Ru-Yi Meditation Center
Saṃyutta Nikāya · Discourse 56.29

Should Be Completely Understood

Pariññeyyasutta — Koṭigāmavagga

Setting
Not given — continuing directly from SN 56.28's own setting
Speaker
The Buddha, addressing the mendicants directly
Form
A direct statement of the four truths, a fourfold claim about their own respective tasks, then the standard closing instruction
Length
<1 minute to read
Northern parallel
No individual parallel confirmed by this project's own check
Significance
★★★★ — the ninth of ten discourses, restating as a distinct claim the fourfold task already embedded in SN 56.12's own twelve-aspect formula

Why this discourse

Confirmed by direct reading, this discourse states directly that of the four noble truths, one is to be completely understood (suffering), one given up (its origin), one realized (its cessation), and one developed (the path) — the identical fourfold task already embedded within SN 56.12's own twelve-aspect formula and SN 56.13's own definitions, but here isolated and stated as a claim in its own right.

Reading guide

A familiar structure, made explicit

This project's own direct comparison: SN 56.12 already attributed “pariññeyya, pahātabba, sacchikātabba, bhāvetabba” to the four truths respectively, within its own larger twelve-aspect formula; this discourse extracts that same fourfold assignment and states it on its own, as this discourse's own single, focused claim.

Key terms

atthi ariyasaccaṁ pariññeyyaṁ — “there is one noble truth to be completely understood” — this discourse's own first named task, assigned to suffering
atthi ariyasaccaṁ pahātabbaṁ — “one to be given up” — the second task, assigned to the origin of suffering
atthi ariyasaccaṁ sacchikātabbaṁ — “one to be realized” — the third task, assigned to the cessation of suffering
atthi ariyasaccaṁ bhāvetabbaṁ — “one to be developed” — the fourth task, assigned to the path
navamaṁ — “the ninth” — 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. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).

§1“Mendicants, there are these four noble truths. What four? The noble truths of suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering. These are the four noble truths. Of these four noble truths, there is one to be completely understood, one to be given up, one to be realized, and one to be developed.

§2And which noble truth should be completely understood? The noble truth of suffering should be completely understood. The noble truth of the origin of suffering should be given up. The noble truth of the cessation of suffering should be realized. The noble truth of the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering should be developed.

§3That’s why you should practice meditation …”

· · ·

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
What fourfold task does this discourse assign to the four truths respectively?
Correct: A. Confirmed by direct reading — the standard fourfold assignment, already met within SN 56.12's own formula.
Question 2 of 3
How does this discourse relate to SN 56.12, per this project's own direct comparison?
Correct: A. This project's own reading of a familiar structure made explicit and isolated.
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 "Navamaṁ" ("ninth").
Answered 0 of 3 · Correct 0

Further reading

← PreviousSN 56.28 · The World