Santi, bhikkhave, jātarūpassa oḷārikā upakkilesā paṃsuvālukā sakkharakaṭhalā. Tamenaṃ paṃsudhovako vā paṃsudhovakantevāsī vā doṇiyaṃ ākiritvā dhovati sandhovati niddhovati. Tasmiṃ pahīne tasmiṃ byantīkate santi jātarūpassa majjhimasahagatā upakkilesā sukhumasakkharā thūlavālukā. Tamenaṃ paṃsudhovako vā paṃsudhovakantevāsī vā dhovati sandhovati niddhovati. Tasmiṃ pahīne tasmiṃ byantīkate santi jātarūpassa sukhumasahagatā upakkilesā sukhumavālukā kāḷajallikā. Tamenaṃ paṃsudhovako vā paṃsudhovakantevāsī vā dhovati sandhovati niddhovati.

There are these gross impurities in gold: dirty sand, gravel, & grit. The dirt-washer or his apprentice, having placed [the gold] in a vat, washes it again & again until he has washed them away. When he is rid of them, there remain the moderate impurities in the gold: coarse sand & fine grit. He washes the gold again & again until he has washed them away. When he is rid of them, there remain the fine impurities in the gold: fine sand & black dust. The dirt-washer or his apprentice washes the gold again & again until he has washed them away.

Tasmiṃ pahīne tasmiṃ byantīkate athāparaṃ suvaṇṇasikatāvasissanti. Tamenaṃ suvaṇṇakāro vā suvaṇṇakārantevāsī vā jātarūpaṃ mūsāyaṃ pakkhipitvā dhamati sandhamati niddhamati. Taṃ hoti jātarūpaṃ dhantaṃ sandhantaṃ niddhantaṃ aniddhantakasāvaṃ, na ceva mudu hoti na ca kammaniyaṃ, na ca pabhassaraṃ pabhaṅgu ca, na ca sammā upeti kammāya. Hoti so, bhikkhave, samayo yaṃ suvaṇṇakāro vā suvaṇṇakārantevāsī vā taṃ jātarūpaṃ dhamati sandhamati niddhamati. Taṃ hoti jātarūpaṃ dhantaṃ sandhantaṃ niddhantaṃ niddhantakasāvaṃ, mudu ca hoti kammaniyañca pabhassarañca, na ca pabhaṅgu, sammā upeti kammāya. Yassā yassā ca pilandhanavikatiyā ākaṅkhati – yadi paṭṭikāya, yadi kuṇḍalāya, yadi gīveyyake, yadi suvaṇṇamālāya – tañcassa atthaṃ anubhoti.

When he is rid of them, there remains just the gold dust. The goldsmith or his apprentice, having placed it in a crucible, blows on it again & again to blow away the dross. The gold, as long as it has not been blown on again & again to the point where the impurities are blown away, as long as it is not refined & free from dross, is not pliant, malleable, or luminous. It is brittle and not ready to be worked. But there comes a time when the goldsmith or his apprentice has blown on the gold again & again until the dross is blown away. The gold, having been blown on again & again to the point where the impurities are blown away, is then refined, free from dross, pliant, malleable, & luminous. It is not brittle, and is ready to be worked. Then whatever sort of ornament he has in mind — whether a belt, an earring, a necklace, or a gold chain — the gold would serve his purpose.

Evamevaṃ kho, bhikkhave, santi adhicittamanuyuttassa bhikkhuno oḷārikā upakkilesā kāyaduccaritaṃ vacīduccaritaṃ manoduccaritaṃ, tamenaṃ sacetaso bhikkhu dabbajātiko pajahati vinodeti byantīkaroti anabhāvaṃ gameti.

In the same way, there are these gross impurities in a monk intent on heightened mind: misconduct in body, misconduct in speech, & misconduct in mind. These the monk — aware & able by nature — abandons, destroys, dispels, wipes out of existence.

Tasmiṃ pahīne tasmiṃ byantīkate santi adhicittamanuyuttassa bhikkhuno majjhimasahagatā upakkilesā kāmavitakko byāpādavitakko vihiṃsāvitakko, tamenaṃ sacetaso bhikkhu dabbajātiko pajahati vinodeti byantīkaroti anabhāvaṃ gameti.

When he is rid of them, there remain in him the moderate impurities: thoughts of sensuality, thoughts of ill will, & thoughts of harmfulness. These he abandons, destroys, dispels, wipes out of existence.

Tasmiṃ pahīne tasmiṃ byantīkate santi adhicittamanuyuttassa bhikkhuno sukhumasahagatā upakkilesā ñātivitakko janapadavitakko anavaññattipaṭisaṃyutto vitakko, tamenaṃ sacetaso bhikkhu dabbajātiko pajahati vinodeti byantīkaroti anabhāvaṃ gameti.

When he is rid of them there remain in him the fine impurities: thoughts of his caste, thoughts of his home district, thoughts related to not wanting to be despised. These he abandons, destroys, dispels, wipes out of existence.

Tasmiṃ pahīne tasmiṃ byantīkate athāparaṃ dhammavitakkāvasissati. So hoti samādhi na ceva santo na ca paṇīto nappaṭippassaddhaladdho na ekodibhāvādhigato sasaṅkhāraniggayhavāritagato hoti. So, bhikkhave, samayo yaṃ taṃ cittaṃ ajjhattaṃyeva santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati. So hoti samādhi santo paṇīto paṭippassaddhiladdho ekodibhāvādhigato na sasaṅkhāraniggayhavāritagato.

When he is rid of them, there remain only thoughts of the Dhamma. His concentration is neither calm nor refined, it has not yet attained serenity or unity, and is kept in place by the fabrication of forceful restraint. But there comes a time when his mind grows steady inwardly, settles down, grows unified & concentrated. His concentration is calm & refined, has attained serenity & unity, and is no longer kept in place by the fabrication of forceful restraint.

Yassa yassa ca abhiññā sacchikaraṇīyassa dhammassa cittaṃ abhininnāmeti abhiññā sacchikiriyāya tatra tatreva sakkhibhabbataṃ pāpuṇāti sati satiāyatane.

And then whichever of the higher knowledges he turns his mind to know & realize, he can witness them for himself whenever there is an opening.

(1) So sace ākaṅkhati – ‘anekavihitaṃ iddhividhaṃ paccanubhaveyyaṃ – ekopi hutvā bahudhā assaṃ, bahudhāpi hutvā eko assaṃ; āvibhāvaṃ, tirobhāvaṃ; tirokuṭṭaṃ tiropākāraṃ tiropabbataṃ asajjamāno gaccheyyaṃ, seyyathāpi ākāse; pathaviyāpi ummujjanimujjaṃ kareyyaṃ, seyyathāpi udake; udakepi abhijjamāne gaccheyyaṃ, seyyathāpi pathaviyaṃ; ākāsepi pallaṅkena kameyyaṃ, seyyathāpi pakkhī sakuṇo; imepi candimasūriye evaṃmahiddhike evaṃmahānubhāve pāṇinā parimaseyyaṃ parimajjeyyaṃ; yāva brahmalokāpi kāyena vasaṃ vatteyya’nti, tatra tatreva sakkhibhabbataṃ pāpuṇāti sati satiāyatane.

(1) If he wants, he wields manifold supranormal powers. Having been one he becomes many; having been many he becomes one. He appears. He vanishes. He goes unimpeded through walls, ramparts, and mountains as if through space. He dives in and out of the earth as if it were water. He walks on water without sinking as if it were dry land. Sitting crosslegged he flies through the air like a winged bird. With his hand he touches and strokes even the sun and moon, so mighty and powerful. He exercises influence with his body even as far as the Brahma worlds. He can witness this for himself whenever there is an opening.

(2) So sace ākaṅkhati – ‘dibbāya sotadhātuyā visuddhāya atikkantamānusikāya ubho sadde suṇeyyaṃ dibbe ca mānuse ca ye dūre santike cā’ti, tatra tatreva sakkhibhabbataṃ pāpuṇāti sati satiāyatane.

(2) If he wants, he hears — by means of the divine ear-element, purified and surpassing the human — both kinds of sounds: divine and human, whether near or far. He can witness this for himself whenever there is an opening.

(3) So sace ākaṅkhati – ‘parasattānaṃ parapuggalānaṃ cetasā ceto paricca pajāneyyaṃ – sarāgaṃ vā cittaṃ sarāgaṃ cittanti pajāneyyaṃ, vītarāgaṃ vā cittaṃ vītarāgaṃ cittanti pajāneyyaṃ; sadosaṃ vā cittaṃ sadosaṃ cittanti pajāneyyaṃ, vītadosaṃ vā cittaṃ vītadosaṃ cittanti pajāneyyaṃ; samohaṃ vā cittaṃ samohaṃ cittanti pajāneyyaṃ, vītamohaṃ vā cittaṃ vītamohaṃ cittanti pajāneyyaṃ; saṃkhittaṃ vā cittaṃ saṃkhittaṃ cittanti pajāneyyaṃ, vikkhittaṃ vā cittaṃ vikkhittaṃ cittanti pajāneyyaṃ; mahaggataṃ vā cittaṃ mahaggataṃ cittanti pajāneyyaṃ, amahaggataṃ vā cittaṃ amahaggataṃ cittanti pajāneyyaṃ; sauttaraṃ vā cittaṃ sauttaraṃ cittanti pajāneyyaṃ, anuttaraṃ vā cittaṃ anuttaraṃ cittanti pajāneyyaṃ; samāhitaṃ vā cittaṃ samāhitaṃ cittanti pajāneyyaṃ, asamāhitaṃ vā cittaṃ asamāhitaṃ cittanti pajāneyyaṃ; vimuttaṃ vā cittaṃ vimuttaṃ cittanti pajāneyyaṃ, avimuttaṃ vā cittaṃ avimuttaṃ cittanti pajāneyya’nti, tatra tatreva sakkhibhabbataṃ pāpuṇāti sati satiāyatane.

(3) If he wants, he knows the awareness of other beings, other individuals, having encompassed it with his own awareness. He discerns a mind with passion as a mind with passion, and a mind without passion as a mind without passion. He discerns a mind with aversion as a mind with aversion, and a mind without aversion as a mind without aversion. He discerns a mind with delusion as a mind with delusion, and a mind without delusion as a mind without delusion. He discerns a restricted mind as a restricted mind, and a scattered mind as a scattered mind. He discerns an enlarged mind as an enlarged mind, and an unenlarged mind as an unenlarged mind. He discerns an excelled mind [one that is not at the most excellent level] as an excelled mind, and an unexcelled mind as an unexcelled mind. He discerns a concentrated mind as a concentrated mind, and an unconcentrated mind as an unconcentrated mind. He discerns a released mind as a released mind, and an unreleased mind as an unreleased mind. He can witness this for himself whenever there is an opening.

(4) So sace ākaṅkhati: ‘anekavihitaṃ pubbenivāsaṃ anussareyyaṃ, seyyathidaṃ ekampi jātiṃ dvepi jātiyo tissopi jātiyo catassopi jātiyo pañcapi jātiyo dasapi jātiyo vīsampi jātiyo tiṃsampi jātiyo cattālīsampi jātiyo paññāsampi jātiyo jātisatampi jāti-sahassampi jāti-sata-sahassampi anekepi saṃvaṭṭakappe anekepi vivaṭṭakappe anekepi saṃvaṭṭavivaṭṭakappe amutrāsiṃ evaṃnāmo evaṃgotto evaṃvaṇṇo evamāhāro evaṃ-sukha-dukkhap-paṭisaṃvedī evamāyupariyanto, so tato cuto amutra udapādiṃ; tatrāpāsiṃ evaṃnāmo evaṃgotto evaṃvaṇṇo evamāhāro evaṃ-sukha-dukkhap-paṭisaṃvedī evamāyupariyanto, so tato cuto idhūpapannoti, iti sākāraṃ sauddesaṃ anekavihitaṃ pubbenivāsaṃ anussareyya’ nti, tatra tatreva sakkhibhabbataṃ pāpuṇāti sati satiāyatane.

(4) If he wishes, he recollects many former living places, that is to say: one birth, two births, three births, four births, five births, ten births, twenty births, thirty births, forty births, fifty births, a hundred births, a thousand births, a hundred thousand births, many kappas of [world] expansion many kappas of [world] contraction, many kappas of expansion and contraction: ‘there I was of such a name, of such a clan, of such appearence, such [was my] āhāra, experiencing such sukha and dukkha, such [was] the end of [my] life, passing away from this place I reappeared in that place; there, I was of such a name, of such a clan, of such appearence, such [was my] āhāra, experiencing such sukha and dukkha, such [was] the end of [my] life, passing away from there I reappeared here’. Thus, he recollects many former living places with [their] context and [their] details. He can witness this for himself whenever there is an opening.

(5) So sace ākaṅkhati: ‘dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passeyyaṃ cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe, sugate duggate yathākammūpage satte pajāneyyaṃ – ime vata bhonto sattā kāya-duccaritena samannāgatā vacī-duccaritena samannāgatā mano-duccaritena samannāgatā ariyānaṃ upavādakā micchā-diṭṭhikā micchā-diṭṭhi-kamma-samādānā, te kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā apāyaṃ duggatiṃ vinipātaṃ nirayaṃ upapannā; ime vā pana bhonto sattā kāya-sucaritena samannāgatā vacī-sucaritena samannāgatā mano-sucaritena samannāgatā ariyānaṃ anupavādakā sammā-diṭṭhikā sammā-diṭṭhi-kamma-samādānā, te kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā sugatiṃ saggaṃ lokaṃ upapannāti, iti dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passeyyaṃ cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe, sugate duggate yathākammūpage satte pajāneyya’ nti, tatra tatreva sakkhibhabbataṃ pāpuṇāti sati satiāyatane.

(5) If he wishes, ‘dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passeyyaṃ cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe, sugate duggate yathākammūpage satte pajāneyyaṃ – ime vata bhonto sattā kāya-duccaritena samannāgatā vacī-duccaritena samannāgatā mano-duccaritena samannāgatā ariyānaṃ upavādakā micchā-diṭṭhikā micchā-diṭṭhi-kamma-samādānā, te kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā apāyaṃ duggatiṃ vinipātaṃ nirayaṃ upapannā; ime vā pana bhonto sattā kāya-sucaritena samannāgatā vacī-sucaritena samannāgatā mano-sucaritena samannāgatā ariyānaṃ anupavādakā sammā-diṭṭhikā sammā-diṭṭhi-kamma-samādānā, te kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā sugatiṃ saggaṃ lokaṃ upapannāti, iti dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passeyyaṃ cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe, sugate duggate yathākammūpage satte pajāneyya’ nti, he can witness this for himself whenever there is an opening.

(6) So sace ākaṅkhati – ‘āsavānaṃ khayā anāsavaṃ cetovimuttiṃ paññāvimuttiṃ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṃ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihareyya’nti, tatra tatreva sakkhibhabbataṃ pāpuṇāti sati satiāyatane ti.

(6) If he wants, then through the ending of the mental effluents, he remains in the effluent-free awareness-release and discernment-release, having known and made them manifest for himself right in the here and now. He can witness this for himself whenever there is an opening.