1.1“Atthi, bhikkhave, lokantarikā aghā asaṁvutā andhakārā andhakāratimisā, yatthamimesaṁ candimasūriyānaṁ evaṁmahiddhikānaṁ evaṁ mahānubhāvānaṁ ābhāya nānubhontī”ti.“Mendicants, the boundless gloom of interstellar space is so utterly dark that even the luminosity of the moon and the sun, so mighty and powerful, makes no impression.”¹

2.1Evaṁ vutte, aññataro bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:When he said this, one of the mendicants said to the Buddha,2.2“mahā vata so, bhante, andhakāro, sumahā vata so, bhante, andhakāro.“Sir, that darkness really is mighty, so very mighty.2.3Atthi nu kho, bhante, etamhā andhakārā añño andhakāro mahantataro ca bhayānakataro cā”ti?Is there any other darkness more mighty and terrifying than this one?”

2.4“Atthi kho, bhikkhu, etamhā andhakārā añño andhakāro mahantataro ca bhayānakataro cā”ti.“There is, mendicant.”

3.1PTS 5.455“Katamo pana, bhante, etamhā andhakārā añño andhakāro mahantataro ca bhayānakataro cā”ti?“But sir, what is it?”

3.2“Ye hi keci, bhikkhu, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānanti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānanti,“There are ascetics and brahmins who don’t truly understand about suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path.3.3te jātisaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu abhiramanti …pe…They take pleasure in choices that lead to rebirth …3.4abhiratā …pe… abhisaṅkharonti …pe…They continue to make such choices …3.5abhisaṅkharitvā jātandhakārampi papatanti, jarandhakārampi papatanti, maraṇandhakārampi papatanti, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsandhakārampi papatanti.Having made such choices, they fall into the darkness of rebirth, old age, and death, of sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.3.6Te 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.3.7‘Na parimuccanti dukkhasmā’ti vadāmi.They’re not freed from suffering, I say.

4.1Ye ca kho keci, bhikkhu, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānanti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānanti,There are ascetics and brahmins who truly understand about suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path.4.2te jātisaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu nābhiramanti …pe…They don’t take pleasure in choices that lead to rebirth …4.3anabhiratā …pe… nābhisaṅkharonti …pe…They stop making such choices …4.4anabhisaṅkharitvā jātandhakārampi nappapatanti, jarandhakārampi nappapatanti, maraṇandhakārampi nappapatanti, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsandhakārampi nappapatanti.Having stopped making such choices, they don’t fall into the darkness of rebirth, old age, and death, of sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.4.5Te 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.4.6‘Parimuccanti dukkhasmā’ti vadāmi.They’re freed from suffering, I say.

5.1Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yogo karaṇīyo …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yogo karaṇīyo”ti.That’s why you should practice meditation …”

5.2Chaṭṭhaṁ.