At Varanasi. Bārāṇasiyaṁ viharanti isipatane migadāye. Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto sāyanhasamayaṁ …pe… Sāriputta said to Mahākoṭṭhita: ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā sāriputto āyasmantaṁ mahākoṭṭhikaṁ etadavoca:

“Reverend Koṭṭhita, they speak of this thing called ‘ignorance’. “‘avijjā, avijjā’ti, āvuso koṭṭhika, 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.

When he said this, Venerable Sāriputta said to him: Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā sāriputto āyasmantaṁ mahākoṭṭhikaṁ etadavoca:

“Reverend Koṭṭhita, they speak of this thing called ‘knowledge’. “‘vijjā, vijjā’ti, āvuso koṭṭhika, vuccati. What is knowledge? Katamā nu kho, āvuso, vijjā; And how is a knowledgeable person defined?” kittāvatā ca vijjāgato hotī”ti?

“Reverend, a learned noble disciple truly understands the gratification, the drawback, and the escape when it comes to form, “Idhāvuso, sutavā ariyasāvako rūpassa assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti. feeling, Vedanāya …pe… perception, saññāya … choices, saṅkhārānaṁ … and consciousness. viññāṇassa assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.

This is called knowledge. Ayaṁ vuccatāvuso, vijjā; And this is how a knowledgeable person is defined.” ettāvatā ca vijjāgato hotī”ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.