25); see too MN101 (MN II 218,15-21). Here they are being contrasted with personal knowledge (paccattameva ñāṇa). For a detailed discussion, see Jayatilleke, Early Buddhist Theory of Knowledge, pp. 182-88, 274-76.
Spk: One person accepts something through faith (saddhā) by placing faith in another and accepting what he says as true. Another accepts something through personal preference (ruci) when he approves of some thesis by reflecting on it and then takes it to be true. One accepts a thesis by oral tradition (anussava) when one thinks: "This has come down from ancient times by oral tradition, so it must be true." For another, as he thinks, a certain thesis appears valid, and he concludes, "So it is": he accepts it by reasoned reflection (ākārāparivitakka). (Jayatilleke discusses ākārā as meaning "reason" at p. 274.) In the fifth case, as one reflects, a view arises by pondering some hypothesis; this is acceptance of a view after pondering it (diṭṭhinijjhānakkhanti).. —sn.iv.139 can declare final knowledge thus: ‘Destroyed is birth, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more for this state of being’?"

1"Atthi nu kho, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma bhikkhu aññatreva saddhāya, aññatra ruciyā, aññatra anussavā, aññatra ākāraparivitakkā, aññatra diṭṭhinijjhanakkhantiyā aññaṁ byākareyya: ‘khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānāmī"ti?

"Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One, guided by the Blessed One, take recourse in the Blessed One. It would be good if the Blessed One would clear up the meaning of this statement. Having heard it from him, the bhikkhus will remember it."

"Bhagavaṁmūlakā no, bhante, dhammā, bhagavaṁnettikā bhagavaṁpaṭisaraṇā. Sādhu vata, bhante, bhagavantaṁyeva paṭibhātu etassa bhāsitassa attho. Bhagavato sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī"ti.

"Then listen and attend closely, bhikkhus, I will speak."

"Tena hi, bhikkhave, suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī"ti.

"Yes, venerable sir," the bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this:

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

"There is a method of exposition by means of which a bhikkhu—apart from faith … apart from acceptance of a view after pondering it—can declare final knowledge thus: ‘Destroyed is birth … there is no more for this state of being.’

"Atthi, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma bhikkhu aññatreva saddhāya, aññatra ruciyā, aññatra anussavā, aññatra ākāraparivitakkā, aññatra diṭṭhinijjhanakkhantiyā aññaṁ byākareyya: ‘"khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā"ti pajānāmī’ti.

2And what is that method of exposition? Here, bhikkhus, having seen a form with the eye, if there is lust, hatred, or delusion internally, a bhikkhu understands: ‘There is lust, hatred, or delusion internally’; or, if there is no lust, hatred, or delusion internally, he understands: ‘There is no lust, hatred, or delusion internally.’[n.151] Cp. SN35.70. Spk says that in this sutta the reviewing (paccavekkhaṇā) of the sekha and the arahant is discussed. Since this is so, are these things to be understood by faith, or by personal preference, or by oral tradition, or by reasoned reflection, or by acceptance of a view after pondering it?"

2Katamo ca, bhikkhave, pariyāyo, yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma bhikkhu aññatreva saddhāya … pe … aññatra diṭṭhinijjhanakkhantiyā aññaṁ byākaroti: ‘khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāmī’ti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā santaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ rāgadosamohaṁ, atthi me ajjhattaṁ rāgadosamohoti pajānāti; asantaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ rāgadosamohaṁ, natthi me ajjhattaṁ rāgadosamohoti pajānāti. Yaṁ taṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā santaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ rāgadosamohaṁ, atthi me ajjhattaṁ rāgadosamohoti pajānāti; asantaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ rāgadosamohaṁ, natthi me ajjhattaṁ rāgadosamohoti pajānāti. Api nu me, bhikkhave, dhammā saddhāya vā veditabbā, ruciyā vā veditabbā, anussavena vā veditabbā, ākāraparivitakkena vā veditabbā, diṭṭhinijjhanakkhantiyā vā veditabbā"ti?

"No, venerable sir."

"No hetaṁ, bhante".

"Aren’t these things to be understood by seeing them with wisdom?"

"Nanume, bhikkhave, dhammā paññāya disvā veditabbā"ti?

"Yes, venerable sir."

"Evaṁ, bhante".

"This, bhikkhus, is the method of exposition by means of which a bhikkhu can declare final knowledge thus: ‘Destroyed is birth … there is no more for this state of being.’

"Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma bhikkhu aññatreva saddhāya, aññatra ruciyā, aññatra anussavā, aññatra ākāraparivitakkā, aññatra diṭṭhinijjhanakkhantiyā aññaṁ byākaroti: ‘"khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā"ti pajānāmī’ti … pe … .

3-4"Further, bhikkhus, having heard a sound with the ear … sn.iv.140 … Having cognized a mental phenomenon with the mind, if there is lust, hatred, or delusion internally, a bhikkhu understands: ‘There is lust, hatred, or delusion internally’; or, if there is no lust, hatred, or delusion internally, he understands: ‘There is no lust, hatred, or delusion internally.’ Since this is so, are these things to be understood by faith, or by personal preference, or by oral tradition, or by reasoned reflection, or by acceptance of a view after pondering it?"

3Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā santaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ … pe … rāgadosamohoti pajānāti; asantaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ rāgadosamohaṁ, natthi me ajjhattaṁ rāgadosamohoti pajānāti. Yaṁ taṁ, bhikkhave, jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā santaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ rāgadosamohaṁ, atthi me ajjhattaṁ rāgadosamohoti pajānāti; asantaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ rāgadosamohaṁ, natthi me ajjhattaṁ rāgadosamohoti pajānāti; api nu me, bhikkhave, dhammā saddhāya vā veditabbā, ruciyā vā veditabbā, anussavena vā veditabbā, ākāraparivitakkena vā veditabbā, diṭṭhinijjhanakkhantiyā vā veditabbā"ti?

"No hetaṁ, bhante".

"Nanume, bhikkhave, dhammā paññāya disvā veditabbā"ti?

"Evaṁ, bhante".

"Ayampi kho, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma bhikkhu aññatreva saddhāya, aññatra ruciyā, aññatra anussavā, aññatra ākāraparivitakkā, aññatra diṭṭhinijjhanakkhantiyā aññaṁ byākaroti: ‘"khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā"ti pajānāmī’ti … pe … .

4Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu manasā dhammaṁ viññāya santaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ rāgadosamohaṁ, atthi me ajjhattaṁ rāgadosamohoti pajānāti; asantaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ rāgadosamohaṁ, natthi me ajjhattaṁ rāgadosamohoti pajānāti. Yaṁ taṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu manasā dhammaṁ viññāya santaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ rāgadosamohaṁ, atthi me ajjhattaṁ rāgadosamohoti pajānāti; asantaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ rāgadosamohaṁ, natthi me ajjhattaṁ rāgadosamohoti pajānāti; api nu me, bhikkhave, dhammā saddhāya vā veditabbā, ruciyā vā veditabbā, anussavena vā veditabbā, ākāraparivitakkena vā veditabbā, diṭṭhinijjhanakkhantiyā vā veditabbā"ti?

"No, venerable sir."

"No hetaṁ, bhante".

"Aren’t these things to be understood by seeing them with wisdom?"

"Nanume, bhikkhave, dhammā paññāya disvā veditabbā"ti?

"Yes, venerable sir."

"Evaṁ, bhante".

"This, bhikkhus, is the method of exposition by means of which a bhikkhu—apart from faith, apart from personal preference, apart from oral tradition, apart from reasoned reflection, apart from acceptance of a view after pondering it—can declare final knowledge thus: ‘Destroyed is birth, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more for this state of being.’"

"Ayampi kho, bhikkhave, pariyāyo yaṁ pariyāyaṁ āgamma bhikkhu aññatreva saddhāya, aññatra ruciyā, aññatra anussavā, aññatra ākāraparivitakkā, aññatra diṭṭhinijjhanakkhantiyā aññaṁ byākaroti: ‘"khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā"ti pajānāmī’ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.