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.
“Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, atītamaddhānaṁ samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā yathābhūtaṁ abhisambuddhaṁ pakāsesuṁ, sabbe te cattāri ariyasaccāni yathābhūtaṁ abhisambuddhaṁ pakāsesuṁ. Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, anāgatamaddhānaṁ samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā yathābhūtaṁ abhisambuddhaṁ pakāsessanti, sabbe te cattāri ariyasaccāni yathābhūtaṁ abhisambuddhaṁ pakāsessanti. Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, etarahi samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā yathābhūtaṁ abhisambuddhaṁ pakāsenti, sabbe te cattāri ariyasaccāni yathābhūtaṁ abhisambuddhaṁ pakāsenti.
“Bhikkhus, whatever ascetics and brahmins in the past fully awakened to things as they truly are, all of them fully awakened to the Four Noble Truths as they truly are and |made them known::declared them, proclaimed them [pakāsesi]|. Whatever ascetics and brahmins in the future will fully awaken to things as they truly are, all of them will fully awaken to the Four Noble Truths as they truly are and will make them known. Whatever ascetics and brahmins at present fully awaken to things as they truly are, all of them fully awaken to the Four Noble Truths as they truly are and make them known.
Katamāni cattāri? Dukkhaṁ ariyasaccaṁ, dukkhasamudayaṁ ariyasaccaṁ, dukkhanirodhaṁ ariyasaccaṁ, dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā ariyasaccaṁ. Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, atītamaddhānaṁ samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā yathābhūtaṁ abhisambuddhaṁ pakāsesuṁ, sabbe te cattāri ariyasaccāni yathābhūtaṁ abhisambuddhaṁ pakāsesuṁ. Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, anāgatamaddhānaṁ samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā yathābhūtaṁ abhisambuddhaṁ pakāsessanti, sabbe te cattāri ariyasaccāni yathābhūtaṁ abhisambuddhaṁ pakāsessanti. Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, etarahi samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā yathābhūtaṁ abhisambuddhaṁ pakāsenti, sabbe te cattāri ariyasaccāni yathābhūtaṁ abhisambuddhaṁ pakāsenti, sabbe te imāni cattāri ariyasaccāni yathābhūtaṁ abhisambuddhaṁ pakāsenti.
What are the four? The Noble Truth of |suffering::discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering [dukkha]|, the Noble Truth of the |arising of suffering::source of stress, appearance of discomfort [dukkhasamudaya]|, the Noble Truth of the |end of suffering::ending of discontentment, cessation of distress [dukkhanirodha]|, the Noble Truth of the |way of practice leading to the end of suffering::i.e. the Noble Eightfold Path consisting of right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right collectedness [dukkhanirodhagāmī]|. Bhikkhus, whatever ascetics and brahmins in the past fully awakened to things as they truly are, all of them fully awakened to these Four Noble Truths as they truly are and made them known. Whatever ascetics and brahmins in the future fully awaken to things as they truly are, all of them will fully awaken to these Four Noble Truths as they truly are and make them known. Whatever ascetics and brahmins at present fully awaken to things as they truly are, all of them fully awaken to these Four Noble Truths as they truly are and make them known.
Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yogo karaṇīyo,
‘ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti yogo karaṇīyo,
‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti yogo karaṇīyo,
‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yogo karaṇīyo”ti.
Therefore, bhikkhus, effort should be made to |fully understand::understand in principle, then discern in each moment and then experientially penetrate|: ‘This is suffering’;
effort should be made to fully understand: ‘This is the arising of suffering’;
effort should be made to fully understand: ‘This is the end of suffering’;
effort should be made to fully understand: ‘This is the way of practice leading to the end of suffering.’”
“Bhikkhus, whatever ascetics and brahmins in the past fully awakened to things as they truly are, all of them fully awakened to the Four Noble Truths as they truly are and |made them known::declared them, proclaimed them [pakāsesi]|. Whatever ascetics and brahmins in the future will fully awaken to things as they truly are, all of them will fully awaken to the Four Noble Truths as they truly are and will make them known. Whatever ascetics and brahmins at present fully awaken to things as they truly are, all of them fully awaken to the Four Noble Truths as they truly are and make them known.
What are the four? The Noble Truth of |suffering::discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering [dukkha]|, the Noble Truth of the |arising of suffering::source of stress, appearance of discomfort [dukkhasamudaya]|, the Noble Truth of the |end of suffering::ending of discontentment, cessation of distress [dukkhanirodha]|, the Noble Truth of the |way of practice leading to the end of suffering::i.e. the Noble Eightfold Path consisting of right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right collectedness [dukkhanirodhagāmī]|. Bhikkhus, whatever ascetics and brahmins in the past fully awakened to things as they truly are, all of them fully awakened to these Four Noble Truths as they truly are and made them known. Whatever ascetics and brahmins in the future fully awaken to things as they truly are, all of them will fully awaken to these Four Noble Truths as they truly are and make them known. Whatever ascetics and brahmins at present fully awaken to things as they truly are, all of them fully awaken to these Four Noble Truths as they truly are and make them known.
Therefore, bhikkhus, effort should be made to |fully understand::understand in principle, then discern in each moment and then experientially penetrate|: ‘This is suffering’;
effort should be made to fully understand: ‘This is the arising of suffering’;
effort should be made to fully understand: ‘This is the end of suffering’;
effort should be made to fully understand: ‘This is the way of practice leading to the end of suffering.’”
“Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, atītamaddhānaṁ samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā yathābhūtaṁ abhisambuddhaṁ pakāsesuṁ, sabbe te cattāri ariyasaccāni yathābhūtaṁ abhisambuddhaṁ pakāsesuṁ. Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, anāgatamaddhānaṁ samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā yathābhūtaṁ abhisambuddhaṁ pakāsessanti, sabbe te cattāri ariyasaccāni yathābhūtaṁ abhisambuddhaṁ pakāsessanti. Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, etarahi samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā yathābhūtaṁ abhisambuddhaṁ pakāsenti, sabbe te cattāri ariyasaccāni yathābhūtaṁ abhisambuddhaṁ pakāsenti.
Katamāni cattāri? Dukkhaṁ ariyasaccaṁ, dukkhasamudayaṁ ariyasaccaṁ, dukkhanirodhaṁ ariyasaccaṁ, dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā ariyasaccaṁ. Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, atītamaddhānaṁ samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā yathābhūtaṁ abhisambuddhaṁ pakāsesuṁ, sabbe te cattāri ariyasaccāni yathābhūtaṁ abhisambuddhaṁ pakāsesuṁ. Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, anāgatamaddhānaṁ samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā yathābhūtaṁ abhisambuddhaṁ pakāsessanti, sabbe te cattāri ariyasaccāni yathābhūtaṁ abhisambuddhaṁ pakāsessanti. Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, etarahi samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā yathābhūtaṁ abhisambuddhaṁ pakāsenti, sabbe te cattāri ariyasaccāni yathābhūtaṁ abhisambuddhaṁ pakāsenti, sabbe te imāni cattāri ariyasaccāni yathābhūtaṁ abhisambuddhaṁ pakāsenti.
Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yogo karaṇīyo,
‘ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti yogo karaṇīyo,
‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti yogo karaṇīyo,
‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yogo karaṇīyo”ti.