The Peaked House

Translated by F. L. Woodward

[380]

[1][bodh][than] Thus have I heard:

Once the Exalted One addressed the monks,
saying:

"Monks."

"Yes, lord," replied those monks to the Exalted One.

The Exalted One said:

"If anyone, monks, should say:

'Without fully comprehending
as it really is,
the Ariyan truth of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of the arising of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of ceasing of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of the practice that leads to the ceasing of Ill
I will make an utter end of Ill,'
it would be impossible for him to do so.

Suppose, monks, one should say:

'Without building the lower part of a house,
I will fix the upper part,'
he could not do it.

Just so, monks, if one should say:

But if one should say:

'By fully comprehending,
as it really is,
the Ariyan truth of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of the arising of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of ceasing of Ill,
the Ariyan truth of the practice that leads to the ceasing of Ill
I will make an utter end of Ill,'
it would be possible for him to do so.

Suppose, monks, someone should say:

'After building the lower part of a house
I will fix the upper part,'
he could do so.

Just so, if one should say:

Wherefore, monks, an effort must be made to realize:

'This is Ill'.

'This is the arising of Ill.'

'This is the ceasing of Ill.'

This is the practice that leads to the ceasing of Ill.'"

Saɱyutta Nikāya 5. Mahā-Vagga 56. Sacca Saɱyutta 5. Papāta Vagga

The Book of the Kindred Sayings 5. The Great Chapter 56. Kindred Sayings about the Truths 5. The Precipice

Sutta 44

Kūṭāgara Suttaɱ

The Peaked House

Saɱyutta Nikāya
5. Mahā-Vagga
56. Sacca Saɱyutta
5. Papāta Vagga

The Book of the Kindred Sayings
5. The Great Chapter
56. Kindred Sayings about the Truths
5. The Precipice