Once upon a time, the Blessed One was dwelling in Rājagaha, on the Vulture Peak Mountain.

Then the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus, "Come, bhikkhus, let us approach the Inspiration Peak for the day's abiding."

"Yes, venerable sir," those bhikkhus responded to the Blessed One. Thereupon, the Blessed One, together with several bhikkhus, approached the Inspiration Peak.

There, a certain bhikkhu saw a great precipice at the Inspiration Peak and, having seen it, said to the Blessed One, "This, venerable sir, is a great precipice, truly frightening, venerable sir. Is there, venerable sir, another precipice greater and more terrifying than this one?"

"There is, bhikkhu, another precipice that is greater and more terrifying than this one."

"And what, venerable sir, is another precipice greater and more terrifying than this one?"

"Whatever ascetics or brahmins who do not understand as it truly is, 'This is suffering,' who do not understand as it truly is, 'This is the arising of suffering,' who do not understand as it truly is, 'This is the ending of suffering,' and who do not understand as it truly is, 'This is the way of practice leading to the ending of suffering,' they delight in volitional formations leading to rebirth, in volitional formations leading to aging, in volitional formations leading to death, and in volitional formations leading to sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. Delighting in volitional formations leading to rebirth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair, they choose to act on these volitional formations. Having acted on these volitional formations leading to rebirth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair, they fall into the precipice of rebirth, the precipice of aging, the precipice of death, and the precipice of sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. They do not escape from birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. I say, 'They do not escape from suffering.'

And those ascetics or brahmins who understand as it truly is, 'This is suffering,' who understand as it truly is, 'This is the arising of suffering,' who understand as it truly is, 'This is the ending of suffering,' and who understand as it truly is, 'This is the way of practice leading to the ending of suffering,' they do not delight in volitional formations leading to rebirth, aging, death, and sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. Not delighting in these volitional formations, they do not choose to act on these volitional formations. Not acting on these volitional formations leading to rebirth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair, they do not fall into the precipice of rebirth, the precipice of aging, the precipice of death, and the precipice of sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. They escape from birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. I say, 'They escape from 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.'"