Saṃyutta Nikāya
4. Saḷāyatana Vagga
39. Sāmaṇḍaka Saṃyutta

The Book of the Kindred Sayings
4. The Book Called the Saḷāyatana-Vagga
Containing Kindred Sayings on the 'Six-Fold Sphere' of Sense and Other Subjects
39. Kindred Sayings about Sāmaṇḍaka

Sutta 9

Avijjā Suttaṃ

Ignornace

Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids

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[178]

[1] Thus have I heard:

Once the venerable Sāriputta was staying among the Vajjī,
at Ukkāvelā
on the banks of the river Ganges.

Then Sāmaṇḍaka, the Wanderer, came to visit the venerable Sāriputta,
and on coming to him
greeted him in friendly wise,
and after the exchange of greetings and courtesies
sat down at one side.

So seated, the Wanderer Sāmaṇḍaka said this to the venerable Sāriputta: -

"'Ignorance, ignorance!' is the saying, friend Sāriputta.

Pray what is ignorance?"

"Not understanding about ill, friend,
not understanding about the arising of ill,
not understanding about the ceasing of ill,
not understanding about the way leading to the ceasing of ill, -
this, friend, is called 'ignorance.'"

"But, friend, is there any way,
any approach
to the abandoning of this ill?"

"There is such a path, friend,
there is such an approach
to the abandoning of this ill."

"And what is that path, friend,
what is that approach
to the abandoning of this ill?"

"It is this Ariyan Eightfold Path, friend,
to the abandoning of this ill
to wit:

Right view,
right aim,
right speech,
right action,
right living,
right effort,
right mindfulness,
right concentration.

Such, friend, is this path,
this approach
to the abandoning of this ill."

"A goodly path, friend,
a goodly approach
to the abandoning of this ill
and a proper occasion for earnestness too, friend!"