Avijjāpañhāsutta
A Question About Ignorance
“‘Avijjā, avijjā’ti, āvuso sāriputta, vuccati.
“Reverend Sāriputta, they speak of this thing called ‘ignorance’.
Katamā nu kho, āvuso, avijjā”ti?
What is ignorance?”
“Yaṁ kho, āvuso, dukkhe aññāṇaṁ, dukkhasamudaye aññāṇaṁ, dukkhanirodhe aññāṇaṁ, dukkhanirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya aññāṇaṁ—
“Not knowing about suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering.
ayaṁ vuccatāvuso, avijjā”ti.
This is called ignorance.”
“Atthi panāvuso, maggo atthi paṭipadā, etissā avijjāya pahānāyā”ti?
“But, reverend, is there a path and a practice for giving up that ignorance?”
“Atthi kho, āvuso, maggo atthi paṭipadā, etissā avijjāya pahānāyā”ti.
“There is.” …
“Katamo panāvuso, maggo katamā paṭipadā, etissā avijjāya pahānāyā”ti?
“Ayameva kho, āvuso, ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo, etissā avijjāya pahānāya, seyyathidaṁ—
sammādiṭṭhi …pe… sammāsamādhi.
Ayaṁ kho, āvuso, maggo ayaṁ paṭipadā, etissā avijjāya pahānāyā”ti.
“Bhaddako, āvuso, maggo bhaddikā paṭipadā, etissā avijjāya pahānāya.
Alañca panāvuso sāriputta, appamādāyā”ti.
