Some inauthentic passages in the Early Buddhist Texts

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84

Similar, but not really identical. At MN 47, the shift accompanies a change in phrasing for that section. And the text makes it clear that it is not incidental: as well as using “venerable”, it also uses bhikkhu, so it is clearly deliberately phrased as applying to any mendicant rather than just the Buddha. In this way, regardless of whether it is original or not, it is a meaningful difference and thus it is reasonable to assume it was deliberate.

Now, this may have been a feature of the original text; not every quirk is a sign of lateness. So far as I know, the different passage doesn’t correspond to any specific other text. So I don’t have any particular opinion in this case; it could have been a simple shift in phrasing, or it could be a sign of a patchwork text.

In DN 23 we have the specific case that the difference is meaningless: Sakka just shifts from one vocative to the other and then back again. Sometimes such a shift might happen as someone, say, gains greater faith in the Buddha. But if that was the case, they wouldn’t revert. In addition to being obviously arbitrary, it also corresponds with an exact parallel in another sutta.

Taken together, I still maintain that this is simply an editing error, and that such errors are quite unusual.

We can be sure because of this case. It’s obviously a literary conceit, and thus proof that these are found in the EBTs. The lateness of the text is not in doubt; in addition to the factors I mentioned, there’s bunches of other stuff, I couldn’t put in every detail. But the legendary suttas of the Digha clearly constitute a later strata, which is where outright fantasy begins to take flight.

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85

I am not going to insist on a particular take, but I am still not entirely happy with this. There are some really odd quirks in the Pali of MN 47. Here is the passage I was referring to, with Ven. Bodhi’s translation:

Yato naṃ samannesamāno evaṃ jānāti: ‘ye vodātā cak­khu­sota­viññeyyā dhammā, saṃvijjanti te tathāgatassā’ti, tato naṃ uttariṃ samannesati: ‘dīgharattaṃ samāpanno ayamāyasmā imaṃ kusalaṃ dhammaṃ, udāhu ittara­samā­panno’ti? Tamenaṃ samannesamāno evaṃ jānāti: ‘dīgharattaṃ samāpanno ayamāyasmā imaṃ kusalaṃ dhammaṃ, nāyamāyasmā ittara­samā­panno’ti.

When he comes to know this, he investigates him further thus: ‘Has this venerable one attained this wholesome state over a long time or did he attain it recently?’ When he investigates him, he comes to know: ‘This venerable one has attained this wholesome state over a long time; he did not attain it only recently.’

You will no doubt have noticed the inconsistencies here: “investigates him further” clearly refers back to the Tathāgata of the previous paragraph, yet the text then says “this venerable one.” Bhikkhu is only mentioned in the next paragraph, but here too we find the expression “investigates him further.” This still looks like an editing issue to me. But whatever the case, I think we agree that DN 21 is late, and that is what matters.

For now I don’t have any answer to this, and so I am happy to go with your opinion.

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86

Dear Bh. Sujato

Does ‘low-hanging fruit’, mean ‘likely late’, or the opposite?

I’m compiling a list with reasons for considering suttas inauthentic mostly based on the info in this discussion.

To be posted shortly for comment/improvement/additions.

best wishes

87

Low hanging fruit means texts that are obviously late, or include late portions, judged by multiple independent criteria, as agreed by Ven Brahmali and myself.

You’re most welcome to post suggestions here, or, if you prefer, develop your own list.

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88

Hi Alaber

thanks for that post

I agree that attainments 5-9 are not part of the path and 9 is not Nibbāna. For me cessation of perception and feeling is against the First Noble Truth, in that, I understand it to teach that clinging to the aggregates is suffering, not the aggregates themselves. Also that cessation of perception and feeling is against other suttas that teach the ending of all activities is not the Buddha’s teaching.

I do think the Buddha encouraged the development of the 5-9, if one has time and the inclination, as long as one did not cling to them as the goal, as they had recouperative properties, just like the body goes into a coma to try to repair itself. I see cessation of perception and feeling as a self-induced coma.

best wishes

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89

great thanks.

I’ll add the entries and hope the reasons are supplied later.

90

Sure, that sounds good. This will be a slow project, and maybe will not come to anything. But at least it’s a start!

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91

Well I’ve worked on it for a couple of hours and came up with this:

any suggestions as to how best to make it a public document that other’s can change/add to?

92

the links to suttas do not word wrap

I think google docs might be the way to go for open additions

the links wrap in google docs

I’ve set the share features so anyone with the link can edit

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93

Hi all

I’m marking up MN Suttas. The most recent one is MN57. I propose there are inauthentic sections in this sutta.

  1. (Dhamma) At the end of this sutta Seniya the unclothed canine ascetic takes refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma and Bhikkhu-Saṅgha: Pali: https://suttacentral.net/pi/mn57#wp13. It appears ‘saraṇaṃ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca’ occurs around: 12 times in the DN, 16 times in the MN, 13 times in the SN and 10 times in the AN. The reflection on Sangha for developing unshakable faith, is about the Noble Disciples (Sangha), not the Bhikkhu Sangha, as I understand it.

  2. (Dhamma) The fourth type of action seems to promote the goal of his teaching is to end all action, not just unwholesome action.

  3. (Vinaya and consistency) Four month probation is mentioned for those from other religions, but then it seems the Buddha ordained him immediately, saying ‘differences among individuals are known to me’. This seems to be against other texts I remember reading where the Buddha is represented as saying something like ‘I don’t make allowances for personal difference’ (ref?)

please comment

best wishes

94

The three things you mention here are all standard, and not a sign of lateness as far as I’m concerned.

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95

Thanks Bh. Sujato for the clarification of your position. I’ll make a note of that in the spreadsheet.

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96

I would love to hear @sujato or @Brahmali 's opinion of the 5 aggregates formula in DN14 In the Pali Vipassi meditates on DO, then on 5A then refers to his enlightenment in the conversation with Brahma by refering to DO, DA1 omits the 5A, and the textual inconsistency, combined with the absence in the parallel seems to indicate it is most likely an insertion. This has been noted before, by Pande.

DN14:

Then Vipassī thought,
Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa etadahosi:

‘I have discovered the path to awakening. That is:
‘adhigato kho myāyaṁ maggo sambodhāya yadidaṁ—

When name and form cease, consciousness ceases. When consciousness ceases, name and form cease. When name and form cease, the six sense fields cease. When the six sense fields cease, contact ceases. When contact ceases, feeling ceases. When feeling ceases, craving ceases. When craving ceases, grasping ceases. When grasping ceases, continued existence ceases. When continued existence ceases, rebirth ceases. When rebirth ceases, old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress cease.
nāmarūpanirodhā viññāṇanirodho, viññāṇanirodhā nāmarūpanirodho, nāmarūpanirodhā saḷāyatananirodho, saḷāyatananirodhā phassanirodho, phassanirodhā vedanānirodho, vedanānirodhā taṇhānirodho, taṇhānirodhā upādānanirodho, upādānanirodhā bhavanirodho, bhavanirodhā jātinirodho, jātinirodhā jarāmaraṇaṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā nirujjhanti.

That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.’
Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hoti’.

‘Cessation, cessation.’ Such was the vision, knowledge, wisdom, realization, and light that arose in Vipassī, the one intent on awakening, regarding teachings not learned before from another.
‘Nirodho nirodho’ti kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bodhisattassa pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu cakkhuṁ udapādi, ñāṇaṁ udapādi, paññā udapādi, vijjā udapādi, āloko udapādi.

Some time later Vipassī meditated observing rise and fall in the five grasping aggregates.
Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassī bodhisatto aparena samayena pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu udayabbayānupassī vihāsi:

‘Such is form, such is the origin of form, such is the ending of form.
‘iti rūpaṁ, iti rūpassa samudayo, iti rūpassa atthaṅgamo;

Such is feeling, such is the origin of feeling, such is the ending of feeling.
iti vedanā, iti vedanāya samudayo, iti vedanāya atthaṅgamo;

Such is perception, such is the origin of perception, such is the ending of perception.
iti saññā, iti saññāya samudayo, iti saññāya atthaṅgamo;

Such are choices, such is the origin of choices, such is the ending of choices.
iti saṅkhārā, iti saṅkhārānaṁ samudayo, iti saṅkhārānaṁ atthaṅgamo;

Such is consciousness, such is the origin of consciousness, such is the ending of consciousness.’
iti viññāṇaṁ, iti viññāṇassa samudayo, iti viññāṇassa atthaṅgamo’ti,

Meditating like this his mind was soon freed from defilements by not grasping.
tassa pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu udayabbayānupassino viharato na cirasseva anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimuccīti.

Dutiyabhāṇavāro.

  1. The Appeal of Brahmā
  2. Brahmayācanakathā

Then the Blessed One Vipassī, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha, thought,
Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa etadahosi:

‘Why don’t I teach the Dhamma?’
‘yannūnāhaṁ dhammaṁ deseyyan’ti.

Then he thought,
Atha kho, bhikkhave, vipassissa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa etadahosi:

‘This principle I have discovered is deep, hard to see, hard to understand, peaceful, sublime, beyond the scope of logic, subtle, comprehensible to the astute.
‘adhigato kho myāyaṁ dhammo gambhīro duddaso duranubodho santo paṇīto atakkāvacaro nipuṇo paṇḍitavedanīyo.

But people like attachment, they love it and enjoy it.
Ālayarāmā kho panāyaṁ pajā ālayaratā ālayasammuditā.

It’s hard for them to see this thing; that is, specific conditionality, dependent origination.
Ālayarāmāya kho pana pajāya ālayaratāya ālayasammuditāya duddasaṁ idaṁ ṭhānaṁ yadidaṁ idappaccayatāpaṭiccasamuppādo.

It’s also hard for them to see this thing; that is, the stilling of all activities, the letting go of all attachments, the ending of craving, fading away, cessation, extinguishment.
Idampi kho ṭhānaṁ duddasaṁ yadidaṁ sabbasaṅkhārasamatho sabbūpadhipaṭinissaggo taṇhākkhayo virāgo nirodho nibbānaṁ.

And if I were to teach the Dhamma, others might not understand me, which would be wearying and troublesome for me.’
Ahañceva kho pana dhammaṁ deseyyaṁ, pare ca me na ājāneyyuṁ; so mamassa kilamatho, sā mamassa vihesā’ti.

DA1:

  1. “He also thought, ‘Sentient beings are pitiable, always living in darkness and experiencing the physical frailties of birth, old age, illness, and death, that collection of myriad pains. Dying here, they’re born there, and they’re born here after dying there. As a result of this mass of suffering, they cycle around endlessly. When will I comprehend this mass of suffering and extinguish birth, old age, and death?’

  2. “Again, he thought, ‘Where does birth and death come from? What’s the condition for their existence?’ He then wisely examined their source. Old age and death comes from birth. Birth is the condition for old age and death. Birth arises from existence. Existence is the condition for birth. Existence arises from clinging. Clinging is the condition for existence. Clinging arises from craving. Craving is the condition for clinging. Craving arises from feeling. Feeling is the condition for craving. Feeling arises from contact. Contact is the condition for feeling. Contact arises from the six senses. The six senses are the condition for contact. The six senses arise from name and form. Name and form are the condition for the six senses. Name and form arise from consciousness. Consciousness is the condition for name and form. Consciousness arises from volition. Volition is the condition for consciousness. Volition arises from ignorance. Ignorance is the condition for volition.

  3. “‘From the condition of ignorance, there’s volition. Volition is the condition for consciousness. Consciousness is the condition for name and form. Name and form is the condition for the six senses. The six senses are the condition for contact. Contact is the condition for feeling. Feeling is the condition for craving. Craving is the condition for clinging. Clinging is the condition for existence. Existence is the condition for birth. Birth is the condition for old age, illness, death, grief, sorrow, pain, and trouble. This whole mass of suffering exists on the condition of birth. This is the formation of suffering.’

  4. “When the Bodhisattva contemplated the formation of this mass of suffering, knowledge arose, vision arose, awakening arose, insight arose, comprehension arose, wisdom arose, and realization arose.

  5. “The Bodhisattva contemplated this as well: ‘The absence of what would cause the absence of old age and death? The cessation of what would cause the cessation of old age and death?’

  6. “He then wisely observed their origin: ‘Old age and death don’t exist when birth doesn’t exist. Old age and death cease when birth ceases. Birth doesn’t exist when existence doesn’t exist. Birth ceases when existence ceases. Existence doesn’t exist when clinging doesn’t exist. Existence ceases when clinging ceases. Clinging doesn’t exist when craving doesn’t exist. Clinging ceases when craving ceases. Craving doesn’t exist when feeling doesn’t exist. Craving ceases when feeling ceases. Feeling doesn’t exist when contact doesn’t exist. Feeling ceases when contact ceases. Contact doesn’t exist when the six senses don’t exist. Contact ceases when the six senses cease. The six senses don’t exist when name and form don’t exist. The six senses cease when name and form cease. Name and form don’t exist when consciousness doesn’t exist. Name and form cease when consciousness ceases. Consciousness doesn’t exist when volition doesn’t exist. Consciousness ceases when volition ceases. Volition doesn’t exist when ignorance doesn’t exist. Volition ceases when ignorance ceases.

  7. “‘It’s because ignorance ceases that volition ceases. Consciousness ceases because volition ceases. Name and form cease because consciousness ceases. The six senses cease because name and form cease. Contact ceases because the six senses cease. Feeling ceases because contact ceases. Craving ceases because feeling ceases. Clinging ceases because craving ceases. Existence ceases because clinging ceases. Birth ceases because existence ceases. Old age, death, grief, sorrow, pain, and trouble cease because birth ceases.’

  8. When the Bodhisattva contemplated the cessation of this mass of suffering, knowledge arose, vision arose, awakening arose, insight arose, comprehension arose, wisdom arose, and realization arose.”

  9. “The Bodhisattva observed these twelve causal conditions in forward and reverse order. When he truly knew and saw them, he rose from his seat and achieved the supreme, correct, and perfect awakening.”

  10. The Buddha then spoke in verse:

  • “I’ll explain this to the assembly;
    All of you should listen well.
    Past bodhisattvas observe
    Principles never heard before.
  • ‘What’s the condition for old age and death?
    What are causes for them to exist?’
    Having thus correctly observed them,
    He knew the roots of their arising.
  • ‘What condition is the root of birth?
    What causes it to exist?’
    Having thus contemplated it,
    He knew that birth arises from existence.
  • Clinging to this, clinging to that,
    One cycles to further existences.
    Therefore, the Tathāgata teaches
    That clinging is the condition for existence.
  • It’s like a pile of refuse
    That the wind blows all around.
    Thus, clinging causes clinging,
    Which proliferates because of craving.
  • Craving arises from feelings
    And the snare of suffering takes root.
    Conditioned by its defilement,
    Pain and pleasure are associated with it.
  • ‘What condition is the root of feeling?
    What causes feeling to exist?’
    Having contemplated this,
    He knew feeling arises from contact.
  • ‘What condition is the root of contact?
    What causes contact to exist?’
    Having contemplated this,
    [He knew] contact arises from the six senses.
  • ‘What condition is the root of the six senses?
    What causes the six senses to exist?’
    Having contemplated this,
    [He knew] six senses arise from name and form.
  • ‘What condition is the root of name and form?
    What causes name and form to exist?’
    Having contemplated this,
    [He knew] name and form arise from consciousness.
  • ‘What condition is the root of consciousness?
    What causes consciousness to exist?’
    Having contemplated this,
    He knew consciousness arises from volition.
  • ‘What condition is the root of volition?
    What causes volition to exist?’
    Having contemplated this,
    He knew that volition arises from ignorance.
  • Such causes and conditions
    Are called the true meaning of causation.
    Observing it with wisdom and skill,
    One can see the root of dependent origination.
  • Suffering is not a noble creation,
    Nor does it exist without reason.
    Therefore, the discomfort of change
    Is what wise people eliminate.
  • If ignorance completely ceases,
    Then there’s no volition.
    If there isn’t any volition,
    Then there isn’t any consciousness, either.
  • If consciousness forever ceases,
    There isn’t any name and form.
    When name and form have ceased,
    Then there aren’t any senses.
  • If the senses are forever ceased,
    Then there isn’t any contact.
    If contact is forever ceased,
    Then there isn’t any feeling, either.
  • If feeling is forever ceased,
    Then there isn’t any craving.
    If craving is forever ceased,
    Then there isn’t any clinging, either.
  • If clinging is forever ceased,
    Then there isn’t any existence.
    If existence is forever ceased,
    Then there isn’t any birth, either.
  • If birth is forever ceased,
    There’s no old age, illness, or mass of suffering.
    The complete and eternal end of this,
    That’s what is taught by the wise.
  • These twelve conditions are profound,
    Hard to see, and hard to recognize.
    Only a buddha can fully realize:
    ‘Depending on this, that exists or doesn’t exist.’
  • If someone can examine this themselves,
    Then they won’t have various feelings.
    With a profound vision of dependent origination
    They won’t seek teachers outside themselves.
  • Regarding the aggregates, elements, and senses,
    They’re secluded from desire and undefiled.
    They’re worthy of all gifts
    And grace their benefactors with pure rewards.
  • Attaining four techniques of discernment,
    They win the realization of certainty.
    Able to free themselves from many bonds,
    They sever them with carefulness.
  • Form, feeling, conception, volition, and consciousness,
    They are like a rotten, old cart.
    Honestly examining this principle,
    One achieves the correct and perfect awakening.
  • Like a bird flying in the sky,
    Following the wind east or west,
    The Bodhisattva cut the many bonds;
    He was like a light cloth waving in the breeze.
  • Vipaśyin in quietude
    Examined these things:
    ‘What’s the condition for old age and death to exist?
    What would cause them to cease?’
  • After he had examined this,
    Pure wisdom arose in him.
    He knew old age and death come from birth,
    And old age and death cease when birth does.

Brahmā’s Request

  1. “When the Buddha Vipaśyin first achieved awakening, he often cultivated two contemplations: The contemplation of peace and the contemplation of escape.”

  2. The Buddha then spoke in verse:

  • “The Tathāgata, being equal to the unequalled,
    Often cultivated two contemplations:
    That of peace and that of escape.
    The sage had crossed over to the other shore.
  • His mind attained freedom,
    Having severed the many bonds.
    Climbing the mountain, he looked in all directions,
    So he was called ‘Vipaśyin.’
  • The light of great wisdom destroys darkness
    Like illuminating oneself with a mirror.
    He eliminated anguish for the world,
    Ended the suffering of birth, old age, and death.
  1. “In a quiet place, Buddha Vipaśyin again had this thought: ‘Now, I’ve attained this unsurpassed teaching that’s profound, subtle, hard to understand, hard to see, calming, pure, known by the wise, and not within the reach of ordinary fools. This is because sentient beings acknowledge different things, have different views, accept different things, and have different trainings. Based on their different views, they each pursue what delights them and study their professions. They therefore can’t understand this profound dependent origination, but nirvāṇa’s end of craving is twice as hard to know. If I were to teach it, they surely wouldn’t understand, and I’d be troubled by it.’ After having this thought, he remained silent and didn’t go on to teach the Dharma.

I am not suggesting here that 5A is a late doctrine, just that it is obviously inserted into this particular sutta at a later stage.

Metta.

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98

I think you may very well be right about this. I cannot recall any other instance in the suttas where the contemplation of the five aggregates follows insight into DO. The reason for this is fairly obvious. Insight into dependent origination is no different from seeing the origination and passing away of the five khandhas, especially the deeper aspect of this. DO is a description of the dynamic process of the five khandhas and how this process perpetuates suffering. Once you see DO, contemplating the five khandhas is redundant.

I should perhaps add that the above is not a final refutation of the presentation in DN 14. You could make the case that seeing DO is streamentry, and then contemplating the five khandhas takes you all the to arahantship. But this seems unlikely to me. The distinction between streamentry and arahantship is not usually made when it comes to Buddhas. Moreover, either of these contemplations has the power to take you to the end of the path. All in all, especially given the arguments that you make, I would say we can say with a fairly high degree of confidence that this is a later insertion.

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99

“Usually” is doing some work here. In the Dhammacakka, the Buddha described his experience in terms of “This is the noble truth … The noble truth should be … The noble truth has been …”, which corresponds exactly to the stream-enterer who sees the truths, the sekha who fulfills the practice regarding the truths, and the arahant who has completed the task. I would argue that this is intended from the beginning as the overall structure of the awakening experience for everyone, including of course, Buddhas. Every other aspect of the Buddha’s path is just the same as it is for everyone else, why should this be any different?

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100

You have a point. Still, I don’t think it’s cut and dried. To me it seems reasonable to think that someone who is not following a clearly defined path might experience the results of practice differently from someone who is. What I mean is that following a teacher out of faith might be more conducive to a gradual awakening to the truth than having to discover it all yourself. When you are on your own, you would presumably have to build up evidence until it becomes so overwhelming that you have one massive breakthrough. In the case of the Buddha, this would have been his accumulated wisdom gained through his practice of strict asceticism combined with his samādhi experience as a child. “I realised this is the path to Awakening (i.e., the jhānas).” He then recalled his past lives, which would have given him a deep insight into suffering. (In fact, I cannot see any good reason why we don’t render the tevijjā as the three insights. To my mind, these are the big ones.) He then turned his attention to the mechanism behind the process of rebirth, that is, kamma, which would have made it clear that this is an impersonal process, driven by conditions that in the end are outside of our control. This would have been truly scary and off-putting. At this point he was ready for Awakening. With all his accumulated insight, it seems to me that he might very well make the breakthrough in one go.

For a disciple you follow a path which tends to be gentler. You don’t need the same insight into power of samādhi. There is no evidence that you need to recall your past lives to become an arahant, let alone a stream-enterer. And because you have accumulated less evidence, your progress is likely to be more gradual.

There is also a relevant suttas at AN 9.12, where the Buddha says he has not mentioned the lower stages of Awakening until that point, because he had been afraid his disciples might be satisfied with half-way results. This suggests that his earlier teachings, including the first discourse, did not actually concern a gradual Awakening.

I think it is possible to interpret the exposition in the Dhammacakka as referring to a single insight. I would say the Buddha Awakened to the idea of a gradual and sequential understanding, but that his own insight happened all at once, or at least in very quick succession.

What do you say?

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101

I was wondering about SN 35.235 It seems to me an example of skillful means, which I take to mean rhetoric. And then I was wondering whether or not the visible emergence of rhetoric shouldn’t be dated to the Mauryan Empire. At any rate, I found it ambiguous.

102

Is this suggesting Gotama became an Arahant/Buddha in SN 12.10?

AN 3.61 unambiguously equates the four noble truths with dependent origination.

SN 56.11 = stream-entry of Kondanna via insight into 4NT/DO.
SN 22.59 = arahantship of Kondanna via insight into five aggregates.

103

AN 3.61 also unambiguously equates the four noble truths with a logically prior understanding of the five aggregates:

And what is the noble truth of suffering?
Katamañca, bhikkhave, dukkhaṁ ariyasaccaṁ?

Rebirth is suffering; old age is suffering; death is suffering; sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress are suffering; association with the disliked is suffering; separation from the liked is suffering; not getting what you wish for is suffering. In brief, the five grasping aggregates are suffering.
Jātipi dukkhā, jarāpi dukkhā, (…) maraṇampi dukkhaṁ, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsāpi dukkhā, appiyehi sampayogo dukkho, piyehi vippayogo dukkho, yampicchaṁ na labhati tampi dukkhaṁ. Saṅkhittena pañcupādānakkhandhā dukkhā.

This is called the noble truth of suffering.
Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, dukkhaṁ ariyasaccaṁ.

So it doesn’t make sense on your account to claim that the 4NT/Do comes first at stream entry and the 5A comes later at awakening.

Next, SN56.11 unambiguously states that it is the 4NT(DO) that the Buddha awakens to:

As long as my true knowledge and vision about these four noble truths was not fully purified in these three perspectives and twelve aspects, I didn’t announce my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its gods, Māras, and Brahmās, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans.
Yāvakīvañca me, bhikkhave, imesu catūsu ariyasaccesu evaṁ tiparivaṭṭaṁ dvādasākāraṁ yathābhūtaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ na suvisuddhaṁ ahosi, neva tāvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya ‘anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddho’ti paccaññāsiṁ.

But when my true knowledge and vision about these four noble truths was fully purified in these three perspectives and twelve aspects, I announced my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its gods, Māras, and Brahmās, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans.
Yato ca kho me, bhikkhave, imesu catūsu ariyasaccesu evaṁ tiparivaṭṭaṁ dvādasākāraṁ yathābhūtaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ suvisuddhaṁ ahosi, athāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya ‘anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddho’ti paccaññāsiṁ.

Knowledge and vision arose in me:
Ñāṇañca pana me dassanaṁ udapādi:

‘My freedom is unshakable; this is my last rebirth; now there’ll be no more future lives.’”
‘akuppā me vimutti, ayamantimā jāti, natthi dāni punabbhavo’”ti.

Kd1 also describes the awakening in terms of the DO, not in terms of the 5A

MN26 also identifies the awakening with DO not with 5A:

Knowledge and vision arose in me:
Ñāṇañca pana me dassanaṁ udapādi:

‘My freedom is unshakable; this is my last rebirth; now there are no more future lives.’
‘akuppā me vimutti, ayamantimā jāti, natthi dāni punabbhavo’ti.

Then it occurred to me,
Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, etadahosi:

‘This principle I have discovered is deep, hard to see, hard to understand, peaceful, sublime, beyond the scope of logic, subtle, comprehensible to the astute.
‘adhigato kho myāyaṁ dhammo gambhīro duddaso duranubodho santo paṇīto atakkāvacaro nipuṇo paṇḍitavedanīyo.

But people like attachment, they love it and enjoy it.
Ālayarāmā kho panāyaṁ pajā ālayaratā ālayasammuditā.

It’s hard for them to see this thing; that is, specific conditionality, dependent origination.
Ālayarāmāya kho pana pajāya ālayaratāya ālayasammuditāya duddasaṁ idaṁ ṭhānaṁ yadidaṁ—idappaccayatā paṭiccasamuppādo.

MN128 seems to identify awakening with samadhi, but appears late, making a distinction between vitacca and vicara that is not in the early descriptions of jhana.

SN 14.31 asserts that the awakening is equivalent to the insight into the danger, gratification and escape of the four elements of earth air fire and water:

As long as I didn’t truly understand these four elements’ gratification, drawback, and escape in this way for what they are, I didn’t announce my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its gods, Māras, and Brahmās, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans.
Yāvakīvañcāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imāsaṁ catunnaṁ dhātūnaṁ evaṁ assādañca assādato ādīnavañca ādīnavato nissaraṇañca nissaraṇato yathābhūtaṁ na abbhaññāsiṁ, neva tāvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddhoti paccaññāsiṁ.

But when I did truly understand these four elements’ gratification, drawback, and escape in this way for what they are, I announced my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its gods, Māras, and Brahmās, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans.
Yato ca khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imāsaṁ catunnaṁ dhātūnaṁ evaṁ assādañca assādato ādīnavañca ādīnavato nissaraṇañca nissaraṇato yathābhūtaṁ abbhaññāsiṁ, athāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddhoti paccaññāsiṁ.

Knowledge and vision arose in me:
Ñāṇañca pana me dassanaṁ udapādi:

‘My freedom is unshakable; this is my last rebirth; now there’ll be no more future lives.’”
‘akuppā me vimutti, ayamantimā jāti, natthi dāni punabbhavo’”ti.

SN22.26 makes the same claim (of the drawback, gratification and escape) but with the 5A instead of the four elements.

SN35.13 makes the same claim (that insight was into the drawback, gratification and escape) but with the six sense bases.

Sn 48.21 makes the same claim but about the five faculties.

AN 3.104 makes the same claim, but about the world.

All this is to say that the Buddha’s awakening is described in multiple different places in multiple different ways, but it is much more common to see it described as insight into DO, the 4NT, or the drawback, gratification and escape than it is to see it in terms of the 5A.

It also demonstrates that trying to defend a claim about the specific doctrine that is in question regarding the awakening is a fools errand, and the suttas clearly indicate that any number of different descriptions (in terms of 12DO, 10DO, the 4NT, the 5 senses, the 4 elements, the world, etc) are equally valid as far as the canon is concerned.

104

AN 3.61 says:

And what is the noble truth of the origin of suffering? Ignorance is a condition for choices. Choices are a condition for consciousness. Consciousness is a condition for name and form. Name and form are conditions for the six sense fields. The six sense fields are conditions for contact. Contact is a condition for feeling. Feeling is a condition for craving. Craving is a condition for grasping. Grasping is a condition for continued existence. Continued existence is a condition for rebirth. Rebirth is a condition for old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress to come to be. That is how this entire mass of suffering originates. This is called the noble truth of the origin of suffering.

And what is the noble truth of the cessation of suffering? When ignorance fades away and ceases with nothing left over, choices cease. When choices cease, consciousness ceases. When consciousness ceases, name and form cease. When name and form cease, the six sense fields cease. When the six sense fields cease, contact ceases. When contact ceases, feeling ceases. When feeling ceases, craving ceases. When craving ceases, grasping ceases. When grasping ceases, continued existence ceases. When continued existence ceases, rebirth ceases. When rebirth ceases, old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress cease. That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases. This is called the noble truth of the cessation of suffering.

The 1st noble truth seems to be about comprehending attachment to the aggregates rather than about comprehending their impermanence. It says:

In brief, the five grasping aggregates are suffering.

Note: the word “grasping” (“upadana”) above is an adjective rather than a verb. It seems more clearly translated as “aggregates subjected to grasping”. In short, the 1st noble truth seems to be about the full comprehension of grasping (upadana) rather than about the full comprehension of impermanence.

Keep in mind your objection to DN 14 was about: “observing rise and fall in the five grasping aggregates”. :face_with_open_eyes_and_hand_over_mouth: