Saṃyukta Āgama, Volume One (31)

Original text: 舍利弗告输屡那。若沙门婆罗门于色不如实知。色集不如实知。色灭不如实知。色味不如实知。色患不如实知。色离不如实知故。不堪能超越色。若沙门婆罗门于受想行识不如实知。识集不如实知。识灭不如实知。识味不如实知。识患不如实知。识离不如实知故。此沙门婆罗门不堪能超越识。

若沙门婆罗门于色。色集色灭。色味色患。色离如实知。此沙门婆罗门堪能超越色。若沙门婆罗门于受想行识。识集识灭。识味识患。识离如实知。此沙门婆罗门堪能超越识。

Explanation: Śāriputra addressed Śoṇa, saying that if śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not truly know the aggregate of form, do not truly know the arising of the aggregate of form, do not truly know the cessation of the aggregate of form, do not truly know the flavor of the aggregate of form, do not truly know the peril of the aggregate of form, and do not truly know the escape from the aggregate of form, they are unable to transcend the aggregate of form. If śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not truly know the aggregates of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness, do not truly know the arising of consciousness, do not truly know the cessation of consciousness, do not truly know the flavor of consciousness, do not truly know the peril of consciousness, and do not truly know the escape from consciousness, these śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are unable to transcend consciousness.

If śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not truly know the aggregate of form, they do not know that the aggregate of form is suffering, empty, impermanent, and non-self; if they do not truly know the arising of the aggregate of form, they do not know that the aggregate of form is induced by karmic conditions and born of causes and conditions; if they do not truly know the cessation of the aggregate of form, they do not know that the aggregate of form can be extinguished through cultivating the truth of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path; if they do not truly know the flavor of the aggregate of form, they do not know that craving for the flavor of the aggregate of form prevents liberation from birth and death; if they do not truly know that craving for the aggregate of form carries various perils, they do not know that craving for the aggregate of form entails the various sufferings of birth and death and makes it impossible to escape the suffering of saṃsāra; if they do not truly know that the aggregate of form can be escaped, they do not know that through cultivating the Four Noble Truths one can leave behind the aggregate of form. Because of all these failures to truly know, one cannot transcend the aggregate of form; being troubled and entangled by it, one cannot attain liberation and suffers immeasurably.

If śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not truly know the aggregates of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness, they do not know that these aggregates are suffering, empty, impermanent, and non-self; if they do not truly know the arising of these aggregates, they do not know that they are induced by karmic conditions and born of causes and conditions; if they do not truly know the cessation of these aggregates, they do not know that they can be extinguished through cultivating the truth of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path; if they do not truly know the flavor of these aggregates, they do not know that craving for their flavor prevents liberation from birth and death; if they do not truly know that craving for these aggregates carries various perils, they do not know that craving for them entails the various sufferings of birth and death and makes it impossible to escape the suffering of saṃsāra; if they do not truly know that these aggregates can be escaped, they do not know that through cultivating the Four Noble Truths one can leave behind the aggregates of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness. Because of all these failures to truly know, one cannot transcend these aggregates; being troubled and entangled by them, one cannot attain liberation and suffers immeasurably.

If śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas truly know the aggregate of form, truly know the arising of the aggregate of form, and truly know the flavor of the aggregate of form, its perils, and its escape, they can transcend the aggregate of form. If śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas truly know the aggregates of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness, truly know the arising of these aggregates, and truly know their flavor, their perils, and their escape, they can transcend these aggregates and attain liberation.

The "truly knowing" here is not the ordinary kind of knowing, but the knowing that comes after realization. The words "truly" (如实) mean "in accordance with actuality," and to know actuality, one must personally realize and witness it; only then can one know how things actually are. Only personal verification enables truly knowing; otherwise it would be akin to groundless conjecture, imagination, or speculation. Therefore, for a practitioner to achieve truly knowing is extremely difficult; one must pass through a long and arduous process of investigation before one can attain realization and truly know. Only by personally realizing the arising, flavor, peril, and escape of the five aggregates can one transcend the birth and death of the five aggregates and attain liberation.