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SN 45.1PTS SN 5.11 min read

Ignorance

Avijjāsutta

Following ignorance comes the wrong eightfold path. But the right eightfold path follows true knowledge.

Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 45.1Linked Discourses 45.1
  • 0.21. Avijjāvagga1. Ignorance

0.3AvijjāsuttaIgnorance

1.1PTS 5.1Evaṁ me sutaṁ—So I have heard.11.2ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.1.3Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:There the Buddha addressed the mendicants,1.4“bhikkhavo”ti.“Mendicants!”

1.5“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.“Venerable sir,” they replied.1.6Bhagavā etadavoca:The Buddha said this:

2.1“Avijjā, bhikkhave, pubbaṅgamā akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ samāpattiyā, anvadeva ahirikaṁ anottappaṁ.“Mendicants, ignorance leads the attainment of unskillful qualities, with lack of conscience and prudence following along.22.2Avijjāgatassa, bhikkhave, aviddasuno micchādiṭṭhi pahoti;An ignoramus, sunk in ignorance, produces wrong view.32.3micchādiṭṭhissa micchāsaṅkappo pahoti;Wrong view produces wrong purpose.42.4micchāsaṅkappassa micchāvācā pahoti;Wrong purpose produces wrong speech.2.5micchāvācassa micchākammanto pahoti;Wrong speech produces wrong action.2.6micchākammantassa micchāājīvo pahoti;Wrong action produces wrong livelihood.2.7micchāājīvassa micchāvāyāmo pahoti;Wrong livelihood produces wrong effort.2.8micchāvāyāmassa micchāsati pahoti;Wrong effort produces wrong mindfulness.2.9micchāsatissa micchāsamādhi pahoti.Wrong mindfulness produces wrong immersion.

3.1PTS 5.2Vijjā ca kho, bhikkhave, pubbaṅgamā kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ samāpattiyā, anvadeva hirottappaṁ.Knowledge leads the attainment of skillful qualities, with conscience and prudence following along.53.2Vijjāgatassa, bhikkhave, viddasuno sammādiṭṭhi pahoti;A knowing one, firm in knowledge, produces right view.3.3sammādiṭṭhissa sammāsaṅkappo pahoti;Right view produces right purpose.3.4sammāsaṅkappassa sammāvācā pahoti;Right purpose produces right speech.3.5sammāvācassa sammākammanto pahoti;Right speech produces right action.3.6sammākammantassa sammāājīvo pahoti;Right action produces right livelihood.3.7sammāājīvassa sammāvāyāmo pahoti;Right livelihood produces right effort.3.8sammāvāyāmassa sammāsati pahoti;Right effort produces right mindfulness.3.9sammāsatissa sammāsamādhi pahotī”ti.Right mindfulness produces right immersion.”

3.10Paṭhamaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. Detailed explanations for the factors are given in the “Analysis” discourse at SN 45.8.

    ↩ sn45.1:1.1

  2. Ignorance begins the sequence of dependent origination, which is said to be the “wrong practice” (SN 12.3).

    Pubbaṅgama is literally “forerunner”, but rather than indicating something that happens to come in front of something else, the sense is the leader as in the first of a group (see MN 3:6.4 and especially AN 5.180:3.6). Thus ignorance, itself an unskillful quality, leads the way for other unskillful qualities to arise.

    ↩ sn45.1:2.1

  3. Ignorance is the lack of understanding of how the world is, namely the four noble truths. Wrong view crystallizes ignorance in a specific and persistent set of beliefs and ideas.

    ↩ sn45.1:2.2

  4. This discourse stresses the linear dependence of each factor on the previous. Of course, causality is not so clear cut, and other contexts show the factors working together in various ways (eg. MN 117).

    ↩ sn45.1:2.3

  5. This knowledge originates in learning the Dhamma, reflecting on it, and internalizing the belief.

    ↩ sn45.1:3.1