The Buddha teaches the four noble truths regarding looking for a debate—suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the practice leading to its cessation.

SN 56.40 Looking For a Debate

“Yo hi koci, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, puratthimāya cepi disāya āgaccheyya samaṇo brāhmaṇo vādatthiko vādagavesī: ‘vādamassa āropessāmī’ti, taṁ vata sahadhammena saṅkampessati sampakampessati sampacālessati vātinetaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. Pacchimāya cepi disāya …pe… uttarāya cepi disāya …pe… dakkhiṇāya cepi disāya āgaccheyya samaṇo brāhmaṇo vādatthiko vādagavesī: ‘vādamassa āropessāmī’ti, taṁ vata sahadhammena saṅkampessati sampakampessati sampacālessati vātinetaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, silāyūpo soḷasa kukkuko. Tassassu aṭṭha kukku heṭṭhā nemaṅgamā, aṭṭha kukku uparinemassa. Puratthimāya cepi disāya āgaccheyya bhusā vātavuṭṭhi, neva saṅkampeyya na sampakampeyya na sampacāleyya; pacchimāya cepi disāya …pe… uttarāya cepi disāya …pe… dakkhiṇāya cepi disāya āgaccheyya bhusā vātavuṭṭhi, neva saṅkampeyya na sampakampeyya na sampacāleyya. Taṁ kissa hetu? Gambhīrattā, bhikkhave, nemassa sunikhātattā silāyūpassa.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, yo hi koci bhikkhu ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti; puratthimāya cepi disāya āgaccheyya samaṇo brāhmaṇo vādatthiko vādagavesī ‘vādamassa āropessāmī’ti, taṁ vata sahadhammena saṅkampessati sampakampessati sampacālessati vātinetaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. Pacchimāya cepi disāya …pe… uttarāya cepi disāya …pe… dakkhiṇāya cepi disāya āgaccheyya samaṇo brāhmaṇo vādatthiko vādagavesī: ‘vādamassa āropessāmī’ti, taṁ vata sahadhammena saṅkampessati sampakampessati sampacālessati vātinetaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. Taṁ kissa hetu? Sudiṭṭhattā, bhikkhave, catunnaṁ ariyasaccānaṁ. Katamesaṁ catunnaṁ? Dukkhassa ariyasaccassa …pe… dukkhanirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya ariyasaccassa.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yogo karaṇīyo …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yogo karaṇīyo”ti.

Dasamaṁ.

Sīsapāvanavaggo catuttho.

Tassuddānaṁ

Sīsapā khadiro daṇḍo,
celā sattisatena ca;
Pāṇā sūriyūpamā dvedhā,
indakhīlo ca vādinoti.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Yo hi koci, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti …pe…

“Mendicants, take any mendicant who truly understands: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’.

‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, puratthimāya cepi disāya āgaccheyya samaṇo brāhmaṇo vādatthiko vādagavesī:

An ascetic or brahmin might come from the east, west, north, or south wanting to debate, seeking a debate, thinking:

‘vādamassa āropessāmī’ti, taṁ vata sahadhammena saṅkampessati sampakampessati sampacālessati vātinetaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

‘I’ll refute their doctrine!’ It’s simply impossible for them to legitimately make that mendicant shake or rock or tremble.

Pacchimāya cepi disāya …pe…

uttarāya cepi disāya …pe…

dakkhiṇāya cepi disāya āgaccheyya samaṇo brāhmaṇo vādatthiko vādagavesī:

‘vādamassa āropessāmī’ti, taṁ vata sahadhammena saṅkampessati sampakampessati sampacālessati vātinetaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, silāyūpo soḷasa kukkuko.

Suppose there was a stone post, sixteen feet long.

Tassassu aṭṭha kukku heṭṭhā nemaṅgamā, aṭṭha kukku uparinemassa.

Eight feet were buried underground, and eight above ground.

Puratthimāya cepi disāya āgaccheyya bhusā vātavuṭṭhi, neva saṅkampeyya na sampakampeyya na sampacāleyya; pacchimāya cepi disāya …pe… uttarāya cepi disāya …pe… dakkhiṇāya cepi disāya āgaccheyya bhusā vātavuṭṭhi, neva saṅkampeyya na sampakampeyya na sampacāleyya.

Even if violent storms were to blow up out of the east, the west, the north, and the south, they couldn’t make it shake or rock or tremble.

Taṁ kissa hetu?

Why is that?

Gambhīrattā, bhikkhave, nemassa sunikhātattā silāyūpassa.

It’s because that stone post is firmly embedded, with deep foundations.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, yo hi koci bhikkhu ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti;

In the same way, take any mendicant who truly understands: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’.

puratthimāya cepi disāya āgaccheyya samaṇo brāhmaṇo vādatthiko vādagavesī ‘vādamassa āropessāmī’ti, taṁ vata sahadhammena saṅkampessati sampakampessati sampacālessati vātinetaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

An ascetic or brahmin might come from the east, west, north, or south wanting to debate, seeking a debate, thinking: ‘I’ll refute their doctrine!’ It’s simply impossible for them to legitimately make that mendicant shake or rock or tremble.

Pacchimāya cepi disāya …pe…

uttarāya cepi disāya …pe…

dakkhiṇāya cepi disāya āgaccheyya samaṇo brāhmaṇo vādatthiko vādagavesī: ‘vādamassa āropessāmī’ti, taṁ vata sahadhammena saṅkampessati sampakampessati sampacālessati vātinetaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

Taṁ kissa hetu?

Why is that?

Sudiṭṭhattā, bhikkhave, catunnaṁ ariyasaccānaṁ.

It’s because they have clearly seen the four noble truths.

Katamesaṁ catunnaṁ?

What four?

Dukkhassa ariyasaccassa …pe… dukkhanirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya ariyasaccassa.

The noble truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yogo karaṇīyo …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yogo karaṇīyo”ti.

That’s why you should practice meditation …”

Dasamaṁ.

Sīsapāvanavaggo catuttho.

Tassuddānaṁ

Sīsapā khadiro daṇḍo,

celā sattisatena ca;

Pāṇā sūriyūpamā dvedhā,

indakhīlo ca vādinoti.

Topics & Qualities:

Craving

Craving

A driving ‘thirst’ that reaches out toward experiences, identities, or outcomes as the place to find satisfaction—“if only I had that.” It spins stories of lack, binds the mind to becoming, and invariably leads to suffering.

Also known as: wanting, yearning, longing, lit. thirst
Pāli: taṇha, abhijjhā
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Cultivation

Cultivation

The active practice of 'bringing into being' wholesome states. It is the deliberate nurturing of the bright state of mind.

Also known as: development, improvement, meditation, nurturing, growth
Pāli: bhāvanā
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Ending

Ending

The complete exhaustion and ending of craving, aversion, and delusion—the three roots of suffering. It refers to both the gradual wearing away of defilements through practice and the final cessation that constitutes Nibbāna.

Also known as: cessation, exhaustion, gradual ending, wearing away
Pāli: khaya, khīṇa, nirodha
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Jhana

Jhana

An abiding with a steady, collected awareness that is attained through seclusion from the five hindrances and unwholesome mental states. When supported by right view, a jhāna can be a basis for the wearing away of taints and directing the mind toward the vision of Nibbāna.

Also known as: meditation, undistracted awareness, absorption, mental absorption
Pāli: jhāna, samāhita, susamāhita, sammāsamādhi
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Suffering

Suffering

Unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering that is inherent in conditioned existence.

Also known as: discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentedness, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, distress, affliction
Pāli: dukkha
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Last updated on July 27, 2026