1At Sāvatthī. "Bhikkhus, the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, liberated by nonclinging through revulsion towards form, through its fading away and cessation, is called a Perfectly Enlightened One. A bhikkhu liberated by wisdom, liberated by nonclinging through revulsion towards form, through its fading away and cessation, is called one liberated by wisdom. [n.89] It seems that here bhikkhu paññāvimutto should be understood as any arahant disciple, not specifically as the paññāvimutta contrasted with the ubhatobhagavimutta type, as in MN I 477–78. See II, n. 210.

2–3"The Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, liberated by nonclinging through revulsion towards feeling … perception … volitional formations … consciousness, through its fading away sn.iii.66 and cessation, is called a Perfectly Enlightened One. A bhikkhu liberated by wisdom, liberated by nonclinging through revulsion towards feeling … perception … volitional formations … consciousness, through its fading away and cessation, is called one liberated by wisdom.

4"Therein, bhikkhus, what is the distinction, what is the disparity, what is the difference between the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, and a bhikkhu liberated by wisdom?"

"Venerable sir, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One, guided by the Blessed One, take recourse in the Blessed One. It would be good if the Blessed One would clear up the meaning of this statement. Having heard it from him, the bhikkhus will remember it."

"Then listen and attend closely, bhikkhus, I will speak."

"Yes, venerable sir," the bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this:

5"The Tathāgata, bhikkhus, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, is the originator of the path unarisen before, the producer of the path unproduced before, the declarer of the path undeclared before. He is the knower of the path, the discoverer of the path, the one skilled in the path. And his disciples now dwell following that path and become possessed of it afterwards.

"This, bhikkhus, is the distinction, the disparity, the difference between the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, and a bhikkhu liberated by wisdom."

1Sāvatthinidānaṁ. "Tathāgato, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho rūpassa nibbidā virāgā nirodhā anupādā vimutto sammāsambuddhoti vuccati. Bhikkhupi, bhikkhave, paññāvimutto rūpassa nibbidā virāgā nirodhā anupādā vimutto paññāvimuttoti vuccati.

2Tathāgato, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vedanāya nibbidā virāgā nirodhā anupādā vimutto sammāsambuddhoti vuccati. Bhikkhupi, bhikkhave, paññāvimutto vedanāya nibbidā … pe … paññāvimuttoti vuccati.

3Tathāgato, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho saññāya … saṅkhārānaṁ … viññāṇassa nibbidā virāgā nirodhā anupādā vimutto sammāsambuddhoti vuccati. Bhikkhupi, bhikkhave, paññāvimutto viññāṇassa nibbidā virāgā nirodhā anupādā vimutto paññāvimuttoti vuccati.

4Tatra kho, bhikkhave, ko viseso, ko adhippayāso, kiṁ nānākaraṇaṁ, tathāgatassa arahato sammāsambuddhassa paññāvimuttena bhikkhunā"ti?

"Bhagavaṁmūlakā no, bhante, dhammā bhagavaṁnettikā bhagavaṁpaṭisaraṇā. Sādhu vata, bhante, bhagavantaññeva paṭibhātu etassa bhāsitassa attho. Bhagavato sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī"ti.

"Tena hi, bhikkhave, suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī"ti.

"Evaṁ, bhante"ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:

5"Tathāgato, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho anuppannassa maggassa uppādetā, asañjātassa maggassa sañjanetā, anakkhātassa maggassa akkhātā maggaññū, maggavidū, maggakovido; maggānugā ca, bhikkhave, etarahi sāvakā vihāranti pacchā samannāgatā.

Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhave, viseso, ayaṁ adhippayāso, idaṁ nānākaraṇaṁ tathāgatassa arahato sammāsambuddhassa paññāvimuttena bhikkhunā"ti.

Chaṭṭhaṁ.