1.1PTS 5.449Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati gijjhakūṭe pabbate.At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, on the Vulture’s Peak Mountain.

1.2Atha kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:Then the Buddha said to the mendicants,1.3“āyāma, bhikkhave, yena paṭibhānakūṭo tenupasaṅkamissāma divāvihārāyā”ti.“Come, mendicants, let’s go to Inspiration Peak for the day’s meditation.”¹

1.4“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.“Yes, sir,” they replied.1.5Atha kho bhagavā sambahulehi bhikkhūhi saddhiṁ yena paṭibhānakūṭo tenupasaṅkami.Then the Buddha together with several mendicants went to Inspiration Peak.

1.6Addasā kho aññataro bhikkhu paṭibhānakūṭe mahantaṁ papātaṁ.A certain mendicant saw the big cliff there1.7Disvāna bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:and said to the Buddha,1.8“mahā vatāyaṁ, bhante, papāto subhayānako, bhante, papāto.“Sir, that big cliff is really big and scary.1.9Atthi nu kho, bhante, imamhā papātā añño papāto mahantataro ca bhayānakataro cā”ti?Is there any other cliff bigger and scarier than this one?”

1.10“Atthi kho, bhikkhu, imamhā papātā añño papāto mahantataro ca bhayānakataro cā”ti.“There is, mendicant.”

2.1PTS 5.450“Katamo pana, bhante, imamhā papātā añño papāto mahantataro ca bhayānakataro cā”ti?“But sir, what is it?”

2.2“Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānanti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānanti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānanti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānanti,“Mendicant, there are ascetics and brahmins who don’t truly understand about suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path.²2.3te jātisaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu abhiramanti, jarāsaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu abhiramanti, maraṇasaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu abhiramanti, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsasaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu abhiramanti.They take pleasure in choices that lead to rebirth, old age, and death, to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.³2.4Te jātisaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu abhiratā jarāsaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu abhiratā maraṇasaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu abhiratā sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsasaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu abhiratā jātisaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre abhisaṅkharonti, jarāsaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre abhisaṅkharonti, maraṇasaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre abhisaṅkharonti, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsasaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre abhisaṅkharonti.Since they take pleasure in such choices, they continue to make them.2.5Te jātisaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre abhisaṅkharitvā jarāsaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre abhisaṅkharitvā maraṇasaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre abhisaṅkharitvā sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsasaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre abhisaṅkharitvā jātipapātampi papatanti, jarāpapātampi papatanti, maraṇapapātampi papatanti, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsapapātampi papatanti.Having made choices that lead to rebirth, old age, and death, to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress, they fall down the cliff of rebirth, old age, and death, of sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.2.6Te na parimuccanti jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi.They’re not freed from rebirth, old age, and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.2.7‘Na parimuccanti dukkhasmā’ti vadāmi.They’re not freed from suffering, I say.

3.1Ye ca kho keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānanti …pe…There are ascetics and brahmins who truly understand about suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path.3.2‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānanti, te jātisaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu nābhiramanti, jarāsaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu nābhiramanti, maraṇasaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu nābhiramanti, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsasaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu nābhiramanti.They don’t take pleasure in choices that lead to rebirth, old age, and death, to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.3.3Te jātisaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu anabhiratā, jarāsaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu anabhiratā, maraṇasaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu anabhiratā, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsasaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu anabhiratā, jātisaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre nābhisaṅkharonti, jarāsaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre nābhisaṅkharonti, maraṇasaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre nābhisaṅkharonti, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsasaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre nābhisaṅkharonti.Since they don’t take pleasure in such choices, they stop making them.3.4Te jātisaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre anabhisaṅkharitvā, jarāsaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre anabhisaṅkharitvā, maraṇasaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre anabhisaṅkharitvā, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsasaṁvattanikepi saṅkhāre anabhisaṅkharitvā, jātipapātampi nappapatanti, jarāpapātampi nappapatanti, maraṇapapātampi nappapatanti, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsapapātampi nappapatanti.Having stopped making choices that lead to rebirth, old age, and death, to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress, they don’t fall down the cliff of rebirth, old age, and death, of sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.3.5Te parimuccanti jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi.They’re freed from rebirth, old age, and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.3.6‘Parimuccanti dukkhasmā’ti vadāmi.They’re freed from suffering, I say.

4.1Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yogo karaṇīyo …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yogo karaṇīyo”ti.That’s why you should practice meditation …”

4.2Dutiyaṁ.