As long as, bhikkhus, the moon and sun do not arise in the world, there is no great light, no great radiance. Then, there is complete darkness, blinding darkness. Neither are night and day discerned, nor months and fortnights, nor seasons and years.

But when, bhikkhus, the moon and sun arise in the world, there is great light, great radiance. Then, there is neither complete darkness nor blinding darkness. Then, night and day are discerned, months and fortnights are discerned, and seasons and years are discerned.

Similarly, bhikkhus, as long as the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, does not arise in the world, there is no great light, no great radiance. Then, there is complete darkness, blinding darkness. There is neither the declaration, nor the teaching, nor the describing, nor the putting forward, nor the revealing, nor the analysis, nor the exposition of the four noble truths.

But when, bhikkhus, the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, arises in the world, there is great light, great radiance. Then, there is neither complete darkness nor blinding darkness. Then, there is the declaration, the teaching, the describing, the putting forward, the revealing, the analysis, and the exposition of the four noble truths. Which four? The noble truth of suffering, the noble truth of the arising of suffering, the noble truth of the ending of suffering, and the noble truth of the way of practice leading to the ending of suffering.

Therefore, bhikkhus, effort should be made to fully understand: '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 ending of suffering'; effort should be made to fully understand: 'This is the way of practice leading to the ending of suffering.'"