EssentialsSārasutta

“Mendicants, there are these four essentials.“Cattārome, bhikkhave, sārā. What four?Katame cattāro? Ethics, immersion, wisdom, and freedom are essentials.Sīlasāro, samādhisāro, paññāsāro, vimuttisāro— These are the four essentials.”Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro sārā”ti.

Similar passages elsewhere

Found by meaning, not by citation: the passages in other texts whose wording sits closest to a passage here.

AN 4.146 Times (1st) 0.59near 0.1Numbered Discourses 4.146 15. Brightness Times (1st) “Mendicants, there are these four times. What four? A time for listening to the teaching, a time for discussing the teaching, a time for serenity, and a time for disce…
AN 4.143 Light 0.57near 0.1Numbered Discourses 4.143 15. Brightness Light “Mendicants, there are these four lights. What four? The lights of the moon, sun, fire, and wisdom. These are the four lights. The best of these four lights is the light of…
AN 4.145 Lamps 0.57near 0.1Numbered Discourses 4.145 15. Brightness Lamps “Mendicants, there are these four lamps. What four? The lamps of the moon, sun, fire, and wisdom. These are the four lamps. The best of these four lamps is the lamp of wisdo…
AN 4.151 Faculties 0.57near 0.1Numbered Discourses 4.151 16. Faculties Faculties “Mendicants, there are these four faculties. What four? The faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, and immersion. These are the four faculties.”…
AN 4.161 In Brief 0.56near 0.1Numbered Discourses 4.161 17. Practice In Brief “Mendicants, there are four ways of practice. What four? Painful practice with slow insight, painful practice with swift insight, pleasant practice with slow insight, and p…