Knowledge

Iti 40 · Vijjāsutta

Willow branches above a quiet river, with a leaf on a stone.

This was said by the Buddha, the Perfected One: that is what I heard.

“Mendicants, ignorance leads the attainment of unskillful qualities, with lack of conscience and prudence following along. Knowledge leads the attainment of skillful qualities, with conscience and prudence following along.”

The Buddha spoke this matter. On this it is said:

“Bad destinies of whatever kind, in this world or the next, are all rooted in ignorance, compounded of greed and desire.
Since one of corrupt wishes is unconscientious, lacking regard for others, they brim with much wickedness, which sends them to a place of loss.
Therefore, dispelling desire and greed and ignorance, a mendicant arousing knowledge would abandon all bad destinies.”

This too is a matter that was spoken by the Blessed One: that is what I heard.

Connections

Collection & context

ItivuttakaThe collection containing this text
The Pāli canonCanonical collection in which this edition is preserved
Theravāda traditionsTransmission and study context
The early Buddhist communityHistorical and traditional setting

Books

Handful of Leaves: an Anthology from the Sutta PiṭakaEarly Buddhist discourses; Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu (translator and compiler) · Included in anthology

About this edition

Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato · SuttaCentral · CC0

This translation is an expression of an ancient spiritual text that has been passed down by the Buddhist tradition for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is dedicated to the public domain via Creative Commons Zero (CC0). You are encouraged to copy, reproduce, adapt, alter, or otherwise make use of this translation. The translator respectfully requests that any use be in accordance with the values and principles of the Buddhist community. In particular, please do not use this work in AI training datasets, for the development of any AI model or algorithm, or in any AI-derived technologies.

Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader.

The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.