3.
The Discourse on Cases of Knowledge
33.
At Sāvatthī, etc.
"I will teach you, monks, forty-four cases of knowledge. Listen to that, pay close attention;
I will speak."
"Yes, venerable sir," those monks assented to the Blessed One.
The Blessed One said this:
"What, monks, are the forty-four cases of knowledge? Knowledge of ageing and death, knowledge of the origin of ageing and death, knowledge of the cessation of ageing and death, knowledge of the practice leading to the cessation of ageing and death; knowledge of birth, knowledge of the origin of birth, knowledge of the cessation of birth, knowledge of the practice leading to the cessation of birth; knowledge of existence, knowledge of the origin of existence, knowledge of the cessation of existence, knowledge of the practice leading to the cessation of existence; knowledge of clinging, knowledge of the origin of clinging, knowledge of the cessation of clinging, knowledge of the practice leading to the cessation of clinging; knowledge of craving, knowledge of the origin of craving, knowledge of the cessation of craving, knowledge of the practice leading to the cessation of craving; knowledge of feeling, knowledge of the origin of feeling, knowledge of the cessation of feeling, knowledge of the practice leading to the cessation of feeling; knowledge of contact, etc. knowledge of the six sense bases, knowledge of mentality-materiality, knowledge of consciousness, knowledge of activities, knowledge of the origin of activities, knowledge of the cessation of activities, knowledge of the practice leading to the cessation of activities. These are called, monks, the forty-four cases of knowledge.
"And what, monks, is ageing and death? Whatever ageing, decaying, broken teeth, grey hair, wrinkled skin, deterioration of life span, maturing of the faculties of those various beings in those various orders of beings, this is called ageing. Whatever passing away, decease, breaking up, disappearance, death, dying, making of time, breaking up of the aggregates, discarding of the body of those various beings from those various orders of beings. This is called death. Thus this ageing and this death; this is called, monks, ageing and death.
"From the origin of birth is the origin of ageing and death; from the cessation of birth is the cessation of ageing and death; it is just this noble eightfold path that is the practice leading to the cessation of ageing and death, as follows - right view, etc. right concentration.
"Since, monks, a noble disciple thus understands ageing and death, thus understands the origin of ageing and death, thus understands the cessation of ageing and death, thus understands the practice leading to the cessation of ageing and death, this is his knowledge of phenomena. He, by this phenomenon that is seen, known, immediate, attained, and penetrated, draws an inference regarding the past and future.
"Whatever ascetics or brahmins in the past period of time directly knew ageing and death, directly knew the origin of ageing and death, directly knew the cessation of ageing and death, directly knew the practice leading to the cessation of ageing and death, all of them directly knew in just the same way as I do now.
"And whatever ascetics or brahmins in the future period of time will directly know ageing and death, will directly know the origin of ageing and death, will directly know the cessation of ageing and death, will directly know the practice leading to the cessation of ageing and death, all of them will directly know in just the same way as I do now." This is his inferential knowledge.
"Since, monks, for a noble disciple these two knowledges are pure and bright - knowledge of phenomena and inferential knowledge. This is called, monks, a noble disciple who is accomplished in right view, and also accomplished in vision, and also has arrived at this Good Teaching, and also sees this Good Teaching, and also is endowed with a learner's knowledge, and also is endowed with a learner's true knowledge, and also has attained the stream of the Teaching, and also is a noble one of penetrative wisdom, and also stands having reached the door to the Deathless."
"And what, monks, is birth? Etc. And what, monks, is existence? And what, monks, is clinging? And what, monks, is craving? And what, monks, is feeling? And what, monks, is contact? And what, monks, is the six sense bases? And what, monks, is mentality-materiality? And what, monks, is consciousness? And what, monks, are activities? There are these three activities, monks - bodily activity, verbal activity, mental activity. These are called, monks, activities.
"From the origin of ignorance is the origin of activities; from the cessation of ignorance is the cessation of activities; it is just this noble eightfold path that is the practice leading to the cessation of activities, as follows - right view, etc. right concentration.
"Since, monks, a noble disciple thus understands activities, thus understands the origin of activities, thus understands the cessation of activities, thus understands the practice leading to the cessation of activities, this is his knowledge of phenomena. He, by this phenomenon that is seen, known, immediate, attained, and penetrated, draws an inference regarding the past and future.
"Whatever ascetics or brahmins in the past period of time directly knew activities, directly knew the origin of activities, directly knew the cessation of activities, directly knew the practice leading to the cessation of activities, all of them directly knew in just the same way as I do now.
"And whatever ascetics or brahmins in the future period of time will directly know activities, will directly know the origin of activities, will directly know the cessation of activities, will directly know the practice leading to the cessation of activities, all of them will directly know in just the same way as I do now. This is his inferential knowledge.
"Since, monks, for a noble disciple these two knowledges are pure and bright - knowledge of phenomena and inferential knowledge. This is called, monks, a noble disciple who is accomplished in right view, and also accomplished in vision, and also has arrived at this Good Teaching, and also sees this Good Teaching, and also is endowed with a learner's knowledge, and also is endowed with a learner's true knowledge, and also has attained the stream of the Teaching, and also is a noble one of penetrative wisdom, and also stands having reached the door to the Deathless." The third.