Thus have I heard - At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling among the Vajji people, in the village of Bhaṇḍa. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus, saying: "Bhikkhus!"

"Venerable sir," the bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this:

"Bhikkhus, it is because of misunderstanding and not penetrating four principles, both you and I have wandered and undergone this journey of cyclic existence for a long time. What four?

1 Bhikkhus, it is because of misunderstanding and not penetrating noble ethical conduct that both you and I have wandered and undergone this long journey of cyclic existence for a long time.

2 Bhikkhus, it is because of misunderstanding and not penetrating noble collectedness that both you and I have wandered and undergone this long journey of cyclic existence for a long time.

3 Bhikkhus, it is because of misunderstanding and not penetrating noble wisdom that both you and I have wandered and undergone this long journey of cyclic existence for a long time.

4 Bhikkhus, it is because of misunderstanding and not penetrating noble liberation that both you and I have wandered and undergone this long journey of cyclic existence for a long time.

But now, bhikkhus, having understood and penetrated noble ethical conduct, noble collectedness, noble wisdom, and noble liberation; the craving for existence is severed, the conduit to existence is completely exhausted; there is now no more renewed existence."

The Blessed One said this. Having spoken thus, the Well-Gone One further said this:

"Ethical conduct, collectedness, wisdom, and unsurpassed liberation; These principles have been understood, by Gotama, the illustrious one.

Thus, the Buddha, having directly known, clarified the Dhamma to the bhikkhus; The teacher, the end maker of suffering, the one with vision, has completely quenched [mental defilements]."