Saṃyukta Āgama Volume 1 (31)

Sariputra addressed Sona, saying: If ascetics and Brahmins do not truly know form, do not truly know the arising of form, do not truly know the cessation of form, do not truly know the gratification in form, do not truly know the danger in form, and do not truly know the escape from form, they are incapable of transcending form. If ascetics and Brahmins do not truly know feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness; do not truly know the arising of consciousness; do not truly know the cessation of consciousness; do not truly know the gratification in consciousness; do not truly know the danger in consciousness; and do not truly know the escape from consciousness, then these ascetics and Brahmins are incapable of transcending consciousness.

If ascetics and Brahmins truly know form, the arising of form, the cessation of form, the gratification in form, the danger in form, and the escape from form, these ascetics and Brahmins are capable of transcending form. If ascetics and Brahmins truly know feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness; truly know the arising of consciousness; truly know the cessation of consciousness; truly know the gratification in consciousness; truly know the danger in consciousness; and truly know the escape from consciousness, these ascetics and Brahmins are capable of transcending consciousness.

Explanation: Sariputra addressed Sona, saying: If ascetics and Brahmins do not truly know the aggregate of form—not knowing that form is suffering, emptiness, impermanent, and without self; do not truly know the arising of form—not knowing that form arises from karmic conditions and is dependently originated; do not truly know the cessation of form—not knowing that form can be ceased through the practice of the Four Noble Truths; do not truly know the gratification in form—not knowing that delighting in form prevents liberation from birth and death; do not truly know the dangers of clinging to form—not knowing that clinging to form entails various sufferings of birth and death and prevents liberation from the suffering of samsara; and do not truly know that form can be escaped—not knowing that through the practice of the Four Noble Truths one can escape from form—then due to these various kinds of not truly knowing, they are unable to transcend the aggregate of form. They are troubled and bound by form, unable to attain liberation, and experience immeasurable suffering.

If ascetics and Brahmins do not truly know the aggregates of feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness—not knowing that they are suffering, emptiness, impermanent, and without self; do not truly know their arising—not knowing that they arise from karmic conditions and are dependently originated; do not truly know their cessation—not knowing that they can be ceased through the practice of the Four Noble Truths; do not truly know the gratification in them—not knowing that delighting in them prevents liberation from birth and death; do not truly know the dangers of clinging to them—not knowing that clinging to them entails various sufferings of birth and death and prevents liberation from the suffering of samsara; and do not truly know that they can be escaped—not knowing that through the practice of the Four Noble Truths one can escape from them—then due to these various kinds of not truly knowing, they are unable to transcend the aggregates of feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness. They are troubled and bound by them, unable to attain liberation, and experience immeasurable suffering.

If ascetics and Brahmins truly know the aggregate of form, truly know the arising of form, truly know the gratification in form, the dangers of form, and the escape from form, they are capable of transcending form. If ascetics and Brahmins truly know the aggregates of feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness, truly know their arising, truly know the gratification in them, the dangers of them, and the escape from them, they are capable of transcending the aggregates of feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness, and thereby attain liberation.

The term "truly know" here does not refer to ordinary intellectual knowing, but rather to knowing attained through direct realization. The phrase "truly know" signifies knowing that accords with actual reality. To know the actual reality, one must personally realize and witness it; only then can one know the true state. Personal verification is necessary for true knowing; otherwise, it resembles baseless conjecture, imagination, or speculation. Therefore, it is extremely difficult for practitioners to achieve true knowing. It requires undergoing a long and arduous process of diligent investigation before genuine realization and true knowing can be attained. Only by personally realizing the arising, gratification, danger, and escape regarding the five aggregates can one transcend the birth and death of the five aggregates and attain liberation.