Saṁyutta Nikāya — The Connected Discourses

SN56: Connected Discourses on the Truths

SN56:20 Actual

1"Bhikkhus, these four things are actual, unerring, not otherwise. [n.385] Tathāni avitathāni anaññathāni. See SN12.20. Spk: "Actual in the sense of not departing from the real nature of things; for suffering is stated to be just suffering. Unerring, because of the nonfalsification of its real nature; for suffering does not become nonsuffering. Not otherwise, because of not arriving at a different nature; for suffering does not arrive at the nature of the origin (of suffering), etc. The same method for the other truths." I understand anaññatha in the simpler and more straightforward sense that the truths are "not otherwise" than the way things really are. What four?

"‘This is suffering’: this, bhikkhus, is actual, unerring, not otherwise. ‘This is the origin of suffering’: this is actual, unerring, not otherwise. ‘This is the cessation of suffering’: this is actual, unerring, not otherwise. sn.v.431 ‘This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering’: this is actual, unerring, not otherwise.

"These four things, bhikkhus, are actual, unerring, not otherwise.


2"Therefore, bhikkhu, an exertion should be made to understand: ‘This is suffering.’ … An exertion should be made to understand: ‘This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering.’"

1"Cattārimāni, bhikkhave, tathāni avitathāni anaññathāni. Katamāni cattāri?

‘Idaṁ dukkhan’ti, bhikkhave, tathametaṁ avitathametaṁ anaññathametaṁ; ‘Ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti tathametaṁ avitathametaṁ anaññathametaṁ; ‘Ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti tathametaṁ avitathametaṁ anaññathametaṁ; ‘Ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti tathametaṁ avitathametaṁ anaññathametaṁ –

imāni kho, bhikkhave, cattāri tathāni avitathāni anaññathāni.


2Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yogo karaṇīyo … pe … ‘Ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yogo karaṇīyo"ti.


Dasamaṁ.
Dhammacakkappavattanavaggo dutiyo.

3Dhammacakkaṁ tathāgataṁ,
khandhā āyatanena ca;
Dhāraṇā ca dve avijjā,
vijjā saṅkāsanā tathāti.

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