This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, as I have heard:
“Bhikkhus, whoever among ascetics or brahmins do not truly understand: ‘|This is suffering::the inherent unsatisfactoriness and stress woven into conditioned existence, including birth, aging, illness, and death [idaṁ + dukkha]|,’ ‘|This is the arising of suffering::the cause for the arising suffering is craving, accompanied by delight and lust, seeking pleasure in sensuality, existence, and non-existence; this craving perpetuates the cycle of conditioned existence [ayaṁ + dukkhasamudaya]|,’ ‘|This is the ending of suffering::the complete cessation of craving—its fading away, dispassion, and letting go—resulting in the ending of the cycle of suffering; this is the peace of Nibbāna, free from clinging and becoming [ayaṁ + dukkhanirodha]|,’ and ‘|This is the way of practice leading to the ending of suffering::the Noble Eightfold Path—a gradual training in right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right collectedness; it is the path that cultivates ethical discipline, mental stillness, and wisdom, leading to the cessation of suffering [ayaṁ + dukkhanirodhagāminī + paṭipadā]|’ — such individuals are not, in my view, true ascetics or true brahmins. They are not regarded as ascetics among ascetics nor as brahmins among brahmins. And furthermore, these venerable ones do not live having directly realized and attained, in this very life, the |true goal of renunciation::goal of monkhood, epithet of Nibbāna [sāmaññattha]| or the |goal of Brahmanhood::the purpose of being a brahmin, epithet of Nibbāna [brahmaññattha]|.
Bhikkhus, whoever among ascetics or brahmins truly understand: ‘This is suffering,’ ‘This is the arising of suffering,’ ‘This is the ending of suffering,’ and ‘This is the way of practice leading to the ending of suffering’—such individuals are indeed ascetics or brahmins in my view. They are regarded as ascetics among ascetics and brahmins among brahmins. Moreover, these venerable ones live, in this very life, having directly realized and attained the true goal of renunciation and the goal of Brahmanhood through their own |direct knowledge::experiential realization [abhiññā]|.”
The Blessed One spoke on this matter. In this regard, it is said:
“Those who do not understand suffering,
nor the coming into being of suffering;
and where suffering is stopped entirely,
without remainder;
and they do not know the way of practice,
that leads to the alleviation of suffering—
Lacking in |liberation of mind::emancipated by mind/heart, samādhi obtained from fruition [cetovimutti]|,
and |liberation by wisdom::emancipation by insight [paññāvimutti]|;
They’re incapable of making an end,
and headed to birth and old age.
Those who understand suffering,
and the coming into being of suffering;
and where suffering is stopped completely,
without remainder;
and who know the way of practice,
that leads to the alleviation of suffering—
Endowed with liberation of mind,
and with liberation by wisdom;
they are capable of making an end,
and not bound for birth and old age.
This matter too was spoken by the Blessed One, as I have heard.