The Ten Powers · SN 12.28–12.30

SN 12.28 · A Mendicant

SN 12.28 · Bhikkhusutta

At Sāvatthī.

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.

“A mendicant understands old age and death, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation. They understand rebirth … continued existence … grasping … craving … feeling … contact … the six sense fields … name and form … consciousness … They understand choices, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation.

“Tatra kho …pe… idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu jarāmaraṇaṁ pajānāti, jarāmaraṇasamudayaṁ pajānāti, jarāmaraṇanirodhaṁ pajānāti, jarāmaraṇanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānāti, jātiṁ pajānāti …pe… bhavaṁ pajānāti … upādānaṁ pajānāti … taṇhaṁ pajānāti … vedanaṁ pajānāti … phassaṁ pajānāti … saḷāyatanaṁ pajānāti … nāmarūpaṁ pajānāti … viññāṇaṁ pajānāti … saṅkhāre pajānāti, saṅkhārasamudayaṁ pajānāti, saṅkhāranirodhaṁ pajānāti, saṅkhāranirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānāti.

And what is old age and death? The old age, decrepitude, broken teeth, grey hair, wrinkly skin, diminished vitality, and failing faculties of the various sentient beings in the various orders of sentient beings. This is called old age. The passing away, passing on, disintegration, demise, mortality, death, decease, breaking up of the aggregates, and laying to rest of the corpse of the various sentient beings in the various orders of sentient beings. This is called death. Such is old age, and such is death. This is called old age and death. Rebirth is the origin of old age and death. When rebirth ceases, old age and death cease. The practice that leads to the cessation of old age and death is simply this noble eightfold path, that is: right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, jarāmaraṇaṁ? Yā tesaṁ tesaṁ sattānaṁ tamhi tamhi sattanikāye jarā jīraṇatā khaṇḍiccaṁ pāliccaṁ valittacatā āyuno saṁhāni indriyānaṁ paripāko— ayaṁ vuccati jarā. Yā tesaṁ tesaṁ sattānaṁ tamhā tamhā sattanikāyā cuti cavanatā bhedo antaradhānaṁ maccu maraṇaṁ kālakiriyā khandhānaṁ bhedo kaḷevarassa nikkhepo; idaṁ vuccati maraṇaṁ. Iti ayañca jarā idañca maraṇaṁ. Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, jarāmaraṇaṁ. Jātisamudayā jarāmaraṇasamudayo; jātinirodhā jarāmaraṇanirodho. Ayameva ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo jarāmaraṇanirodhagāminī paṭipadā. Seyyathidaṁ—sammādiṭṭhi …pe… sammāsamādhi.

And what is rebirth? … And what is continued existence? … And what is grasping? … And what is craving? … feeling … contact … the six sense fields … name and form … consciousness …

Katamā ca, bhikkhave, jāti …pe… katamo ca, bhikkhave, bhavo … katamañca, bhikkhave, upādānaṁ … katamā ca, bhikkhave, taṇhā … vedanā … phasso … saḷāyatanaṁ … nāmarūpaṁ … viññāṇaṁ ….

And what are choices? There are three kinds of choices. Choices by way of body, speech, and mind. These are called choices. Ignorance is the origin of choices. When ignorance ceases, choices cease. The practice that leads to the cessation of choices is simply this noble eightfold path, that is: right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion.

Katame ca, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā? Tayome, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā— kāyasaṅkhāro, vacīsaṅkhāro, cittasaṅkhāro. Ime vuccanti, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā. Avijjāsamudayā saṅkhārasamudayo; avijjānirodhā saṅkhāranirodho. Ayameva ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo saṅkhāranirodhagāminī paṭipadā. Seyyathidaṁ—sammādiṭṭhi …pe… sammāsamādhi.

A mendicant understands old age and death, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation. They understand rebirth … continued existence … grasping … craving … feeling … contact … the six sense fields … name and form … consciousness … They understand choices, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation. This mendicant is called: ‘one accomplished in view’, ‘one accomplished in vision’, ‘one who has come to the true teaching’, ‘one who sees this true teaching’, ‘one endowed with a trainee’s insight’, ‘one endowed with a trainee’s knowledge’, ‘one who has entered the stream of the teaching’, ‘a noble one with penetrative wisdom’, and also ‘one who stands pressing against the door to freedom from death’.”

Yato kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ pajānāti, evaṁ jarāmaraṇasamudayaṁ pajānāti, evaṁ jarāmaraṇanirodhaṁ pajānāti, evaṁ jarāmaraṇanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānāti, evaṁ jātiṁ pajānāti …pe… bhavaṁ … upādānaṁ … taṇhaṁ … vedanaṁ … phassaṁ … saḷāyatanaṁ … nāmarūpaṁ … viññāṇaṁ … saṅkhāre … saṅkhārasamudayaṁ … saṅkhāranirodhaṁ … evaṁ saṅkhāranirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānāti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, bhikkhu diṭṭhisampanno itipi, dassanasampanno itipi, āgato imaṁ saddhammaṁ itipi, passati imaṁ saddhammaṁ itipi, sekkhena ñāṇena samannāgato itipi, sekkhāya vijjāya samannāgato itipi, dhammasotaṁ samāpanno itipi, ariyo nibbedhikapañño itipi, amatadvāraṁ āhacca tiṭṭhati itipī”ti.

SN 12.29 · Ascetics and Brahmins

SN 12.29 · Samaṇabrāhmaṇasutta

At Sāvatthī.

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.

“There are ascetics and brahmins who don’t completely understand old age and death, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation. They don’t completely understand rebirth … continued existence … grasping … craving … feeling … contact … the six sense fields … name and form … consciousness … They don’t completely understand choices, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation. I don’t deem them as true ascetics and brahmins. Those venerables don’t realize the goal of life as an ascetic or brahmin, and don’t live having realized it with their own insight in this very life.

“Tatra kho …pe… ye hi keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā jarāmaraṇaṁ na parijānanti, jarāmaraṇasamudayaṁ na parijānanti, jarāmaraṇanirodhaṁ na parijānanti, jarāmaraṇanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ na parijānanti, jātiṁ na parijānanti …pe… bhavaṁ … upādānaṁ … taṇhaṁ … vedanaṁ … phassaṁ … saḷāyatanaṁ … nāmarūpaṁ … viññāṇaṁ … saṅkhāre … saṅkhārasamudayaṁ … saṅkhāranirodhaṁ … saṅkhāranirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ na parijānanti. Na mete, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā samaṇesu vā samaṇasammatā brāhmaṇesu vā brāhmaṇasammatā. Na ca panete āyasmanto sāmaññatthaṁ vā brahmaññatthaṁ vā diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharanti.

There are ascetics and brahmins who completely understand old age and death, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation. They completely understand rebirth … continued existence … grasping … craving … feeling … contact … the six sense fields … name and form … consciousness … They completely understand choices, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation. I deem them as true ascetics and brahmins. Those venerables realize the goal of life as an ascetic or brahmin, and live having realized it with their own insight.”

Ye ca kho keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā jarāmaraṇaṁ parijānanti, jarāmaraṇasamudayaṁ parijānanti, jarāmaraṇanirodhaṁ parijānanti, jarāmaraṇanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ parijānanti, jātiṁ parijānanti …pe… bhavaṁ … upādānaṁ … taṇhaṁ … vedanaṁ … phassaṁ … saḷāyatanaṁ … nāmarūpaṁ … viññāṇaṁ … saṅkhāre parijānanti, saṅkhārasamudayaṁ parijānanti, saṅkhāranirodhaṁ parijānanti, saṅkhāranirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ parijānanti. Te kho me, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā samaṇesu ceva samaṇasammatā brāhmaṇesu ca brāhmaṇasammatā. Te ca panāyasmanto sāmaññatthañca brahmaññatthañca diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharantī”ti.

SN 12.30 · Ascetics and Brahmins (2nd)

SN 12.30 · Dutiyasamaṇabrāhmaṇasutta

At Sāvatthī.

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.

“Mendicants, there are ascetics and brahmins who don’t understand old age and death, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation. It’s impossible that they will abide having transcended old age and death. They don’t understand rebirth … continued existence … grasping … craving … feeling … contact … the six sense fields … name and form … consciousness … They don’t understand choices, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation. It’s impossible that they will abide having transcended choices.

“Tatra kho …pe… ye hi keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā jarāmaraṇaṁ nappajānanti, jarāmaraṇasamudayaṁ nappajānanti, jarāmaraṇanirodhaṁ nappajānanti, jarāmaraṇanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānanti te vata jarāmaraṇaṁ samatikkamma ṭhassantīti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. Jātiṁ nappajānanti …pe… bhavaṁ … upādānaṁ … taṇhaṁ … vedanaṁ … phassaṁ … saḷāyatanaṁ … nāmarūpaṁ … viññāṇaṁ … saṅkhāre nappajānanti, saṅkhārasamudayaṁ nappajānanti, saṅkhāranirodhaṁ nappajānanti, saṅkhāranirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānanti te vata saṅkhāre samatikkamma ṭhassantīti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

There are ascetics and brahmins who do understand old age and death, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation. It’s possible that they will abide having transcended old age and death. They understand rebirth … continued existence … grasping … craving … feeling … contact … the six sense fields … name and form … consciousness … They understand choices, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation. It’s possible that they will abide having transcended choices.”

Ye ca kho keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā jarāmaraṇaṁ pajānanti, jarāmaraṇasamudayaṁ pajānanti, jarāmaraṇanirodhaṁ pajānanti, jarāmaraṇanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānanti te vata jarāmaraṇaṁ samatikkamma ṭhassantīti ṭhānametaṁ vijjati. Jātiṁ pajānanti …pe… bhavaṁ … upādānaṁ … taṇhaṁ … vedanaṁ … phassaṁ … saḷāyatanaṁ … nāmarūpaṁ … viññāṇaṁ … saṅkhāre pajānanti, saṅkhārasamudayaṁ pajānanti, saṅkhāranirodhaṁ pajānanti, saṅkhāranirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānanti. Te vata saṅkhāre samatikkamma ṭhassantīti ṭhānametaṁ vijjatī”ti.