[1721] Bhikkhus, as long as the moon and the sun do not arise in the world, for just so long there is no manifestation of great light, of great radiance; then there is blinding darkness, a dense obscuring gloom; for just so long night and day are not discerned, months and fortnights are not discerned, seasons and years are not discerned. But, bhikkhus, when the moon and the sun arise in the world, then there is the manifestation of great light, of great radiance; then there is no blinding darkness, no dense obscuring gloom; then night and day are discerned, months and fortnights are discerned, seasons and years are discerned. In just the same way, bhikkhus, as long as a Tathāgata, an Arahant, a Perfectly Enlightened One (sammāsambuddha), does not arise in the world, for just so long there is no manifestation of great light, of great radiance; then there is blinding darkness, a dense obscuring gloom; for just so long there is no declaring, no teaching, no making known, no establishing, no disclosing, no analysing, no elucidating of the four noble truths (ariyasacca). But, bhikkhus, when a Tathāgata, an Arahant, a Perfectly Enlightened One, arises in the world, then there is the manifestation of great light, of great radiance; then there is no blinding darkness, no dense obscuring gloom; then there is the declaring, the teaching, the making known, the establishing, the disclosing, the analysing, the elucidating of the four noble truths. Of which four? Of the noble truth of suffering (dukkha) … of the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering. Therefore, bhikkhus, an exertion should be made: "This is suffering" … an exertion should be made: "This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.