Thus I have heard: The Buddha was staying at the Kalandaka Bamboo Grove of Rājagṛha. At the time, Venerable Śāriputra and Venerable Mahākauṣṭhila were on Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa.
Venerable Mahākauṣṭhila rose from meditation in the afternoon and visited Śāriputra. Once they had exchanged greetings and joked in various ways, he withdrew to sit to one side.
Venerable Mahākauṣṭhila said to Śāriputra, “I have a question I’d like to ask if you might have some time to explain it for me?”
Śāriputra said, “Go ahead with your question, sir. I will tell you what I know.”
Venerable Mahākauṣṭhila said to Śāriputra, “There’s the term ‘ignorance.’ What is ignorance? Who possesses this ignorance?”
Śāriputra replied, “Ignorance means to not know. Someone who doesn’t know is ignorant.”
“What is it that they don’t know?”
“They don’t truly know form … the formation of form … the cessation of form, and don’t truly know the path to form’s cessation. They don’t truly know feeling … conception … volition … awareness … the formation of awareness … the cessation of awareness, and don’t truly know the path to awareness’ cessation. Mahākauṣṭhila, they don’t truly know these five acquired aggregates. They don’t see and have no direct realization of them. They are foolish, benighted, and aren’t insightful. This is called ignorance. Someone who achieves this is called ignorant.”
Mahākauṣṭhila also asked, “Śāriputra, [there’s that term ‘insight.’] What is insight? Who possesses this insight?”
Śāriputra said, “[Mahākauṣṭhila,] the term insight means to know. Someone who knows is called insightful.”
Mahākauṣṭhila asked, “What is it that they know?”
Śāriputra said, “They truly know form … the formation of form … the cessation of form, and truly know the path to form’s cessation. They truly know feeling … conception … volition … awareness … the formation of awareness … the cessation of awareness, and truly know the path to awareness’ cessation. Mahākauṣṭhila, they truly know these five acquired aggregates. They see and have insight about them. They are aware, wise, and directly realize it. This is called insight. Someone who achieves this is called insightful.”
Those two proper gentlemen each heard that teaching and were in turn delighted by it. They rose from their seats, and each returned to his home.