Evaṃ me sutaṃ:

Thus I heard:

Ekaṃ samayaṃ āyasmā nandako sāvatthiyaṃ viharati pubbārāme migāramātupāsāde. Atha kho sāḷho ca migāranattā sāṇo ca sekhuniyanattā yenāyasmā nandako tenupasaṅkamiṃsu; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṃ nandakaṃ abhivādetvā ekamantaṃ nisīdiṃsu. Ekamantaṃ nisinnaṃ kho sāḷhaṃ migāranattāraṃ āyasmā nandako etadavoca:

On one occasion the venerable Nandaka was living at Savatthi in the Eastern Monastery, Migara's Mother's Palace. Then Migara's grandson, Salha, and Pekhuniya's grandson, Rohana, went to the venerable Nandaka, and after salutation they sat down at one side. When they had done so the venerable Nandaka said to Migara's grandson Salha:

Etha tumhe, sāḷhā, mā anussavena, mā paramparāya, mā itikirāya, mā piṭakasampadānena, mā takkahetu, mā nayahetu, mā ākāraparivitakkena, mā diṭṭhinijjhānakkhantiyā, mā bhabbarūpatāya, mā ‘samaṇo no garū’ti. Yadā tumhe, sāḷhā, attanāva jāneyyātha ‘ime dhammā akusalā, ime dhammā sāvajjā, ime dhammā viññugarahitā, ime dhammā samattā samādinnā ahitāya dukkhāya saṃvattantī’ti, atha tumhe sāḷhā pajaheyyātha.

Come, Salha, do not be satisfied with hearsay or with tradition or with legendary lore or with what has come down in scriptures or with conjecture or with logical inference or with weighing evidence or with a liking for a view after pondering it or with someone else's ability or with the thought 'The monk is our teacher.' When you know in yourself 'These things are unprofitable, these things are liable to censure, these things are condemned by the wise, these things, being adopted and put into effect, lead to harm and suffering,' then you should abandon them.

Taṃ kiṃ maññatha, sāḷhā, atthi lobho ti?

— Evaṃ, bhante.

— ‘Abhijjhā’ti kho ahaṃ, sāḷhā, etamatthaṃ vadāmi. Luddho kho ayaṃ, sāḷhā, abhijjhālu pāṇampi hanati, adinnampi ādiyati, paradārampi gacchati, musāpi bhaṇati, parampi tathattāya samādapeti, yaṃ sa hoti dīgharattaṃ ahitāya dukkhāyā ti?

What do you think? Is there greed?

— Yes, venerable sir.

— Covetousness is the meaning of that, I say. Through greed a covetous man kills breathing things, takes what is not given, commits adultery, and utters falsehood, and he gets another to do likewise. Will that be long for his harm and suffering?

— Evaṃ, bhante.

— Yes, venerable sir.

— Taṃ kiṃ maññatha, sāḷhā, atthi doso ti?

— Evaṃ, bhante.

— ‘Byāpādo’ti kho ahaṃ, sāḷhā, etamatthaṃ vadāmi. Duṭṭho kho ayaṃ, sāḷhā, byāpannacitto pāṇampi hanati, adinnampi ādiyati, paradārampi gacchati, musāpi bhaṇati, parampi tathattāya samādapeti, yaṃ sa hoti dīgharattaṃ ahitāya dukkhāyā ti?

— What do you think, is there hate?

— Yes, venerable sir.

— Ill-will is the meaning of that, I say. Through hate a malevolent man kills breathing things, takes what is not given, commits adultery, and utters falsehood, and he gets another to do likewise. Will that be long for his harm and suffering?

— Evaṃ, bhante.

— Yes, venerable sir.

— Taṃ kiṃ maññatha, sāḷhā, atthi moho ti?

— Evaṃ, bhante.

— ‘Avijjā’ti kho ahaṃ, sāḷhā, etamatthaṃ vadāmi. Mūḷho kho ayaṃ, sāḷhā, avijjāgato pāṇampi hanati, adinnampi ādiyati, paradārampi gacchati, musāpi bhaṇati, parampi tathattāya samādapeti, yaṃ sa hoti dīgharattaṃ ahitāya dukkhāyā ti?

— What do you think? Is there delusion?

— Yes, venerable sir.

— Ignorance is the meaning of that, I say. Through ignorance a deluded man kills breathing things, takes what is not given, commits adultery, and utters falsehood, and he gets another to do likewise. Will that be long for his harm and suffering?

— Evaṃ, bhante.

— Yes, venerable sir.

— Taṃ kiṃ maññatha, sāḷhā, ime dhammā kusalā vā akusalā vā ti?

— What do you think? Are these things profitable or unprofitable?

— Akusalā, bhante.

— Sāvajjā vā anavajjā vā ti?

— Sāvajjā, bhante.

— Viññugarahitā vā viññuppasatthā vā ti?

— Viññugarahitā, bhante.

— Samattā samādinnā ahitāya dukkhāya saṃvattanti, no vā? Kathaṃ vā ettha hotī ti?

— Unprofitable, venerable sir.

— Reprehensible or blameless?

— Reprehensible, venerable sir.

— Condemned or commended by the wise?

— Condemned by the wise, venerable sir.

— Being adopted and put into effect, do they lead to harm and suffering, or do they not, or how does it appear to you in this case?

— Samattā, bhante, samādinnā ahitāya dukkhāya saṃvattantīti. Evaṃ no ettha hotī ti.

— Being adopted and put into effect, venerable sir, they lead to harm and suffering. So it appears in this case.

— Iti kho, sāḷhā, yaṃ taṃ avocumhā: ‘etha tumhe, sāḷhā, mā anussavena, mā paramparāya, mā itikirāya, mā piṭakasampadānena, mā takkahetu, mā nayahetu, mā ākāraparivitakkena, mā diṭṭhinijjhānakkhantiyā, mā bhabbarūpatāya, mā ‘samaṇo no garū’ti. Yadā tumhe, sāḷhā, attanāva jāneyyātha: ime dhammā akusalā, ime dhammā sāvajjā, ime dhammā viññugarahitā, ime dhammā samattā samādinnā ahitāya dukkhāya saṃvattantīti, atha tumhe, sāḷhā, pajaheyyāthā’ti, iti yaṃ taṃ vuttaṃ idametaṃ paṭicca vuttaṃ.

— Now that was the reason why I told you 'Come, Salha, do not be satisfied with hearsay or with tradition or with legendary lore or with what has come down in scriptures or with conjecture or with logical inference or with weighing evidence or with a liking for a view after pondering it or with someone else's ability or with the thought 'The monk is our teacher.' When you know in yourself 'These things are unprofitable, these things are liable to censure, these things are condemned by the wise, these things, being adopted and put into effect, lead to harm and suffering,' then you should abandon them.'

Etha tumhe, sāḷhā, mā anussavena, mā paramparāya, mā itikirāya, mā piṭakasampadānena, mā takkahetu, mā nayahetu, mā ākāraparivitakkena, mā diṭṭhinijjhānakkhantiyā, mā bhabbarūpatāya, mā ‘samaṇo no garū’ti. Yadā tumhe, sāḷhā, attanāva jāneyyātha: ‘ime dhammā kusalā, ime dhammā anavajjā, ime dhammā viññuppasatthā, ime dhammā samattā samādinnā hitāya sukhāya saṃvattantī’ti, atha tumhe, sāḷhā, upasampajja vihareyyātha.

Come, Salha, do not be satisfied with hearsay or with tradition or with legendary lore or with what has come down in scriptures or with conjecture or with logical inference or with weighing evidence or with a liking for a view after pondering it or with someone else's ability or with the thought 'The monk is our teacher.' When you know in yourself 'These things are profitable,these things are blameless, these things are commended by the wise, these things, being adopted and put into effect, lead to welfare and happiness,' then you should practice them and abide in them.

— Evaṃ, bhante.

— ‘Anabhijjhā’ti kho ahaṃ, sāḷhā, etamatthaṃ vadāmi. Aluddho kho ayaṃ, sāḷhā, anabhijjhālu neva pāṇaṃ hanati, na adinnaṃ ādiyati, na paradāraṃ gacchati, na musā bhaṇati, parampi na tathattāya samādapeti, yaṃ sa hoti dīgharattaṃ hitāya sukhāyā ti?

— Yes, venerable sir.

— Un·covetousness is the meaning of that, I say. Through non-greed an uncovetous man does not kill breathing things or take what is not given or commit adultery or utter falsehood, and he gets another to do likewise. Will that be long for his welfare and happiness?

— Evaṃ, bhante.

— Yes, venerable sir.

— Taṃ kiṃ maññatha, sāḷhā, atthi adoso ti?

— Evaṃ, bhante.

— ‘Abyāpādo’ti kho ahaṃ, sāḷhā, etamatthaṃ vadāmi. Aduṭṭho kho ayaṃ, sāḷhā, abyāpannacitto neva pāṇaṃ hanati, na adinnaṃ ādiyati, na paradāraṃ gacchati, na musā bhaṇati, parampi na tathattāya samādapeti, yaṃ sa hoti dīgharattaṃ hitāya sukhāyā ti?

— What do you think? Is there non-hate?

— Yes, venerable sir.

— Non ill-will is the meaning of that, I say. Through non ill-will an unmalevolent man does not kill breathing things or take what is not given or commit adultery or utter falsehood, and he gets another to do likewise. Will that be long for his welfare and happiness?

— Evaṃ, bhante.

— Yes, venerable sir.

— Taṃ kiṃ maññatha, sāḷhā, atthi amoho ti?

— Evaṃ, bhante.

— ‘Vijjā’ti kho ahaṃ, sāḷhā, etamatthaṃ vadāmi. Amūḷho kho ayaṃ, sāḷhā, vijjāgato neva pāṇaṃ hanati, na adinnaṃ ādiyati, na paradāraṃ gacchati, na musā bhaṇati, parampi na tathattāya samādapeti, yaṃ sa hoti dīgharattaṃ hitāya sukhāyā ti?

— What do you think? Is there non-delusion?

— Yes, venerable sir.

— True knowledge is the meaning of that, I say. Through non-delusion a man with true knowledge does not kill breathing things or take what is not given or commit adultery or utter falsehood, and he gets another to do likewise. Will that be long for his welfare and happiness?

— Evaṃ, bhante.

— Yes, venerable sir.

— Taṃ kiṃ maññatha, sāḷhā, ime dhammā kusalā vā akusalā vā ti?

— What do you think? Are these things profitable or unprofitable?

— Kusalā, bhante.

— Sāvajjā vā anavajjā vā ti?

— Anavajjā, bhante.

— Viññugarahitā vā viññuppasatthā vā ti?

— Viññuppasatthā, bhante.

— Samattā samādinnā hitāya sukhāya saṃvattanti, no vā? Kathaṃ vā ettha hotī ti?

— Profitable, venerable sir.

— Reprehensible or blameless?

— Blameless, venerable sir.

— Condemned or commended by the wise?

— Commended by the wise, venerable sir.

— Being adopted and put into effect, do they lead to welfare and happiness, or do they not, or how does it appear to you in this case?

— Samattā, bhante, samādinnā hitāya sukhāya saṃvattantīti. Evaṃ no ettha hotī ti.

— Being adopted and put into effect, venerable sir, they lead to welfare and happiness. So it appears to us in this case.

— Iti kho, sāḷhā, yaṃ taṃ avocumhā: ‘etha tumhe, sāḷhā, mā anussavena, mā paramparāya, mā itikirāya, mā piṭakasampadānena, mā takkahetu, mā nayahetu, mā ākāraparivitakkena, mā diṭṭhinijjhānakkhantiyā, mā bhabbarūpatāya, mā ‘samaṇo no garū’ti. Yadā tumhe, sāḷhā, attanāva jāneyyātha: ime dhammā kusalā, ime dhammā anavajjā, ime dhammā viññuppasatthā, ime dhammā samattā samādinnā dīgharattaṃ hitāya sukhāya saṃvattantīti, atha tumhe, sāḷhā, upasampajja vihareyyāthā’ti, iti yaṃ taṃ vuttaṃ idametaṃ paṭicca vuttaṃ.

— Now that was the reason why I told you 'Come, Salha, do not be satisfied with hearsay or with tradition or with legendary lore or with what has come down in scriptures or with conjecture or with logical inference or with weighing evidence or with a liking for a view after pondering it or with someone else's ability or with the thought 'The monk is our teacher.' When you know in yourself "These things are profitable, these things are blameless, these things are commended by the wise, these things, being adopted and put into effect, lead to welfare and happiness," then you should practice them and abide in them'.

Sa kho so, sāḷhā, ariyasāvako evaṃ vigatābhijjho vigatabyāpādo asammūḷho sampajāno patissato mettāsahagatena cetasā ekaṃ disaṃ pharitvā viharati, tathā dutiyaṃ, tathā tatiyaṃ, tathā catutthaṃ, iti uddhamadho tiriyaṃ sabbadhi sabbattatāya sabbāvantaṃ lokaṃ mettāsahagatena cetasā vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyāpajjhena pharitvā viharati. Karuṇāsahagatena cetasā ekaṃ disaṃ pharitvā viharati, tathā dutiyaṃ, tathā tatiyaṃ, tathā catutthaṃ, iti uddhamadho tiriyaṃ sabbadhi sabbattatāya sabbāvantaṃ lokaṃ karuṇāsahagatena cetasā vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyāpajjhena pharitvā viharati. Muditāsahagatena cetasā ekaṃ disaṃ pharitvā viharati, tathā dutiyaṃ, tathā tatiyaṃ, tathā catutthaṃ, iti uddhamadho tiriyaṃ sabbadhi sabbattatāya sabbāvantaṃ lokaṃ muditāsahagatena cetasā vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyāpajjhena pharitvā viharati. Upekkhāsahagatena cetasā ekaṃ disaṃ pharitvā viharati, tathā dutiyaṃ, tathā tatiyaṃ, tathā catutthaṃ, iti uddhamadho tiriyaṃ sabbadhi sabbattatāya sabbāvantaṃ lokaṃ upekkhāsahagatena cetasā vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyāpajjhena pharitvā viharati.

Now a disciple who is ennobled, who has rid himself in this way of covetousness and ill-will, is undeluded, understanding thoroughly, [consistantly] mindful, abides with his heart imbued with loving-kindness extending over one quarter, likewise the second quarter, likewise the third quarter, likewise the fourth quarter, and so above, below, around, and everywhere, and to all as to himself; he abides with his heart abundant, exalted, measureless in loving-kindness without hostility or ill-will extending over the all-encompassing world. He abides with his heart imbued with compassion extending over one quarter, likewise the second quarter, likewise the third quarter, likewise the fourth quarter, and so above, below, around, and everywhere, and to all as to himself; he abides with his heart abundant, exalted, measureless in compassion without hostility or ill-will extending over the all-encompassing world. He abides with his heart imbued with gladness extending over one quarter, likewise the second quarter, likewise the third quarter, likewise the fourth quarter, and so above, below, around, and everywhere, and to all as to himself; he abides with his heart abundant, exalted, measureless in gladness without hostility or ill-will extending over the all-encompassing world. He abides with his heart imbued with equanimity extending over one quarter, likewise the second quarter, likewise the third quarter, likewise the fourth quarter, and so above, below, around, and everywhere, and to all as to himself; he abides with his heart abundant, exalted, measureless in equanimity without hostility or ill-will extending over the all-encompassing world.

So evaṃ pajānāti: ‘atthi idaṃ, atthi hīnaṃ, atthi paṇītaṃ, atthi imassa saññāgatassa uttari nissaraṇa’nti. Tassa evaṃ jānato evaṃ passato kāmāsavāpi cittaṃ vimuccati, bhavāsavāpi cittaṃ vimuccati, avijjāsavāpi cittaṃ vimuccati; vimuttasmiṃ ‘vimuttami’ti ñāṇaṃ hoti. ‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṃ brahmacariyaṃ, kataṃ karaṇīyaṃ, nāparaṃ itthattāyā’ti pajānāti.

Now he understands [this state of contemplation] in this way: 'There is this. There is what has been abandoned. There is a superior goal. And there is an ultimate escape from this whole field of perception.' When he knows and sees in this way, his heart is liberated from the taint of sensual desire, his heart is liberated from the taint of being, and his heart is liberated from the taint of ignorance. When liberated, there comes thereafter the knowledge that it is liberated. He knows that birth is ended, that the Divine Life has been lived out, that what had to be done is done, and that there is no more of this to come.

So evaṃ pajānāti: ‘ahu pubbe lobho, tadahu akusalaṃ, so etarahi natthi, iccetaṃ kusalaṃ; ahu pubbe doso, tadahu akusalaṃ, so etarahi natthi, iccetaṃ kusalaṃ; ahu pubbe moho, tadahu akusalaṃ, so etarahi natthi, iccetaṃ kusala’nti. So diṭṭheva dhamme nicchāto nibbuto sītibhūto sukhappaṭisaṃvedī brahmabhūtena attanā viharatī ti.

He understands thus: 'Formerly there was greed which was bad, and now there is none, which is good. Formerly there was hate, which was bad, and now there is none, which is good. Formerly there was delusion, which was bad, and now there is none, which is good.' So here and now in this very life he is parched no more, his fires of greed, hate and delusion are extinguished and cooled out; experiencing bliss, he abides divinely pure in himself.