Saṃyukta Āgama, Volume 13 (Sūtra No. 357)

Original text: 如是我闻。一时。佛住舍卫国祇树给孤独园。尔时。世尊告诸比丘。有七十七种智。谛听善思。当为汝说。云何七十七种智。生缘老死智。非余生缘老死智。过去生缘老死智。非余过去生缘老死智。未来生缘老死智。非余未来生缘老死智。及法住智。无常有为。心所缘生。尽法。变易法。离欲法。灭法。断知智。 

Explanation: The World-Honored One told the bhikṣus: There are seventy-seven kinds of wisdom; you should listen carefully and contemplate well, and I shall explain them to you. What are the seventy-seven kinds of wisdom? The first kind of wisdom is the wisdom of knowing that when the condition of birth exists in the world, aging and death must follow. The second kind of wisdom is the wisdom of knowing that when birth ceases, aging and death must cease. The third kind of wisdom is the wisdom of knowing that in past lives, because there was birth, aging and death must have followed. The fourth kind of wisdom is the wisdom of knowing that when birth in past lives ceased, aging and death must have ceased. The fifth kind of wisdom is the wisdom of knowing that in future lives, because there will be birth, aging and death in future lives must follow. The sixth kind of wisdom is the wisdom of knowing that when birth in future lives ceases, aging and death in future lives must cease. The seventh kind of wisdom is the wisdom of knowing the abiding of dharma that birth conditions aging and death—knowing that birth is a conditioned phenomenon (saṃskṛta) that is impermanent, a dharma produced by ālayavijñāna, a dharma that can be exhausted, a dharma of constant transformation, a dharma of craving that can be departed from, a dharma that can be extinguished. The wisdom of knowing the abiding of dharma is also the wisdom of knowing how to eliminate birth. 

Original text: 如是生。有取爱受。触六入处。名色识行。无明缘行智。非余无明缘行智。过去无明缘行智。非余过去无明缘行智。未来无明缘行智。非余未来无明缘行智。及法住智。无常有为。心所缘生。尽法。变易法。无欲法。灭法。断知智。是名七十七种智。佛说此经已。诸比丘闻佛所说。欢喜奉行。 

Explanation: There are seven kinds of wisdom regarding birth; likewise, for existence (bhava), grasping (upādāna), craving (tṛṣṇā), feeling (vedanā), contact (sparśa), the six sense bases (ṣaḍāyatana), name-and-form (nāma-rūpa), the six consciousnesses, the volitional formations (saṃskāra) of the manas, and ignorance (avidyā) within the twelve links of dependent arising, there are the same seven kinds of wisdom each. Taken together, these are the seventy-seven kinds of wisdom. For example, regarding "ignorance conditions volitional formations (avidyā-pratyayāḥ saṃskārāḥ)": the first kind of wisdom is the wisdom of knowing that because of ignorance, volitional formations must exist. The second kind of wisdom is the wisdom of knowing that when ignorance ceases, volitional formations must cease. The third kind of wisdom is the wisdom of knowing that because ignorance existed in past lives, volitional formations must have existed. The fourth kind of wisdom is the wisdom of knowing that when ignorance in past lives ceased, volitional formations must have ceased. The fifth kind of wisdom is the wisdom of knowing that because there will be ignorance in future lives, volitional formations must exist. The sixth kind of wisdom is the wisdom of knowing that when ignorance in future lives ceases, volitional formations in future lives must cease. The seventh kind of wisdom is the wisdom of knowing the abiding of dharma—knowing that ignorance is a conditioned phenomenon (saṃskṛta) that is impermanent, a dharma produced by ālayavijñāna, a dharma that can be exhausted, a dharma of constant transformation, a dharma from which desire can be absent, a dharma that can be extinguished. The wisdom of knowing the abiding of dharma regarding ignorance is also the wisdom of knowing how to extinguish ignorance completely.