At Sāvatthī. Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.

Then Venerable Kaccānagotta went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him: Atha kho āyasmā kaccānagotto yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā kaccānagotto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“Sir, they speak of this thing called ‘right view’. “‘sammādiṭṭhi sammādiṭṭhī’ti, bhante, vuccati. How is right view defined?” Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, sammādiṭṭhi hotī”ti?

“Kaccāna, this world mostly relies on the dual notions of existence and non-existence. “Dvayanissito khvāyaṁ, kaccāna, loko yebhuyyena—atthitañceva natthitañca.

But for one who truly sees the origin of the world with right understanding, the concept of non-existence regarding the world does not occur. Lokasamudayaṁ kho, kaccāna, yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya passato yā loke natthitā sā na hoti. And for one who truly sees the cessation of the world with right understanding, the concept of existence regarding the world does not occur. Lokanirodhaṁ kho, kaccāna, yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya passato yā loke atthitā sā na hoti.

This world is for the most part shackled by getting involved, grasping, and insisting. Upayupādānābhinivesavinibandho khvāyaṁ, kaccāna, loko yebhuyyena.

But if—for all that getting involved and grasping, mental fixation, and insistence and underlying tendency—this person does not get attracted, grasp, and fixate on the thought, ‘my self’, Tañcāyaṁ upayupādānaṁ cetaso adhiṭṭhānaṁ abhinivesānusayaṁ na upeti na upādiyati nādhiṭṭhāti: ‘attā me’ti. they’ll have no doubt or uncertainty that what arises is just suffering arising, and what ceases is just suffering ceasing. Their knowledge of this is independent of others. ‘Dukkhameva uppajjamānaṁ uppajjati, dukkhaṁ nirujjhamānaṁ nirujjhatī’ti na kaṅkhati na vicikicchati aparapaccayā ñāṇamevassa ettha hoti.

This is how right view is defined. Ettāvatā kho, kaccāna, sammādiṭṭhi hoti.

‘All exists’: this is one extreme. ‘Sabbamatthī’ti kho, kaccāna, ayameko anto.

‘All does not exist’: this is the second extreme. ‘Sabbaṁ natthī’ti ayaṁ dutiyo anto.

Avoiding these two extremes, the Realized One teaches by the middle way: Ete te, kaccāna, ubho ante anupagamma majjhena tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti:

‘Ignorance is a requirement for choices. ‘avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā; Choices are a requirement for consciousness. … saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṁ …pe… That is how this entire mass of suffering originates. evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.

When ignorance fades away and ceases with nothing left over, choices cease. Avijjāya tveva asesavirāganirodhā saṅkhāranirodho; When choices cease, consciousness ceases. … saṅkhāranirodhā viññāṇanirodho …pe… That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.’” evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hotī’”ti.

Pañcamaṁ.