At Varanasi. Bārāṇasiyaṁ viharanti isipatane migadāye …pe… Mahākoṭṭhita said to Sāriputta: ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā mahākoṭṭhiko āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca:

“Reverend Sāriputta, they speak of this thing called ‘ignorance’. “‘avijjā, avijjā’ti, āvuso sāriputta, vuccati. What is ignorance? Katamā nu kho, āvuso, avijjā; And how is an ignorant person defined?” kittāvatā ca avijjāgato hotī”ti?

“Reverend, an unlearned ordinary person doesn’t truly understand the gratification, the drawback, and the escape when it comes to form, “Idhāvuso assutavā puthujjano rūpassa assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti. feeling, Vedanāya …pe… perception, saññāya … choices, saṅkhārānaṁ … and consciousness. viññāṇassa assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti.

This is called ignorance. Ayaṁ vuccatāvuso, avijjā; And this is how an ignorant person is defined.” ettāvatā ca avijjāgato hotī”ti.

Catutthaṁ.