The Arahants of the past, present, and future have truly understood the Four Noble Truths.

SN 56.24  Arahanta sutta - Arahants

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

At Sāvatthi.

“Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, atītamaddhānaṁ arahanto sammāsambuddhā yathābhūtaṁ abhisambujjhiṁsu, sabbe te cattāri ariyasaccāni yathābhūtaṁ abhisambujjhiṁsu. Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, anāgatamaddhānaṁ arahanto sammāsambuddhā yathābhūtaṁ abhisambujjhissanti, sabbe te cattāri ariyasaccāni yathābhūtaṁ abhisambujjhissanti. Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, etarahi arahanto sammāsambuddhā yathābhūtaṁ abhisambujjhanti, sabbe te cattāri ariyasaccāni yathābhūtaṁ abhisambujjhanti.

“Whether in the past, present, or future, bhikkhus, all those arahants and Perfectly Awakened Ones have truly understood the four noble truths as they really are. And what are these four? The Noble Truth of |suffering::discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering [dukkha]|, the Noble Truth of the |arising of suffering::source of stress, appearance of discomfort [dukkhasamudaya]|, the Noble Truth of the |end of suffering::ending of discontentment, cessation of distress [dukkhanirodha]|, the Noble Truth of the |way of practice leading to the end of suffering::i.e. the Noble Eightfold Path consisting of right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right collectedness [dukkhanirodhagāmī]|. Just as those in the past have fully understood these truths, so will those in the future, and so do those in the present.

Katamāni cattāri? Dukkhaṁ ariyasaccaṁ, dukkhasamudayaṁ ariyasaccaṁ, dukkhanirodhaṁ ariyasaccaṁ, dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā ariyasaccaṁ. Ye hi, keci, bhikkhave, atītamaddhānaṁ arahanto sammāsambuddhā yathābhūtaṁ abhisambujjhiṁsu …pe… abhisambujjhissanti abhisambujjhanti, sabbe te imāni cattāri ariyasaccāni yathābhūtaṁ abhisambujjhanti.

Therefore, bhikkhus, effort should be made to |fully understand::understand in principle, then discern in each moment and then experientially penetrate|: ‘This is suffering’;
effort should be made to fully understand: ‘This is the arising of suffering’;
effort should be made to fully understand: ‘This is the end of suffering’;
effort should be made to fully understand: ‘This is the way of practice leading to the end of suffering.’”

Last updated on October 22, 2025