At Sāvatthi.

"I will teach you, bhikkhus, the forty-four bases of knowledge. Listen well and pay close attention; I will speak."

"Indeed, venerable sir," those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said:

"What, bhikkhus, are the forty-four bases of knowledge? Knowledge of aging and death, knowledge of the arising of aging and death, knowledge of the cessation of aging and death, knowledge of the way of practice leading to the cessation of aging and death; knowledge of birth, knowledge of the arising of birth, knowledge of the cessation of birth, knowledge of the way of practice leading to the cessation of birth; knowledge of continued existence, knowledge of the arising of continued existence, knowledge of the cessation of continued existence, knowledge of the way of practice leading to the cessation of continued existence; knowledge of clinging, knowledge of the arising of clinging, knowledge of the cessation of clinging, knowledge of the way of practice leading to the cessation of clinging; knowledge of craving, knowledge of the arising of craving, knowledge of the cessation of craving, knowledge of the way of practice leading to the cessation of craving; knowledge of feeling, knowledge of the arising of feeling, knowledge of the cessation of feeling, knowledge of the way of practice leading to the cessation of feeling; knowledge of contact, knowledge of the arising of contact, knowledge of the cessation of contact, knowledge of the way of practice leading to the cessation of contact; knowledge of the six sense bases, knowledge of the arising of the six sense bases, knowledge of the cessation of the six sense bases, knowledge of the way of practice leading to the cessation of the six sense bases; knowledge of name-and-form, knowledge of the arising of name-and-form, knowledge of the cessation of name-and-form, knowledge of the way of practice leading to the cessation of name-and-form; knowledge of consciousness, knowledge of the arising of consciousness, knowledge of the cessation of consciousness, knowledge of the way of practice leading to the cessation of consciousness; knowledge of volitional formations, knowledge of the arising of volitional formations, knowledge of the cessation of volitional formations, knowledge of the way of practice leading to the cessation of volitional formations. These are called, bhikkhus, the forty-four bases of knowledge.

And what, bhikkhus, is aging and death? The aging is the aging of various beings in their respective species, the wear and tear, the breaking down, the falling apart, the wrinkling, and the decline of life, the maturity of the faculties. This is called aging. The cutting off from, the passing away from, the dissolution of, the disappearance of, the dying, the completion of time, the breaking up of the aggregates, the laying down of the body, of various beings in their respective species. This is called death. Thus, this is aging and this is death; this is called, bhikkhus, aging and death.

The arising of birth is the arising of aging and death; the cessation of birth is the cessation of aging and death; this very Noble Eightfold Path is the way of practice leading to the cessation of aging and death, that is — right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right collectedness.

When, bhikkhus, a noble disciple understands aging and death, understands the arising of aging and death, understands the cessation of aging and death, understands the way of practice leading to the cessation of aging and death, this is his knowledge of the Dhamma. By this Dhamma seen and known directly, immediately, attained and grasped, he transcends the past and the future.

'Whatever ascetics or brahmins in the past fully understood aging and death, the arising of aging and death, the cessation of aging and death, the way of practice leading to the cessation of aging and death, all fully understood in the same way as I do now.

And whatever ascetics or brahmins in the future will fully understand aging and death, the arising of aging and death, the cessation of aging and death, the way of practice leading to the cessation of aging and death, all will fully understand in the same way as I do now.' This is his knowledge by way of inference.

When, bhikkhus, a noble disciple's these two knowledges are purified and cleansed — knowledge of the Dhamma and knowledge by way of inference. This is called, bhikkhus, a noble disciple endowed with right view, endowed with right vision, arrived at this true Dhamma, seeing this true Dhamma, equipped with the trainee's knowledge, equipped with the trainee's wisdom, attained to the stream of the Dhamma, a noble one with penetrative wisdom, stands touching the door to the deathless."

And what, bhikkhus, is birth... what, bhikkhus, is continued existence... what, bhikkhus, is clinging... what, bhikkhus, is craving... what, bhikkhus, is feeling... what, bhikkhus, is contact... what, bhikkhus, are the six sense bases... what, bhikkhus, is name-and-form... what, bhikkhus, is consciousness... what, bhikkhus, are volitional formations? There are these three volitional formations: bodily formations, verbal formations, mental formations. These are called, bhikkhus, volitional formations.

The arising of ignorance is the arising of volitional formations; the cessation of ignorance is the cessation of volitional formations; this very Noble Eightfold Path is the way of practice leading to the cessation of volitional formations, that is — right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right collectedness.

When, bhikkhus, a noble disciple understands volitional formations, understands the arising of volitional formations, understands the cessation of volitional formations, understands the way of practice leading to the cessation of volitional formations, this is his knowledge of the Dhamma. By this Dhamma seen and known directly, immediately, attained and grasped, he transcends the past and the future.

Whatever ascetics or brahmins in the past fully understood volitional formations, the arising of volitional formations, the cessation of volitional formations, the way of practice leading to the cessation of volitional formations, all fully understood in the same way as I do now.

And whatever ascetics or brahmins in the future will fully understand volitional formations, the arising of volitional formations, the cessation of volitional formations, the way of practice leading to the cessation of volitional formations, all will fully understand in the same way as I do now. This is his knowledge by way of inference.

When, bhikkhus, a noble disciple's these two knowledges are purified and cleansed — knowledge of the Dhamma and knowledge by way of inference. This is called, bhikkhus, a noble disciple endowed with right view, endowed with right vision, arrived at this true Dhamma, seeing this true Dhamma, equipped with the trainee's knowledge, equipped with the trainee's wisdom, attained to the stream of the Dhamma, a noble one with penetrative wisdom, stands touching the door to the deathless."