At one time Venerable Sāriputta and Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita were staying near Varanasi, in the deer park at Isipatana. … Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ca sāriputto āyasmā ca mahākoṭṭhiko bārāṇasiyaṁ viharanti isipatane migadāye.

Mahākoṭṭhita said to Sāriputta: Atha kho āyasmā mahākoṭṭhiko sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito …pe… ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā mahākoṭṭhiko āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca:

“Reverend Sāriputta, they speak of this thing called ‘ignorance’. “‘avijjā, avijjā’ti, āvuso sāriputta, vuccati. What is ignorance? Katamā nu kho, āvuso, avijjā; And how is an ignorant person defined?” kittāvatā ca avijjāgato hotī”ti?

“Reverend, it’s when an unlearned ordinary person doesn’t truly understand form, which is liable to originate … liable to fall … liable to originate and fall, as form which is liable to originate and fall. “Idhāvuso assutavā puthujjano samudayadhammaṁ rūpaṁ ‘samudayadhammaṁ rūpan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti; vayadhammaṁ rūpaṁ …pe… ‘samudayavayadhammaṁ rūpan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti.

They don’t truly understand feeling … Samudayadhammaṁ vedanaṁ …pe… vayadhammaṁ vedanaṁ …pe… ‘samudayavayadhammā vedanā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti. perception … Samudayadhammaṁ saññaṁ …pe… choices … samudayadhamme saṅkhāre …pe… vayadhamme saṅkhāre …pe… samudayavayadhamme saṅkhāre ‘samudayavayadhammā saṅkhārā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti. consciousness, which is liable to originate … liable to fall … liable to originate and fall, as consciousness which is liable to originate and fall. Samudayadhammaṁ viññāṇaṁ …pe… samudayavayadhammaṁ viññāṇaṁ ‘samudayavayadhammaṁ viññāṇan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti.

This is called ignorance. Ayaṁ vuccati, āvuso, avijjā; And this is how an ignorant person is defined.” ettāvatā ca avijjāgato hotī”ti.

Dutiyaṁ.