The Three Knowledges

How so? It’s when a mendicant recollects many kinds of past lives. That is: one, two, three, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, a hundred, a thousand, a hundred thousand rebirths; many eons of the world contracting, many eons of the world expanding, many eons of the world contracting and expanding. They remember: ‘There, I was named this, my clan was that, I looked like this, and that was my food. This was how I felt pleasure and pain, and that was how my life ended. When I passed away from that place I was reborn somewhere else. There, too, I was named this, my clan was that, I looked like this, and that was my food. This was how I felt pleasure and pain, and that was how my life ended. When I passed away from that place I was reborn here.’ And so they recollect their many kinds of past lives, with features and details. This is the first knowledge they achieved. Ignorance was banished and knowledge arose; darkness was banished and light arose, as happens for a meditator who is diligent, keen, and resolute.

Kathañcāhaṁ, bhikkhave, dhammena tevijjaṁ brāhmaṇaṁ paññāpemi, nāññaṁ lapitalāpanamattena? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhubhikkhuUn hombre que ha renunciado a la vida de hogar para vivir una vida de virtud elevada (ver sīla) de acuerdo con el Vinaya en general, y las reglas del Pātimokkha en particular. La raíz de la palabra significa «mendicante», es decir, uno que vive de limosnas. Como el masculino se usa como género por defecto en pali, el término bhikkhu a menudo incluye también a las monjas, por lo que «mendicante» puede usarse como traducción de género neutro. Ver saṅgha, parisā, upasampadā.Ver en el glosario anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarati, seyyathidaṁ—ekampi jātiṁ dvepi jātiyo tissopi jātiyo catassopi jātiyo pañcapi jātiyo dasapi jātiyo vīsampi jātiyo tiṁsampi jātiyo cattālīsampi jātiyo paññāsampi jātiyo jātisatampi jātisahassampi jātisatasahassampi anekepi saṁvaṭṭakappe anekepi vivaṭṭakappe anekepi saṁvaṭṭavivaṭṭakappe: ‘amutrāsiṁ evaṁnāmo evaṅgotto evaṁvaṇṇo evamāhāro evaṁsukhadukkhappaṭisaṁvedī evamāyupariyanto. So tato cuto amutra udapādiṁ. Tatrāpāsiṁ evaṁnāmo evaṅgotto evaṁvaṇṇo evamāhāro evaṁsukhadukkhappaṭisaṁvedī evamāyupariyanto. So tato cuto idhūpapanno’ti. Iti sākāraṁ sauddesaṁ anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarati. Ayamassa paṭhamā vijjāvijjāConocimiento claro; conciencia genuina; ciencia (específicamente, los poderes cognitivos desarrollados a través de la práctica de la inmersión y la sabiduría).Ver en el glosario adhigatā hoti, avijjāavijjāEs la falta de visión clara, el "no saber" o la ceguera espiritual. Se refiere específicamente a la incapacidad de comprender las Cuatro Nobles Verdades y la verdadera naturaleza de la realidad (impermanencia y el no-yo). Es el primer eslabón en el ciclo del origen dependiente. Ver también moha.Ver en el glosario vihatā, vijjā uppannā, tamo vihato, āloko uppanno, yathā taṁ appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato.

How so? Kathañcāhaṁ, bhikkhave, dhammena tevijjaṁ brāhmaṇaṁ paññāpemi, nāññaṁ lapitalāpanamattena? It’s when a mendicant recollects many kinds of past lives. That is: one, two, three, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, a hundred, a thousand, a hundred thousand rebirths; many eons of the world contracting, many eons of the world expanding, many eons of the world contracting and expanding. They remember: ‘There, I was named this, my clan was that, I looked like this, and that was my food. This was how I felt pleasure and pain, and that was how my life ended. When I passed away from that place I was reborn somewhere else. There, too, I was named this, my clan was that, I looked like this, and that was my food. This was how I felt pleasure and pain, and that was how my life ended. When I passed away from that place I was reborn here.’ And so they recollect their many kinds of past lives, with features and details. Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhubhikkhuUn hombre que ha renunciado a la vida de hogar para vivir una vida de virtud elevada (ver sīla) de acuerdo con el Vinaya en general, y las reglas del Pātimokkha en particular. La raíz de la palabra significa «mendicante», es decir, uno que vive de limosnas. Como el masculino se usa como género por defecto en pali, el término bhikkhu a menudo incluye también a las monjas, por lo que «mendicante» puede usarse como traducción de género neutro. Ver saṅgha, parisā, upasampadā.Ver en el glosario anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarati, seyyathidaṁ—ekampi jātiṁ dvepi jātiyo tissopi jātiyo catassopi jātiyo pañcapi jātiyo dasapi jātiyo vīsampi jātiyo tiṁsampi jātiyo cattālīsampi jātiyo paññāsampi jātiyo jātisatampi jātisahassampi jātisatasahassampi anekepi saṁvaṭṭakappe anekepi vivaṭṭakappe anekepi saṁvaṭṭavivaṭṭakappe: ‘amutrāsiṁ evaṁnāmo evaṅgotto evaṁvaṇṇo evamāhāro evaṁsukhadukkhappaṭisaṁvedī evamāyupariyanto. So tato cuto amutra udapādiṁ. Tatrāpāsiṁ evaṁnāmo evaṅgotto evaṁvaṇṇo evamāhāro evaṁsukhadukkhappaṭisaṁvedī evamāyupariyanto. So tato cuto idhūpapanno’ti. Iti sākāraṁ sauddesaṁ anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarati. This is the first knowledge they achieved. Ignorance was banished and knowledge arose; darkness was banished and light arose, as happens for a meditator who is diligent, keen, and resolute. Ayamassa paṭhamā vijjāvijjāConocimiento claro; conciencia genuina; ciencia (específicamente, los poderes cognitivos desarrollados a través de la práctica de la inmersión y la sabiduría).Ver en el glosario adhigatā hoti, avijjāavijjāEs la falta de visión clara, el "no saber" o la ceguera espiritual. Se refiere específicamente a la incapacidad de comprender las Cuatro Nobles Verdades y la verdadera naturaleza de la realidad (impermanencia y el no-yo). Es el primer eslabón en el ciclo del origen dependiente. Ver también moha.Ver en el glosario vihatā, vijjā uppannā, tamo vihato, āloko uppanno, yathā taṁ appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato.

Furthermore, with clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, a mendicant sees sentient beings passing away and being reborn—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place. They understand how sentient beings pass on according to their deeds: ‘These dear beings did bad things by way of body, speech, and mind. They denounced the noble ones; they had wrong view; and they chose to act out of that wrong view. When their body broke up, after death, they were reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. These dear beings, however, did good things by way of body, speech, and mind. They never denounced the noble ones; they had right view; and they chose to act out of that right view. When their body broke up, after death, they were reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.’ And so, with clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, they see sentient beings passing away and being reborn—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place. They understand how sentient beings are reborn according to their deeds. This is the second knowledge they achieved. Ignorance was banished and knowledge arose; darkness was banished and light arose, as happens for a meditator who is diligent, keen, and resolute.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passati cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe, sugate duggate yathākammūpage satte pajānāti: ‘ime vata bhonto sattā kāyaduccaritena samannāgatā vacīduccaritena samannāgatā manoduccaritena samannāgatā ariyānaṁ upavādakā micchādiṭṭhikā micchādiṭṭhikammasamādānā. Te kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapannā. Ime vā pana bhonto sattā kāyasucaritena samannāgatā vacīsucaritena samannāgatā manosucaritena samannāgatā ariyānaṁ anupavādakā sammādiṭṭhikā sammādiṭṭhikammasamādānā. Te kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapannā’ti. Iti dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passati cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe, sugate duggate yathākammūpage satte pajānāti. Ayamassa dutiyā vijjā adhigatā hoti, avijjā vihatā, vijjā uppannā, tamo vihato, āloko uppanno, yathā taṁ appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato.

Furthermore, with clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, a mendicant sees sentient beings passing away and being reborn—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place. They understand how sentient beings pass on according to their deeds: ‘These dear beings did bad things by way of body, speech, and mind. They denounced the noble ones; they had wrong view; and they chose to act out of that wrong view. When their body broke up, after death, they were reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. These dear beings, however, did good things by way of body, speech, and mind. They never denounced the noble ones; they had right view; and they chose to act out of that right view. When their body broke up, after death, they were reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.’ And so, with clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, they see sentient beings passing away and being reborn—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place. They understand how sentient beings are reborn according to their deeds. Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passati cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe, sugate duggate yathākammūpage satte pajānāti: ‘ime vata bhonto sattā kāyaduccaritena samannāgatā vacīduccaritena samannāgatā manoduccaritena samannāgatā ariyānaṁ upavādakā micchādiṭṭhikā micchādiṭṭhikammasamādānā. Te kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapannā. Ime vā pana bhonto sattā kāyasucaritena samannāgatā vacīsucaritena samannāgatā manosucaritena samannāgatā ariyānaṁ anupavādakā sammādiṭṭhikā sammādiṭṭhikammasamādānā. Te kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapannā’ti. Iti dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passati cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe, sugate duggate yathākammūpage satte pajānāti. This is the second knowledge they achieved. Ignorance was banished and knowledge arose; darkness was banished and light arose, as happens for a meditator who is diligent, keen, and resolute. Ayamassa dutiyā vijjā adhigatā hoti, avijjā vihatā, vijjā uppannā, tamo vihato, āloko uppanno, yathā taṁ appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato.

Furthermore, a mendicant realizes the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life, and they live having realized it with their own insight due to the ending of defilements. This is the third knowledge which they achieved. Ignorance was banished and knowledge arose; darkness was banished and light arose, as happens for a meditator who is diligent, keen, and resolute. That’s how I define a brahmin in terms of the teaching as one who is master of the three knowledges, not the other who merely repeats what they are told.”

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññāabhiññāPoderes intuitivos que surgen de la práctica de la concentración: la capacidad de mostrar poderes psíquicos, clarividencia, clariaudiencia, la capacidad de conocer los pensamientos de otros, el recuerdo de vidas pasadas, y el conocimiento que destruye los contaminantes (ver āsava).Ver en el glosario sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati. Ayamassa tatiyā vijjā adhigatā hoti, avijjā vihatā, vijjā uppannā, tamo vihato, āloko uppanno, yathā taṁ appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato. Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhikkhave, dhammena tevijjaṁ brāhmaṇaṁ paññāpemi, nāññaṁ lapitalāpanamattenā”ti.

Furthermore, a mendicant realizes the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life, and they live having realized it with their own insight due to the ending of defilements. Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññāabhiññāPoderes intuitivos que surgen de la práctica de la concentración: la capacidad de mostrar poderes psíquicos, clarividencia, clariaudiencia, la capacidad de conocer los pensamientos de otros, el recuerdo de vidas pasadas, y el conocimiento que destruye los contaminantes (ver āsava).Ver en el glosario sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati. This is the third knowledge which they achieved. Ignorance was banished and knowledge arose; darkness was banished and light arose, as happens for a meditator who is diligent, keen, and resolute. Ayamassa tatiyā vijjā adhigatā hoti, avijjā vihatā, vijjā uppannā, tamo vihato, āloko uppanno, yathā taṁ appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato. That’s how I define a brahmin in terms of the teaching as one who is master of the three knowledges, not the other who merely repeats what they are told.” Evaṁ kho ahaṁ, bhikkhave, dhammena tevijjaṁ brāhmaṇaṁ paññāpemi, nāññaṁ lapitalāpanamattenā”ti.

The Buddha spoke this matter. On this it is said:

Etamatthaṁ bhagavā avoca. Tatthetaṁ iti vuccati:

The Buddha spoke this matter. Etamatthaṁ bhagavā avoca. On this it is said: Tatthetaṁ iti vuccati: