Exploring the Path - Pāli Course

3.2.3 The Four Noble Truths Have to Be Fully Realized¹

“This, O’ Bhikkhus, is the Noble Truth of Suffering.

Birth is suffering, old age is suffering, sickness is suffering, death is suffering, the association with something that one does not like is suffering, the disassociation with something that one does like is suffering, not to get what one desires is suffering; in short, the attachment towards the five aggregates is suffering.

And this, O’ Bhikkhus, is the Noble Truth of the Arising of Suffering? It is this craving that occurs again and again and is connected with pleasure and lust and finds delight now here, now there. That is, the craving for sensual pleasures, the craving for repeated rebirth and the craving for annihilation.

And this, O’ Bhikkhus, is the Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering. It is the complete fading away and cessation of this very craving, forsaking it and giving it up; the liberation from it, leaving no place for it.

And this, O’ Bhikkhus, is the Noble Truth of the Path Leading to the Cessation of Suffering. It is this, the Noble Eightfold Path, namely: right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right awareness and right concentration.

‘This Noble Truth of suffering!’ was, O’ Bhikkhus, unheard of by me before and here the vision arose, knowledge arose, insight arose, wisdom arose, light arose.

‘This Noble Truth of suffering should be completely understood!’ this was, O’ Bhikkhus, unheard by me before amongst the truths and here the vision arose, knowledge arose, insight arose, wisdom arose, light arose.

‘This Noble Truth of suffering has been completely comprehended!’ this was, O’ Bhikkhus, unheard by me before amongst the truths and here the vision arose, knowledge arose, insight arose, wisdom arose, light arose.

‘This is the Noble Truth of the Arising of Suffering!’ this was, O’ Bhikkhus, unheard by me before amongst the truths, and here the vision arose, knowledge arose, insight arose, wisdom arose, light arose.

‘This Noble Truth of the Arising of Suffering should be left behind!’ which was, O’ Bhikkhus, unheard by me before amongst the truths and here the vision arose, knowledge arose, insight arose, wisdom arose, light arose.

‘This Noble Truth of the Arising of Suffering is left behind!’ which was, O’ Bhikkhus, unheard by me before amongst the doctrines and here the vision arose, knowledge arose, insight arose, wisdom arose, light arose.

‘This is the Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering!’ which was, O’ Bhikkhus, unheard by me before amongst the doctrines, and here the vision arose, knowledge arose, insight arose, wisdom arose, light arose.

‘This Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering should be realised!’ which was, O’ Bhikkhus, unheard by me before amongst the doctrines and here the vision arose, knowledge arose, insight arose, wisdom arose, light arose.

‘This Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering is realised!’ which was, O’ Bhikkhus, unheard by me before amongst the doctrines and here the vision arose, knowledge arose, insight arose, wisdom arose, light arose.

‘This is the Noble Truth of the Path Leading to the Cessation of Suffering!’ which was, O’ Bhikkhus, unheard by me before amongst the doctrines, and here the eyesight arose, knowledge arose, vision arose, wisdom arose, light arose.

‘This is the Noble Truth of the Path Leading to the Cessation of Suffering must be developed!’ which was, O’ Bhikkhus, unheard by me before amongst the doctrines and here the vision arose, knowledge arose, insight arose, wisdom arose, light arose.

‘This is the Noble Truth of the Path Leading to the Cessation of Suffering has been developed!’ which was, O’ Bhikkhus, unheard by me before amongst the doctrines and here the vision arose, knowledge arose, insight arose, wisdom arose, light arose.

As long as these four Noble Truths, O’ Bhikkhus, have not been realised in this very way as they really are complete in their three successions making them twelvefold, real clear insight was not fully pure, and that long, O’ Bhikkhus, I did not declare in this world with all its devas, its māras, its brahmas its recluses and Brahmins, together with the devas and human beings myself an unsurpassed fully Enlightened One.

But as these four Noble Truths, O’ Bhikkhus, have been realised thus as they really are in their three successions making them twelvefold, real clear insight became completely pure, and then, O’ Bhikkhus, I did declare in this world with all its devas, its māras, its brahmas its recluses and Brahmins, together with the devas and human beings, myself an unsurpassed fully Enlightened One.

There and then complete insight arose in me: ‘My liberation cannot be shaken, this is my last birth, there is no more future becoming!’”

Thus spoke the Bhagavā. Delighted by these words of the Bhagavā the five Bhikkhus approved.

At that very moment, when this has been laid out, within the Venerable Koṇḍañña the the Dhamma-eye, free from any stain, free from any dirt arose: ‘What ever has the nature of arising has the nature of extinction!’