Saccasaṁyutta - Connected Discourses on the Truths

Cultivating collectedness leads to discerning the Four Noble Truths.

Whether in the past, future, or present, all fully awakened to things as they truly are do so by fully awakening to the Four Noble Truths.

Whether in the past, future, or present, all fully awakened to things as they truly are do so by fully awakening to the Four Noble Truths and making them known.

Do not think harmful and unwholesome thoughts. When you do think, think about suffering, the arising of suffering, the end of suffering, and the way of practice leading to the end of suffering.

The Buddha’s first discourse to the group of five bhikkhus at the Deer Park in Isipatana, near Varanasi. The discourse explains the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path in brief. It ends with the realization of the first bhikkhu, Venerable Kondañña.

The Buddha explains the Four Noble Truths and the five aggregates subject to clinging.

The Buddha describes the Four Noble Truths in brief.

The Buddha describes the wandering in samsara due to not fully understanding and penetrating the Four Noble Truths.

The Arahants of the past, present, and future have truly understood the Four Noble Truths.

The wearing away of the taints for is one who knows and sees the Four Noble Truths.

The Four Noble Truths are actual, unchanging, and not otherwise; therefore, they are called the Noble Truths.

In the world with its |deities::gods [devas]|, |Māras::demons, tempters, beings of delusion; lit. causing death [mārake]|, |Brahmas::Gods; celestial beings residing in the Brahmā realms, often considered to be highly refined and long-lived deities. [brahmā]|, its ascetics and brahmins, kings and commoners, the Tathāgata is noble; therefore, these are called the Noble Truths.

The Noble Truth of suffering should be fully understood, the Noble Truth of the arising of suffering should be abandoned, the Noble Truth of the end of suffering should be personally experienced, and the Noble Truth of the way of practice leading to the end of suffering should be developed.

A group of elder bhikkhus discuss how realizing one of the Four Noble Truths implies realizing them all. The venerable Gavampati confirms this by quoting the Buddha directly: whoever sees suffering, its arising, its end, or the way of practice leading to its end, simultaneously sees the other three, demonstrating the unified realization of the Dhamma.

The Buddha explains why he teaches only a little compared to what he has not taught with the simile of the rosewood leaves.

The Buddha explains the importance of understanding the Four Noble Truths to end suffering with a simile of making a container out of leaves.

Just as a stick thrown into the air sometimes lands on its base and sometimes on its tip, beings, obstructed by ignorance and fettered by craving, continue to run and wander in this cycle of existence.

The Buddha explains the urgency of understanding the Four Noble Truths to end suffering with a simile of extinguishing a fire on one’s clothes or head.

Just as dawn precedes and predicts the rising of the sun, so too, for a bhikkhu, right view precedes and predicts the breakthrough to the Four Noble Truths as they really are.

As long as sun and moon do not arise in the world, there is complete darkness. Similarly, as long as the Buddha has not arisen in the world, there is complete darkness, dense darkness.

The Buddha explains the greater precipice of delighting in intentional constructs leading to rebirth, aging, death, and sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair, resulting from not understanding the Four Noble Truths.

The Buddha explains the importance of understanding the Four Noble Truths to end suffering with a simile of constructing a building with a peaked roof.

The Buddha shares on the difficulty of regaining a human birth for an undiscerning person who has fallen into a lower realm.

Using a simile of a blind turtle, the Buddha shares on the rarity of gaining a human birth, the arising of a Tathāgata, and the shining of the Dhamma and Vinaya proclaimed by a Tathāgata through the simile of a blind turtle.

For a noble disciple endowed with right view, who understands the Four Noble Truths, the suffering that has been eradicated and exhausted is far greater than what little remains.