• Linked Discourses 22.127 Saṁyutta Nikāya 22.127

13. Ignorance 13. Avijjāvagga

Liable to Originate (2nd) Dutiyasamudayadhammasutta

At one time Venerable Sāriputta and Venerable Mahākoį¹­į¹­hita were staying near Varanasi, in the deer park at Isipatana. … Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ca sāriputto āyasmā ca mahākoį¹­į¹­hiko bārāṇasiyaṁ viharanti isipatane migadāye.

Mahākoį¹­į¹­hita said to Sāriputta: Atha kho āyasmā mahākoį¹­į¹­hiko sāyanhasamayaṁ paį¹­isallānā vuį¹­į¹­hito …pe… ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā mahākoį¹­į¹­hiko āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca:

ā€œReverend Sāriputta, they speak of this thing called ā€˜ignorance’. ā€œā€˜avijjā, avijjā’ti, āvuso sāriputta, vuccati. What is ignorance? Katamā nu kho, āvuso, avijjā; And how is an ignoramus defined?ā€ kittāvatā ca avijjāgato hotÄ«ā€ti?

ā€œReverend, it’s when an unlearned ordinary person doesn’t truly understand form, which is liable to originate … liable to vanish … liable to originate and vanish, as form which is liable to originate and vanish. ā€œIdhāvuso assutavā puthujjano samudayadhammaṁ rÅ«paṁ ā€˜samudayadhammaṁ rÅ«pan’ti yathābhÅ«taṁ nappajānāti; vayadhammaṁ rÅ«paṁ …pe… ā€˜samudayavayadhammaṁ rÅ«pan’ti yathābhÅ«taṁ nappajānāti.

They don’t truly understand feeling … Samudayadhammaṁ vedanaṁ …pe… vayadhammaṁ vedanaṁ …pe… ā€˜samudayavayadhammā vedanā’ti yathābhÅ«taṁ nappajānāti. perception … Samudayadhammaṁ saƱƱaṁ …pe… choices … samudayadhamme saį¹…khāre …pe… vayadhamme saį¹…khāre …pe… samudayavayadhamme saį¹…khāre ā€˜samudayavayadhammā saį¹…khārā’ti yathābhÅ«taṁ nappajānāti. consciousness, which is liable to originate … liable to vanish … liable to originate and vanish, as consciousness which is liable to originate and vanish. Samudayadhammaṁ viññāṇaṁ …pe… samudayavayadhammaṁ viññāṇaṁ ā€˜samudayavayadhammaṁ viññāṇan’ti yathābhÅ«taṁ nappajānāti.

This is called ignorance. Ayaṁ vuccati, āvuso, avijjā; And this is how an ignoramus is defined.ā€ ettāvatā ca avijjāgato hotÄ«ā€ti.