Khandhasaṁyutta 127

Linked Discourses 22.127

13. Ignorance

Liable to Originate (2nd)

1 At one time Venerable Sāriputta and Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita were staying near Varanasi in the deer park at Isipatana. …

Mahākoṭṭhita said to Sāriputta:

“Reverend Sāriputta, they speak of this thing called ‘ignorance’. What is ignorance? And how is an ignoramus defined?”

2 “Reverend, it’s when an unlearned ordinary person doesn’t truly understand form, which is liable to originate … liable to vanish … liable to originate and vanish, as form which is liable to originate and vanish.

They don’t truly understand feeling … perception … choices … consciousness, which is liable to originate … liable to vanish … liable to originate and vanish, as consciousness which is liable to originate and vanish.

This is called ignorance. And this is how an ignoramus is defined.”