SN 56.25  Āsavakkhaya sutta - Wearing Away Of The Taints

“Jānatohaṁ, bhikkhave, passato āsavānaṁ khayaṁ vadāmi, no ajānato apassato. Kiñca, bhikkhave, jānato passato āsavānaṁ khayo hoti?

“Bhikkhus, I proclaim the |wearing away of the taints::gradual exhaustion and elimination of the mental defilements or deep-seated afflictions such as sensual desire, craving for existence, views, and ignorance [āsava + khaya]| for one who knows and sees, not for one who does not know and does not see. What, bhikkhus, does one need to know and see for the wearing away of the mental defilements to occur?

‘Idaṁ dukkhan’ti, bhikkhave, jānato passato āsavānaṁ khayo hoti,

‘This is |suffering::discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering [dukkha]|,’ bhikkhus, by knowing and seeing this, the wearing away of the mental defilements occurs;

‘ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti jānato passato āsavānaṁ khayo hoti,

’This is the arising of suffering,’ by knowing and seeing this, the wearing away of the mental defilements occurs;

‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti jānato passato āsavānaṁ khayo hoti,

‘This is the |end of suffering::ending of discontentment, cessation of distress [dukkhanirodha]|,’ by knowing and seeing this, the wearing away of the mental defilements occurs;

‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti jānato passato āsavānaṁ khayo hoti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, jānato evaṁ passato āsavānaṁ khayo hoti.

’This is 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]|,’ by knowing and seeing this, the wearing away of the mental defilements occurs. Thus, bhikkhus, for one who knows in this way and sees in this way, the wearing away of the mental defilements occurs.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yogo karaṇīyo …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yogo karaṇīyo”ti.

Therefore, here, bhikkhus, one should undertake the task to understand ‘This is suffering’, ‘This is the arising of suffering’, ‘This is the end of suffering’, and ‘This is the way of practice leading to the end of suffering.’”