56.6. Ascetics and Brahmins (2) (SN56.6)

“Bhikkhus, whatever ascetics or brahmins in the past revealed themselves as having fully awakened to things as they really are, all revealed themselves as having fully awakened to the Four Noble Truths as they really are. Whatever ascetics or brahmins in the future will reveal themselves as having fully awakened to things as they really are, all will reveal themselves as having fully awakened to the Four Noble Truths as they really are. Whatever ascetics or brahmins at present reveal themselves as having fully awakened to things as they really are, all reveal themselves as having fully awakened to the Four Noble Truths as they really are.

“What four? The noble truth of suffering … the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering. Whatever ascetics or brahmins revealed themselves … will reveal themselves … reveal themselves as having fully awakened to things as they really are, all reveal themselves as having fully awakened to these Four Noble Truths as they really are.

“Therefore, bhikkhus, 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.’”

© Bhikkhu Bodhi, The Connected Discourses of the Buddha (Wisdom Publications, 2000)

This excerpt from The Connected Discourses of the Buddha by Bhikkhu Bodhi is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Based on the work Connected Discourses of the Buddha at Wisdom Publications.

Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at Wisdom Publications.

Prepared for SuttaCentral by Blake Walsh.