Avijjāsutta
Ignorance
Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
So I have heard.
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.
Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
There the Buddha addressed the mendicants,
“bhikkhavo”ti.
“Mendicants!”
“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.
“Venerable sir,” they replied.
Bhagavā etadavoca:
The Buddha said this:
“Avijjā, bhikkhave, pubbaṅgamā akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ samāpattiyā, anvadeva ahirikaṁ anottappaṁ.
“Mendicants, ignorance precedes the attainment of unskillful qualities, with lack of conscience and prudence following along.
Avijjāgatassa, bhikkhave, aviddasuno micchādiṭṭhi pahoti;
An ignoramus, sunk in ignorance, gives rise to wrong view.
micchādiṭṭhissa micchāsaṅkappo pahoti;
Wrong view gives rise to wrong thought.
micchāsaṅkappassa micchāvācā pahoti;
Wrong thought gives rise to wrong speech.
micchāvācassa micchākammanto pahoti;
Wrong speech gives rise to wrong action.
micchākammantassa micchāājīvo pahoti;
Wrong action gives rise to wrong livelihood.
micchāājīvassa micchāvāyāmo pahoti;
Wrong livelihood gives rise to wrong effort.
micchāvāyāmassa micchāsati pahoti;
Wrong effort gives rise to wrong mindfulness.
micchāsatissa micchāsamādhi pahoti.
Wrong mindfulness gives rise to wrong immersion.
Vijjā ca kho, bhikkhave, pubbaṅgamā kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ samāpattiyā, anvadeva hirottappaṁ.
Knowledge precedes the attainment of skillful qualities, with conscience and prudence following along.
Vijjāgatassa, bhikkhave, viddasuno sammādiṭṭhi pahoti;
A sage, firm in knowledge, gives rise to right view.
sammādiṭṭhissa sammāsaṅkappo pahoti;
Right view gives rise to right thought.
sammāsaṅkappassa sammāvācā pahoti;
Right thought gives rise to right speech.
sammāvācassa sammākammanto pahoti;
Right speech gives rise to right action.
sammākammantassa sammāājīvo pahoti;
Right action gives rise to right livelihood.
sammāājīvassa sammāvāyāmo pahoti;
Right livelihood gives rise to right effort.
sammāvāyāmassa sammāsati pahoti;
Right effort gives rise to right mindfulness.
sammāsatissa sammāsamādhi pahotī”ti.
Right mindfulness gives rise to right immersion.”
