The analysis of the term ariyasacca

1. sadevake bhikkhave loke…...Tathāgato ariyo, tasm ā ariyasacc ān īti vuccanti (S.5.435)

yasmā ariyena tathāgatena paṭividdhattā ca t āni ariyasacc āni honti, tasm ā

ariyassa saccattā ariyasaccāni (SA.3.299)

yasmā pan’ etāni buddhādayo ariyā paṭivijjhanti, tasm ā ariyasacc ān īti vuccanti
(Vism 495)

The word ariya in ariyasacca means the noble ones who are buddhas, etc.

2. samudayasaccaṃ akusalaṃ, maggasaccaṃ kusala ṃ, nirodhasacca ṃ aby ākata ṃ,

dukkhasaccaṃ siyā kusalaṃ siyā akusalaṃ, siyā abyākataṃ (Vibh.112)

This kind of categorization is possible only if sacca means “reality”, if sacca were to
mean “truth“, on the contrary, it would not have made sense to say a particular
truth is wholesome, unwholesome, or neither-wholesome-nor-unwholesome.
3. Abhidhammic methods to classify the Ultimate Reality
(paramattha):
1) khandha, 2) āyatana, 3) dhātu, 4) sacca

Here the four ariyasaccas are one particular method to

classify the Ultimate Reality (paramattha).

4 idaṃ dukkhasamudayaṃ ariyasaccaṃ pahātabbaṃ

(Vin.1.11)
“This sacca, the origin of suffering, which was penetrated
by the noble ones, should be abandoned”.

Here we shouldn’t abandon a truth, but a problematic

“reality”, the reality of suffering (dukkhasacca).
In this manner, the term sacca of ariyasacca should be in-
terpreted as “reality” rather than as “truth”.
The Four Realities penetrated by the noble o
nes (cattāri ariyasaccāni)

• The purpose of the one who properly reno

unces/goes forth is to realize the four ariya
saccas as they really are (catunnaṃ ariyasac
cānaṃ yathābhūtaṃ abhisamayāya, S.5.415)
• samāhita and paṭisallīna know the four ariy
asaccas as they really are (yathābhūtaṃ paj
ānāti, S.5.414).
 The four ariyasaccas
• They can be the object of vitakka. And kām
avitakka, vyāpādavitakka, and vihiṃṃsāvitakka
are defined in opposition to the vitakka of t
he four ariyasaccas (S.5.417-8).
• They can also be the object of cintā (S.5.41
8).

• One who sees one of the four ariyasaccas s

ees the remaining three ariyasaccas (S.5.437)
 dukkhasacca
1. yaṃ aniccaṃ taṃ dukkhaṃ (S.2.53).
2. pañc’ū pādānakkhandha (S.5.425).
3. cha ajjhattikāni āyatanāni (S.5.426).
4. Jāti, jarā, vyādhi, maraṇa, appiyehi samp
ayoga, piyehi vippayoga, yam p’ icchaṃ
na labhati, tam pi dukkhaṃ, pañc’ūpādā
nakkhandha (Vin.1.10).
5. The above plus sokaparidevadukkhadom
anass’upāyāsā (M.3.249).
 Dukkhasacca in Abhidhamma
• (81) mundane cittas.
• (46) cetasikas accompanying these mund
ane cittas.
• (28) materiality.

• It does not cover supramundane cittas a

nd cetasikas.