Ru-Yi Meditation Center
Saṃyutta Nikāya · Discourse 56.12

The Realized Ones

Tathāgatasutta — Dhammacakkappavattanavagga

Setting
Not given — continuing directly from SN 56.11's own setting
Speaker
The Buddha, addressing the mendicants directly
Form
The twelve-aspect formula given in full for each of the four truths in turn
Length
2–3 minutes to read
Northern parallel
No individual parallel confirmed by this project's own check
Significance
★★★★★ — the second discourse of Vagga 2, restating the doctrinal core of SN 56.11 itself, the first sermon

Why this discourse

Confirmed by direct reading, this discourse restates the same twelve-aspect structure (“three turnings, twelve aspects,” a phrase this project recognizes from the wider tradition though not quoted verbatim here) at the doctrinal heart of SN 56.11: for each of the four truths, vision, knowledge, wisdom, realization, and light arose regarding what it is, what should be done about it, and that this has been done — here attributed not to “I” (as in the first sermon) but to “tathāgatānaṁ,” Realized Ones generally.

Reading guide

The first sermon's own core, restated in the third person

This project's own direct comparison: SN 56.11 (already published on this site) gives this same twelve-aspect structure in the first person, as the Buddha's own personal account of his own awakening; this discourse restates the identical structure using the plural “tathāgatānaṁ” (“of the Realized Ones”), generalizing the claim beyond the Buddha's own single case.

Three phases for each truth

This project's own reading of the pattern repeated four times: for each truth, the text names (1) that this is the truth, (2) what should be done regarding it (completely understood, given up, realized, or developed, depending on the truth), and (3) that this has indeed been done — three phases, four truths, twelve aspects in total.

Key terms

tathāgatānaṁ pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu cakkhuṁ udapādi — “the vision that arose in the Realized Ones regarding teachings not learned before from another” — this discourse's own recurring refrain, restated after each of the twelve aspects
ñāṇaṁ, paññā, vijjā, āloko — “knowledge, wisdom, realization, light” — the fourfold elaboration of “vision” (cakkhu), all five terms naming the same arising
pariññeyyaṁ...pahātabbaṁ...sacchikātabbaṁ...bhāvetabbaṁ — “should be completely understood...given up...realized...developed” — the four distinct tasks attached to the four truths respectively (suffering, its origin, its cessation, the path)
pariññātaṁ...pahīnaṁ...sacchikataṁ...bhāvitaṁ — “has been completely understood...given up... realized...developed” — the same four tasks, now confirmed as accomplished
dutiyaṁ — “the second” — this discourse's own root text confirming its own position directly, read rather than assumed

The text

Every genuinely translated fragment given in the consulted English source, which itself compresses the recurring refrain with an elision after its first full statement. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).

§1“‘This is the noble truth of suffering.’ Such was the vision, knowledge, wisdom, realization, and light that arose in the Realized Ones regarding teachings not learned before from another. ‘This noble truth of suffering should be completely understood.’ … ‘This noble truth of suffering has been completely understood.’ …

§2‘This is the noble truth of the origin of suffering.’ … ‘This noble truth of the origin of suffering should be given up.’ … ‘This noble truth of the origin of suffering has been given up.’ …

§3‘This is the noble truth of the cessation of suffering.’ … ‘This noble truth of the cessation of suffering should be realized.’ … ‘This noble truth of the cessation of suffering has been realized.’ …

§4‘This is the noble truth of the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering.’ … ‘This noble truth of the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering should be developed.’ … ‘This noble truth of the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering has been developed.’ Such was the vision, knowledge, wisdom, realization, and light that arose in the Realized Ones regarding teachings not learned before from another.”

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Self-check quiz

3 questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.

Question 1 of 3
How does this discourse's own claim differ from SN 56.11's own claim, per this project's own direct comparison?
Correct: A. Confirmed by direct comparison — the same structure, generalized from "I" to "the Realized Ones."
Question 2 of 3
What four distinct tasks does this discourse attach to the four truths respectively?
Correct: A. Confirmed by direct reading — suffering is understood, its origin given up, its cessation realized, the path developed.
Question 3 of 3
What position does this discourse occupy in this vagga's own ten-discourse sequence?
Correct: A. Confirmed by direct reading of the root text's own closing marker "Dutiyaṁ" ("second").
Answered 0 of 3 · Correct 0

Further reading

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