Translating Classical Buddhism to Modern English

The Related Discourses

4. Truth

（三八五）四聖諦 7 (385). The Four Noble Truths (6)
如是我聞： 一時，佛住波羅㮈國、仙人住處、鹿野苑中。 1. Thus I have heard:1 One time, the Buddha was staying at the Residence of Sages in the Deer Preserve of Bārāṇasī.
爾時，世尊告諸比丘： 「有四聖諦。 何等為四？ 謂苦聖諦、苦集聖諦、苦滅聖諦、苦滅道跡聖諦。 2. It was then that the Bhagavān addressed the monks, “There are four noble truths. What are the four? They are the noble truth of suffering, the noble truth of suffering’s formation, the noble truth of suffering’s cessation, and the noble truth of the path to suffering’s cessation.
「若比丘於苦聖諦已知，已解⋯ 於苦集聖諦已知，已斷⋯ 於苦滅聖諦已知，已證⋯ 於苦滅道跡聖諦已知，已修。 如是比丘邊際、究竟邊際、離垢邊際。 梵行已終，純一清白。 名為上士。」 3. “If a monk has known the noble truth of suffering, then he has understood [suffering] … has known the noble truth of suffering’s formation, then he has ended [its formation] … has known the noble truth of suffering’s cessation, then he has realized [its cessation] … has known the noble truth of the path to suffering’s cessation, then he has cultivated [that path]. In this way, that monk is at the end, the final end, the end that’s free of defilement. The religious life being finished, he’s entirely pure white.2 He’s called a superior man.”
佛說此經已，諸比丘聞佛所說歡喜，奉行。 4. After the Buddha spoke this sūtra, the monks who heard what the Buddha taught rejoiced and approved.

Notes

  1. This is sūtra no. 385 in the Taisho edition and no. 548 in Yinshun (T99.2.104c9-17). It’s partially parallel with SN 22.4. [back]
  2. A very similar passage as this occurs in SN 22.4: “Those ascetics and brahmins who are freed due to the ending of craving have reached the ultimate goal, the ultimate sanctuary from the yoke, the ultimate spiritual life, the ultimate end, and are best among gods and humans” (ye te samaṇabrāhmaṇā taṇhāsaṅkhayavimuttā, te accantaniṭṭhā accantayogakkhemino accantabrahmacārino accantapariyosānā seṭṭhā devamanussānan).
    It would seem that 邊際 corresponds to P. accanta, 究竟邊際 to P. accantaniṭṭhā, 離垢邊際 to P. accantayogakkhemino, 梵行已終 to P. accantabrahmacārino, and 純一清白 to P. accantapariyosānā, but the words have varied a little. 離垢 was more likely to trans. P. vimala, and 清白 most likely trans. P. pasanna. [back]

Translator: Charles Patton

Last Revised: 27 May 2024

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