Acacia Leaves Khadirapattasutta

“Mendicants, suppose someone were to say: “Yo, bhikkhave, evaṁ vadeyya: ‘Without truly comprehending the noble truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path, I will completely make an end of suffering.’ ‘ahaṁ dukkhaṁ ariyasaccaṁ yathābhūtaṁ anabhisamecca, dukkhasamudayaṁ ariyasaccaṁ yathābhūtaṁ anabhisamecca, dukkhanirodhaṁ ariyasaccaṁ yathābhūtaṁ anabhisamecca, dukkhanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ ariyasaccaṁ yathābhūtaṁ anabhisamecca sammā dukkhassantaṁ karissāmī’ti—That is not possible. netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

It’s as if someone were to say: Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, yo evaṁ vadeyya: ‘I’ll make a basket out of acacia leaves or pine needles or myrobalan leaves, and use it to carry water or ripe palmyra fruit.’ ‘ahaṁ khadirapattānaṁ vā saralapattānaṁ vā āmalakapattānaṁ vā puṭaṁ karitvā udakaṁ vā tālapattaṁ vā āharissāmī’ti—That is not possible. netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati; In the same way, suppose someone were to say: evameva kho, bhikkhave, yo evaṁ vadeyya: ‘Without truly comprehending the noble truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path, I will completely make an end of suffering.’ ‘ahaṁ dukkhaṁ ariyasaccaṁ yathābhūtaṁ anabhisamecca …pe… dukkhanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ ariyasaccaṁ yathābhūtaṁ anabhisamecca sammā dukkhassantaṁ karissāmī’ti—That is not possible. netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

But suppose someone were to say: Yo ca kho, bhikkhave, evaṁ vadeyya: ‘After truly comprehending the noble truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path, I will completely make an end of suffering.’ ‘ahaṁ dukkhaṁ ariyasaccaṁ yathābhūtaṁ abhisamecca, dukkhasamudayaṁ ariyasaccaṁ yathābhūtaṁ abhisamecca, dukkhanirodhaṁ ariyasaccaṁ yathābhūtaṁ abhisamecca, dukkhanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ ariyasaccaṁ yathābhūtaṁ abhisamecca sammā dukkhassantaṁ karissāmī’ti—That is possible. ṭhānametaṁ vijjati.

It’s as if someone were to say: Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, yo evaṁ vadeyya: ‘I’ll make a basket out of lotus leaves or flame-of-the-forest leaves or camel’s foot creeper leaves, and use it to carry water or ripe palmyra fruit.’ ‘ahaṁ padumapattānaṁ vā palāsapattānaṁ vā māluvapattānaṁ vā puṭaṁ karitvā udakaṁ vā tālapattaṁ vā āharissāmī’ti—That is possible. ṭhānametaṁ vijjati; In the same way, suppose someone were to say: evameva kho, bhikkhave, yo evaṁ vadeyya: ‘After truly comprehending the noble truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path, I will completely make an end of suffering.’ ‘ahaṁ dukkhaṁ ariyasaccaṁ yathābhūtaṁ abhisamecca …pe… dukkhanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ ariyasaccaṁ yathābhūtaṁ abhisamecca sammā dukkhassantaṁ karissāmī’ti—That is possible. ṭhānametaṁ vijjati.

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