
Dighajanu Sutta (AN 8:54)
SECTION ONE
16 September 2020 – The Pali League
A Lay Person’s Life: Knowing the Final Truth – “diṭṭhadhammahitāya”
- KEY PALI WORD
- “diṭṭhadhamma”: one who realizes the final truth or correct dhamma
- “hitāya”: benefit, blessing, welfare, reward, a friend
- KEY SUTTA STANZA
- “May the Buddha please teach us the Dhamma in a way that leads to our welfare (diṭṭhadhammahitāya) and happiness in this life and in future lives.”
- Dīghajāṇu Sutta AN 8.54 https://suttacentral.net/an8.54/en/sujato
- PALI TEXT OF SUTTA STANZA
- “Tesaṃ no, bhante, bhagavā amhākaṃ tathā dhammaṃ desetu ye amhākaṃ assu dhammā diṭṭhadhammahitāya diṭṭhadhammasukhāya, samparāyahitāya samparāyasukhāyā ti.”
- Dīghajāṇu Sutta AN 8.54 https://suttacentral.net/an8.54/pli/ms
- LESSON ONE – LAYPERSONS NEED TO KNOW CORRECT DHAMMA
- The Buddha recognized that laypersons are blinded by ignorance (avijja) and world of sensual pleasures (kamabhava).
- He understood that laypersons needed a way out of ignorance, sensual cravings, and dukkha suffering.
- He fully believed that laypersons could escape from ignorance, cravings, and dukkha.