The Buddha teaches the things to be fully understood and what full understanding is.

SN 22.23 Pariñña sutta - Full Understanding

At Sāvatthi.

“Bhikkhus, I will teach the things that are to be |fully understood::completely comprehended [pariññeyya]|, and what full understanding is. Listen to it.

What are the |things::phenomena, mental qualities [dhammā]| to be fully understood? |Form::materiality, material existence, experience of the material world, i.e. encompassing both one’s body and external objects, whether near or far, gross or subtle, deficient or refined; first of the five aggregates [rūpa]|, bhikkhus, is a thing to be fully understood; |felt experience::pleasant, neutral, or painful sensation, feeling, second of the five aggregates [vedanā]| is a thing to be fully understood; |perception::The mental process of recognizing and giving meaning to experience. It marks things by signs, labels, or associations drawn from memory and the field of contact. Perception shapes how one experiences the world; third of the five aggregates [sañña]| is a thing to be fully understood; |intentional constructs::intentions, volitions, and choices expressed as mental, verbal, and bodily activities; thought formations and constructed experiences (including proliferative tendencies); processes that produce kamma [saṅkhāra]|are a thing to be fully understood; |consciousness::quality of awareness — distinctive knowing that arises in dependence on the meeting of eye and form, ear and sound, nose and odor, tongue and taste, body and tangible object, mind and mind object [viññāṇa]| is a thing to be fully understood. These are called, bhikkhus, the things to be fully understood.

And what, bhikkhus, is full understanding? The |wearing away of passion::exhaustion of intense desire, ending of strong emotions, infatuation, obsession, lust [rāgakkhaya]|, the |wearing away of aversion::ending of ill will, extinction of hatred [dosakkhaya]|, the |wearing away of delusion::wearing away of illusion, ending of hallucination, ending of misperceptions and distorted views [mohakkhaya]|—this, bhikkhus, is called full understanding.”

Last updated on July 4, 2025

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