Exploring the Path - Pāli Course

Ekaṃ samayaṃ bhagavā kosambiyaṃ viharati sīsapāvane. Atha kho bhagavā parittāni sīsapāpaṇṇāni pāṇinā gahetvā bhikkhū āmantesi– “taṃ kiṃ maññatha, bhikkhave, katamaṃ nu kho bahutaraṃ– yāni vā mayā parittāni sīsapāpaṇṇāni pāṇinā gahitāni yadidaṃ upari sīsapāvane”ti? “Appamattakāni, bhante, bhagavatā parittāni sīsapāpaṇṇāni pāṇinā gahitāni; atha kho etāneva bahutarāni yadidaṃ upari sīsapāvane”ti.

“Evameva kho, bhikkhave, etadeva bahutaraṃ yaṃ vo mayā abhiññāya anakkhātaṃ. Kasmā cetaṃ, bhikkhave, mayā anakkhātaṃ? Na hetaṃ, bhikkhave, atthasaṃhitaṃ nādibrahmacariyakaṃ na nibbidāya na virāgāya na nirodhāya na upasamāya na abhiññāya¹ na sambodhāya na nibbānāya saṃvattati; tasmā taṃ mayā anakkhātaṃ”.

“Kiñca, bhikkhave, mayā akkhātaṃ? ‘Idaṃ dukkhan’ti, bhikkhave, mayā akkhātaṃ, ‘ayaṃ dukkhasamudayo’ti mayā akkhātaṃ, ‘ayaṃ dukkhanirodho’ti mayā akkhātaṃ, ‘ayaṃ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti mayā akkhātaṃ”.

“Kasmā cetaṃ, bhikkhave, mayā akkhātaṃ? Etañhi, bhikkhave, atthasaṃhitaṃ etaṃ ādibrahmacariyakaṃ etaṃ nibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṃvattati; tasmā taṃ mayā akkhātaṃ.

“Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘idaṃ dukkhan’ti yogo karaṇīyo, ‘ayaṃ dukkhasamudayo’ti yogo karaṇīyo, ‘ayaṃ dukkhanirodho’ti yogo karaṇīyo, ‘ayaṃ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yogo karaṇīyo”ti.

Saṃyuttanikāyo, Mahāvaggo, Saccasaṃyuttaṃ, Sīsapāvanavaggo

1. Abhiñña—prefix abhi + jānāti expresses the highest form of knowledge and wisdom that is conducive to serenity, special wisdom, and leads to Nibbana. It is the superlative derived from jānāti where different prefixes signify different developments of wisdom like pa-jānāti, pari-jānāti.