sn.35.80 Saṁyutta Nikāya (Linked Discourses)
Abandoning Ignorance (2)
As above down to:
“But, venerable sir, how should a bhikkhu know, how should he see, for ignorance to be abandoned by him and true knowledge to arise?”
“Here, bhikkhu, a bhikkhu has heard, ‘Nothing is worth adhering to.’ When a bhikkhu has heard, ‘Nothing is worth adhering to,’ he directly knows everything. Having directly known everything, he fully understands everything. Having fully understood everything, he sees all signs differently. He sees the eye differently, he sees forms differently … whatever feeling arises with mind-contact as condition … that too he sees differently.
“When, bhikkhu, a bhikkhu knows and sees thus, ignorance is abandoned by him and true knowledge arises.”
- Translator: Bhikkhu Bodhi
- Editor: Blake Walsh
Giving Up Ignorance (2nd)
Then a mendicant went up to the Buddha … and asked him,
“Sir, is there one thing such that by giving it up a mendicant gives up ignorance and gives rise to knowledge?”
“There is, mendicant.”
“But what is that one thing?”
“Ignorance is one thing such that by giving it up a mendicant gives up ignorance and gives rise to knowledge.”
“But how does a mendicant know and see so as to give up ignorance and give rise to knowledge?”
“It’s when a mendicant has heard:
‘Nothing is worth insisting on.’
When a mendicant has heard that
nothing is worth insisting on,
they directly know all things. Directly knowing all things, they completely understand all things. Completely understanding all things, they see all signs as other. They see the eye, sights,
eye consciousness,
and eye contact as other.
And they also see the pleasant, painful, or neutral feeling that arises conditioned by eye contact as other. …
They see the mind, thoughts,
mind consciousness,
and mind contact as other.
And they also see the pleasant, painful, or neutral feeling that arises conditioned by mind contact as other.
That’s how a mendicant knows and sees so as to give up ignorance and give rise to knowledge.”