The Buddha describes his quest for gratification in the world, drawback in the world, and the escape from it. He subsequently experientially realized gratification, drawback, and escape as they truly are, leading to his unshakable liberation.
“Lokassāhaṁ, bhikkhave, assādapariyesanaṁ acariṁ. Yo loke assādo tadajjhagamaṁ. Yāvatako loke assādo, paññāya me so sudiṭṭho. Lokassāhaṁ, bhikkhave, ādīnavapariyesanaṁ acariṁ. Yo loke ādīnavo tadajjhagamaṁ. Yāvatako loke ādīnavo, paññāya me so sudiṭṭho. Lokassāhaṁ, bhikkhave, nissaraṇapariyesanaṁ acariṁ. Yaṁ loke nissaraṇaṁ tadajjhagamaṁ. Yāvatakaṁ loke nissaraṇaṁ, paññāya me taṁ sudiṭṭhaṁ.
“Bhikkhus, I set out |seeking::searching, on a quest of, inquiring, in pursuit of [pariyesanā]| |gratification::satisfaction, pleasure, enjoyment, sweetness [assāda]| in the world. Whatever gratification there is in the world, I |obtained that::got that [tadajjhagamā]|. I have clearly seen with wisdom as far as gratification in the world extends. I set out seeking |drawback::disadvantage, unsatisfactoriness, inadequacy, danger [ādīnava]| in the world. Whatever drawback there is in the world, I found that. I have clearly seen with wisdom as far as drawback in the world extends. I set out seeking |escape::way out, remedy [nissaraṇa]| from the world. Whatever escape there is in the world, I found that. I have clearly seen with wisdom as far as escape from the world extends.
Yāvakīvañcāhaṁ, bhikkhave, lokassa assādañca assādato ādīnavañca ādīnavato nissaraṇañca nissaraṇato yathābhūtaṁ nābbhaññāsiṁ, neva tāvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya ‘anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddho’ti paccaññāsiṁ.
Bhikkhus, as long as I did not |experientially understand::directly knew, realized [abbhaññāsi]|, |as they truly are::as they have come to be, in reality [yathābhūta]|, the gratification in the world as gratification, the drawback as drawback, and the escape as escape, I did not claim to have awakened to the unsurpassed perfect awakening in this world with its |deities::gods [devas]|, |Māras::demons, tempters, beings of delusion; lit. causing death [mārake]|, |Brahmas::Gods; celestial beings residing in the Brahmā realms, often considered to be highly refined and long-lived deities. [brahmā]|, among this generation with its ascetics and brahmins, its kings and commoners.
Yato ca khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, lokassa assādañca assādato ādīnavañca ādīnavato nissaraṇañca nissaraṇato yathābhūtaṁ abbhaññāsiṁ, athāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya ‘anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddho’ti paccaññāsiṁ.
But bhikkhus, when I experientially understood, as they truly are, the gratification in the world as gratification, the drawback as drawback, and the escape as escape, only then did I claim to have awakened to the unsurpassed perfect awakening in this world with its deities, Māras, Brahmas, among this generation with its ascetics and brahmins, its kings and commoners.
Ñāṇañca pana me dassanaṁ udapādi: ‘akuppā me vimutti, ayamantimā jāti, natthi dāni punabbhavo’”ti.
|Insight::understanding, knowing [ñāṇa]| and |vision::realization [dassana]| arose in me: ‘My liberation is unshakeable, this is my final birth, now there is no more |renewed existence::renewal of being, reappearance, rebirth, future life [punabbhava]|.’”
“Bhikkhus, I set out |seeking::searching, on a quest of, inquiring, in pursuit of [pariyesanā]| |gratification::satisfaction, pleasure, enjoyment, sweetness [assāda]| in the world. Whatever gratification there is in the world, I |obtained that::got that [tadajjhagamā]|. I have clearly seen with wisdom as far as gratification in the world extends. I set out seeking |drawback::disadvantage, unsatisfactoriness, inadequacy, danger [ādīnava]| in the world. Whatever drawback there is in the world, I found that. I have clearly seen with wisdom as far as drawback in the world extends. I set out seeking |escape::way out, remedy [nissaraṇa]| from the world. Whatever escape there is in the world, I found that. I have clearly seen with wisdom as far as escape from the world extends.
Bhikkhus, as long as I did not |experientially understand::directly knew, realized [abbhaññāsi]|, |as they truly are::as they have come to be, in reality [yathābhūta]|, the gratification in the world as gratification, the drawback as drawback, and the escape as escape, I did not claim to have awakened to the unsurpassed perfect awakening in this world with its |deities::gods [devas]|, |Māras::demons, tempters, beings of delusion; lit. causing death [mārake]|, |Brahmas::Gods; celestial beings residing in the Brahmā realms, often considered to be highly refined and long-lived deities. [brahmā]|, among this generation with its ascetics and brahmins, its kings and commoners.
But bhikkhus, when I experientially understood, as they truly are, the gratification in the world as gratification, the drawback as drawback, and the escape as escape, only then did I claim to have awakened to the unsurpassed perfect awakening in this world with its deities, Māras, Brahmas, among this generation with its ascetics and brahmins, its kings and commoners.
|Insight::understanding, knowing [ñāṇa]| and |vision::realization [dassana]| arose in me: ‘My liberation is unshakeable, this is my final birth, now there is no more |renewed existence::renewal of being, reappearance, rebirth, future life [punabbhava]|.’”
“Lokassāhaṁ, bhikkhave, assādapariyesanaṁ acariṁ. Yo loke assādo tadajjhagamaṁ. Yāvatako loke assādo, paññāya me so sudiṭṭho. Lokassāhaṁ, bhikkhave, ādīnavapariyesanaṁ acariṁ. Yo loke ādīnavo tadajjhagamaṁ. Yāvatako loke ādīnavo, paññāya me so sudiṭṭho. Lokassāhaṁ, bhikkhave, nissaraṇapariyesanaṁ acariṁ. Yaṁ loke nissaraṇaṁ tadajjhagamaṁ. Yāvatakaṁ loke nissaraṇaṁ, paññāya me taṁ sudiṭṭhaṁ.
Yāvakīvañcāhaṁ, bhikkhave, lokassa assādañca assādato ādīnavañca ādīnavato nissaraṇañca nissaraṇato yathābhūtaṁ nābbhaññāsiṁ, neva tāvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya ‘anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddho’ti paccaññāsiṁ.
Yato ca khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, lokassa assādañca assādato ādīnavañca ādīnavato nissaraṇañca nissaraṇato yathābhūtaṁ abbhaññāsiṁ, athāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya ‘anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddho’ti paccaññāsiṁ.
Ñāṇañca pana me dassanaṁ udapādi: ‘akuppā me vimutti, ayamantimā jāti, natthi dāni punabbhavo’”ti.