Koṭṭhikasutta — Reader

With Koṭṭhita

Koṭṭhikasutta

At Varanasi. Sāriputta said to Mahākoṭṭhita: “Reverend Koṭṭhita, they speak of this thing called ‘ignorance’.

Bārāṇasiyaṁ viharanti isipatane migadāye. Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto sāyanhasamayaṁ …pe… ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā sāriputto āyasmantaṁ mahākoṭṭhikaṁ etadavoca: “‘avijjā, avijjā’ti, āvuso koṭṭhika, vuccati.

What is ignorance? And how is an ignoramus defined?” “Reverend, an unlearned ordinary person doesn’t truly understand the gratification, the drawback, and the escape when it comes to form, feeling,

Katamā nu kho, āvuso, avijjā; kittāvatā ca avijjāgato hotī”ti? “Idhāvuso, assutavā puthujjano rūpassa assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti. Vedanāya …pe…

perception, choices, and consciousness. This is called ignorance.

saññāya … saṅkhārānaṁ … viññāṇassa assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti. Ayaṁ vuccatāvuso, avijjā;

And this is how an ignoramus is defined.” When he said this, Venerable Sāriputta said to him: “Reverend Koṭṭhita, they speak of this thing called ‘knowledge’. What is knowledge?

ettāvatā ca avijjāgato hotī”ti. Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā sāriputto āyasmantaṁ mahākoṭṭhikaṁ etadavoca: “‘vijjā, vijjā’ti, āvuso koṭṭhika, vuccati. Katamā nu kho, āvuso, vijjā;

And how is a knowing one defined?” “Reverend, a learned noble disciple truly understands the gratification, the drawback, and the escape when it comes to form, feeling, perception,

kittāvatā ca vijjāgato hotī”ti? “Idhāvuso, sutavā ariyasāvako rūpassa assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti. Vedanāya …pe… saññāya …

choices, and consciousness. This is called knowledge. And this is how a knowing one is defined.”

saṅkhārānaṁ … viññāṇassa assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti. Ayaṁ vuccatāvuso, vijjā; ettāvatā ca vijjāgato hotī”ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.