1.1Sāvatthiyaṁ …At Sāvatthī.

1.2“Catucattārīsaṁ vo, bhikkhave, ñāṇavatthūni desessāmi,“Mendicants, I will teach forty-four grounds for knowledge.¹1.3taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.”

1.4“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.“Yes, sir,” they replied.1.5Bhagavā etadavoca:The Buddha said this:

2.1PTS 2.57“Katamāni, bhikkhave, catucattārīsaṁ ñāṇavatthūni?“And what are the forty-four grounds for knowledge?2.2Jarāmaraṇe ñāṇaṁ, jarāmaraṇasamudaye ñāṇaṁ, jarāmaraṇanirodhe ñāṇaṁ, jarāmaraṇanirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya ñāṇaṁ;Knowledge of old age and death, knowledge of the origin of old age and death, knowledge of the cessation of old age and death, and knowledge of the practice that leads to the cessation of old age and death.2.3jātiyā ñāṇaṁ, jātisamudaye ñāṇaṁ, jātinirodhe ñāṇaṁ, jātinirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya ñāṇaṁ;Knowledge of rebirth …2.4bhave ñāṇaṁ, bhavasamudaye ñāṇaṁ, bhavanirodhe ñāṇaṁ, bhavanirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya ñāṇaṁ;Knowledge of continued existence …2.5upādāne ñāṇaṁ, upādānasamudaye ñāṇaṁ, upādānanirodhe ñāṇaṁ, upādānanirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya ñāṇaṁ;Knowledge of grasping …2.6taṇhāya ñāṇaṁ, taṇhāsamudaye ñāṇaṁ, taṇhānirodhe ñāṇaṁ, taṇhānirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya ñāṇaṁ;Knowledge of craving …2.7vedanāya ñāṇaṁ, vedanāsamudaye ñāṇaṁ, vedanānirodhe ñāṇaṁ, vedanānirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya ñāṇaṁ;Knowledge of feeling …2.8phasse ñāṇaṁ …pe…Knowledge of contact …2.9saḷāyatane ñāṇaṁ …Knowledge of the six sense fields …2.10nāmarūpe ñāṇaṁ …Knowledge of name and form …2.11viññāṇe ñāṇaṁ …Knowledge of consciousness …2.12saṅkhāresu ñāṇaṁ, saṅkhārasamudaye ñāṇaṁ, saṅkhāranirodhe ñāṇaṁ, saṅkhāranirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya ñāṇaṁ.Knowledge of choices, knowledge of the origin of choices, knowledge of the cessation of choices, and knowledge of the practice that leads to the cessation of choices.2.13Imāni vuccanti, bhikkhave, catucattārīsaṁ ñāṇavatthūni.These are called the forty-four grounds for knowledge.

3.1Katamañca, bhikkhave, jarāmaraṇaṁ?And what is old age and death?3.2Yā tesaṁ tesaṁ sattānaṁ tamhi tamhi sattanikāye jarā jīraṇatā khaṇḍiccaṁ pāliccaṁ valittacatā āyuno saṁhāni indriyānaṁ paripāko,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.3.3ayaṁ vuccati jarā.This is called old age.3.4Yā tesaṁ tesaṁ sattānaṁ tamhā tamhā sattanikāyā cuti cavanatā bhedo antaradhānaṁ maccu maraṇaṁ kālakiriyā khandhānaṁ bhedo kaḷevarassa nikkhepo.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.3.5Idaṁ vuccati maraṇaṁ.This is called death.3.6Iti ayañca jarā, idañca maraṇaṁ;Such is old age, and such is death.3.7idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, jarāmaraṇaṁ.This is called old age and death.

4.1Jātisamudayā jarāmaraṇasamudayo;Rebirth is the origin of old age and death.4.2jātinirodhā jarāmaraṇanirodho;When rebirth ceases, old age and death cease.4.3ayameva ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo jarāmaraṇanirodhagāminī paṭipadā, seyyathidaṁ—The practice that leads to the cessation of old age and death is simply this noble eightfold path, that is:4.4sammādiṭṭhi …pe… sammāsamādhi.right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion.

5.1PTS 2.58Yato kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako evaṁ jarāmaraṇaṁ pajānāti, evaṁ jarāmaraṇasamudayaṁ pajānāti, evaṁ jarāmaraṇanirodhaṁ pajānāti, evaṁ jarāmaraṇanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānāti, idamassa dhamme ñāṇaṁ.A noble disciple understands old age and death, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation. This is their knowledge of the teaching.²5.2So iminā dhammena diṭṭhena viditena akālikena pattena pariyogāḷhena atītānāgate nayaṁ neti.With this teaching that is seen, understood, immediately attained, and fathomed, they apply the method to the past and future.³

6.1Ye kho keci atītamaddhānaṁ samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā jarāmaraṇaṁ abbhaññaṁsu, jarāmaraṇasamudayaṁ abbhaññaṁsu, jarāmaraṇanirodhaṁ abbhaññaṁsu, jarāmaraṇanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ abbhaññaṁsu, sabbete evameva abbhaññaṁsu, seyyathāpāhaṁ etarahi.Whatever ascetics and brahmins in the past directly knew old age and death, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation, all of them directly knew these things in exactly the same way that I do now.

7.1Yepi hi keci anāgatamaddhānaṁ samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā jarāmaraṇaṁ abhijānissanti, jarāmaraṇasamudayaṁ abhijānissanti, jarāmaraṇanirodhaṁ abhijānissanti, jarāmaraṇanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ abhijānissanti, sabbete evameva abhijānissanti, seyyathāpāhaṁ etarahīti.Whatever ascetics and brahmins in the future will directly know old age and death, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation, all of them will directly know these things in exactly the same way that I do now.7.2Idamassa anvaye ñāṇaṁ.This is their inferential knowledge.⁴

8.1Yato kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvakassa imāni dve ñāṇāni parisuddhāni honti pariyodātāni—A noble disciple has purified and cleansed these two knowledges—8.2dhamme ñāṇañca anvaye ñāṇañca.knowledge of the teaching and inferential knowledge.8.3Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako 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 itipīti.When a noble disciple has done this, they’re one who 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’.

9.1PTS 2.59Katamā ca, bhikkhave, jāti …And what is rebirth? …9.2katamo ca, bhikkhave, bhavo …And what is continued existence? …9.3katamañca, bhikkhave, upādānaṁ …And what is grasping? …9.4katamā ca, bhikkhave, taṇhā …And what is craving? …9.5katamā ca, bhikkhave, vedanā …And what is feeling? …9.6katamo ca, bhikkhave, phasso …And what is contact? …9.7katamañca, bhikkhave, saḷāyatanaṁ …And what are the six sense fields? …9.8katamañca, bhikkhave, nāmarūpaṁ …And what are name and form? …9.9katamañca, bhikkhave, viññāṇaṁ …And what is consciousness? …9.10katame ca, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā?And what are choices?9.11Tayome, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā—There are three kinds of choices.9.12kāyasaṅkhāro, vacīsaṅkhāro, cittasaṅkhāroti.Choices by way of body, speech, and mind.9.13Ime vuccanti, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā.These are called choices.

10.1Avijjāsamudayā saṅkhārasamudayo;Ignorance is the origin of choices.10.2avijjānirodhā saṅkhāranirodho;When ignorance ceases, choices cease.10.3ayameva ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo saṅkhāranirodhagāminī paṭipadā, seyyathidaṁ—The practice that leads to the cessation of choices is simply this noble eightfold path, that is:10.4sammādiṭṭhi …pe… sammāsamādhi.right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion.

11.1Yato kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako evaṁ saṅkhāre pajānāti, evaṁ saṅkhārasamudayaṁ pajānāti, evaṁ saṅkhāranirodhaṁ pajānāti, evaṁ saṅkhāranirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānāti, idamassa dhamme ñāṇaṁ.A noble disciple understands choices, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation. This is their knowledge of the teaching.11.2So iminā dhammena diṭṭhena viditena akālikena pattena pariyogāḷhena atītānāgate nayaṁ neti.With this teaching that is seen, understood, immediately attained, and fathomed, they apply the method to the past and future.

12.1Ye kho keci atītamaddhānaṁ samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā saṅkhāre abbhaññaṁsu, saṅkhārasamudayaṁ abbhaññaṁsu, saṅkhāranirodhaṁ abbhaññaṁsu, saṅkhāranirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ abbhaññaṁsu, sabbete evameva abbhaññaṁsu, seyyathāpāhaṁ etarahi.Whatever ascetics and brahmins in the past directly knew choices, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation, all of them directly knew these things in exactly the same way that I do now.

13.1Ye hipi keci anāgatamaddhānaṁ samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā saṅkhāre abhijānissanti, saṅkhārasamudayaṁ abhijānissanti, saṅkhāranirodhaṁ abhijānissanti, saṅkhāranirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ abhijānissanti, sabbete evameva abhijānissanti, seyyathāpāhaṁ etarahi.Whatever ascetics and brahmins in the future will directly know choices, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation, all of them will directly know these things in exactly the same way that I do now.13.2Idamassa anvaye ñāṇaṁ.This is their inferential knowledge.

14.1Yato kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvakassa imāni dve ñāṇāni parisuddhāni honti pariyodātāni—A noble disciple has purified and cleansed these two knowledges—14.2dhamme ñāṇañca anvaye ñāṇañca.knowledge of the teaching and inferential knowledge.14.3Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako 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.When a noble disciple has done this, they’re one who 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’.”

14.4Tatiyaṁ.