So I have heard. Evaṁ me sutaṁ—At one time the Buddha was staying near Vesālī, at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof. ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ.

Then Mahāli the Licchavi went up to the Buddha … and said to him: Atha kho mahāli licchavi yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami …pe… ekamantaṁ nisinno kho mahāli licchavi bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“Sir, Pūraṇa Kassapa says this: “Pūraṇo, bhante, kassapo evamāha: ‘There is no cause or reason for the corruption of sentient beings. ‘natthi hetu natthi paccayo sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya; Sentient beings are corrupted without cause or reason. ahetū appaccayā sattā saṅkilissanti. There’s no cause or reason for the purification of sentient beings. Natthi hetu natthi paccayo sattānaṁ visuddhiyā; Sentient beings are purified without cause or reason.’ ahetū appaccayā sattā visujjhantī’ti. What does the Buddha say about this?” Idha bhagavā kimāhā”ti?

“Mahāli, there is a cause and reason for the corruption of sentient beings. “Atthi, mahāli, hetu atthi paccayo sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya; Sentient beings are corrupted with cause and reason. sahetū sappaccayā sattā saṅkilissanti. There is a cause and reason for the purification of sentient beings. Atthi, mahāli, hetu, atthi paccayo sattānaṁ visuddhiyā; Sentient beings are purified with cause and reason.” sahetū sappaccayā sattā visujjhantī”ti.

“But sir, what is the cause and reason for the corruption of sentient beings? “Katamo pana, bhante, hetu katamo paccayo sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya; How are sentient beings corrupted with cause and reason?” kathaṁ sahetū sappaccayā sattā saṅkilissantī”ti?

“Mahāli, if form were exclusively painful—soaked and steeped in pain and not steeped in pleasure—sentient beings wouldn’t be aroused by it. “Rūpañca hidaṁ, mahāli, ekantadukkhaṁ abhavissa dukkhānupatitaṁ dukkhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ sukhena, nayidaṁ sattā rūpasmiṁ sārajjeyyuṁ. But because form is pleasurable—soaked and steeped in pleasure and not steeped in pain—sentient beings are aroused by it. Yasmā ca kho, mahāli, rūpaṁ sukhaṁ sukhānupatitaṁ sukhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ dukkhena, tasmā sattā rūpasmiṁ sārajjanti; Since they are aroused by it, they’re caught up in it, and so they become corrupted. sārāgā saṁyujjanti; saṁyogā saṅkilissanti. This is a cause and reason for the corruption of sentient beings. Ayaṁ kho, mahāli, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya; This is how sentient beings are corrupted with cause and reason. evaṁ sahetū sappaccayā sattā saṅkilissanti.

If feeling … Vedanā ca hidaṁ, mahāli, ekantadukkhā abhavissa dukkhānupatitā dukkhāvakkantā anavakkantā sukhena, nayidaṁ sattā vedanāya sārajjeyyuṁ. Yasmā ca kho, mahāli, vedanā sukhā sukhānupatitā sukhāvakkantā anavakkantā dukkhena, tasmā sattā vedanāya sārajjanti; sārāgā saṁyujjanti; saṁyogā saṅkilissanti. Ayampi kho, mahāli, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya. Evampi sahetū sappaccayā sattā saṅkilissanti.

perception … Saññā ca hidaṁ, mahāli …pe…

choices … saṅkhārā ca hidaṁ, mahāli, ekantadukkhā abhavissaṁsu dukkhānupatitā dukkhāvakkantā anavakkantā sukhena, nayidaṁ sattā saṅkhāresu sārajjeyyuṁ. Yasmā ca kho, mahāli, saṅkhārā sukhā sukhānupatitā sukhāvakkantā anavakkantā dukkhena, tasmā sattā saṅkhāresu sārajjanti; sārāgā saṁyujjanti; saṁyogā saṅkilissanti. Ayampi kho, mahāli, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya. Evampi sahetū sappaccayā sattā saṅkilissanti.

consciousness were exclusively painful—soaked and steeped in pain and not steeped in pleasure—sentient beings wouldn’t be aroused by it. Viññāṇañca hidaṁ, mahāli, ekantadukkhaṁ abhavissa dukkhānupatitaṁ dukkhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ sukhena, nayidaṁ sattā viññāṇasmiṁ sārajjeyyuṁ. But because consciousness is pleasurable—soaked and steeped in pleasure and not steeped in pain—sentient beings are aroused by it. Yasmā ca kho, mahāli, viññāṇaṁ sukhaṁ sukhānupatitaṁ sukhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ dukkhena, tasmā sattā viññāṇasmiṁ sārajjanti; Since they are aroused by it, they’re caught up in it, and so they become corrupted. sārāgā saṁyujjanti; saṁyogā saṅkilissanti. This is a cause and reason for the corruption of sentient beings. Ayampi kho, mahāli, hetu ayaṁ paccayo sattānaṁ saṅkilesāya. This is how sentient beings are corrupted with cause and reason.” Evampi sahetū sappaccayā sattā saṅkilissantī”ti.

“But sir, what is the cause and reason for the purification of sentient beings? “Katamo pana, bhante, hetu katamo paccayo sattānaṁ visuddhiyā; How are sentient beings purified with cause and reason?” kathaṁ sahetū sappaccayā sattā visujjhantī”ti?

“Mahāli, if form was perfectly pleasurable—soaked and steeped in pleasure and not steeped in pain—sentient beings wouldn’t grow disillusioned with it. “Rūpañca hidaṁ, mahāli, ekantasukhaṁ abhavissa sukhānupatitaṁ sukhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ dukkhena, nayidaṁ sattā rūpasmiṁ nibbindeyyuṁ. But because form is painful—soaked and steeped in pain and not steeped in pleasure—sentient beings do grow disillusioned with it. Yasmā ca kho, mahāli, rūpaṁ dukkhaṁ dukkhānupatitaṁ dukkhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ sukhena, tasmā sattā rūpasmiṁ nibbindanti; Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they are purified. nibbindaṁ virajjanti; virāgā visujjhanti. This is a cause and reason for the purification of sentient beings. Ayaṁ kho, mahāli, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo, sattānaṁ visuddhiyā. This is how sentient beings are purified with cause and reason. Evaṁ sahetū sappaccayā sattā visujjhanti.

If feeling … Vedanā ca hidaṁ, mahāli, ekantasukhā abhavissa …pe…

perception … saññā ca hidaṁ, mahāli …pe…

choices … saṅkhārā ca hidaṁ, mahāli, ekantasukhā abhavissaṁsu …pe…

consciousness was perfectly pleasurable—soaked and steeped in pleasure and not steeped in pain—sentient beings wouldn’t grow disillusioned with it. viññāṇañca hidaṁ, mahāli, ekantasukhaṁ abhavissa sukhānupatitaṁ sukhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ dukkhena, nayidaṁ sattā viññāṇasmiṁ nibbindeyyuṁ. But because consciousness is painful—soaked and steeped in pain and not steeped in pleasure—sentient beings do grow disillusioned with it. Yasmā ca kho, mahāli, viññāṇaṁ dukkhaṁ dukkhānupatitaṁ dukkhāvakkantaṁ anavakkantaṁ sukhena, tasmā sattā viññāṇasmiṁ nibbindanti; Being disillusioned, desire fades away. When desire fades away they are purified. nibbindaṁ virajjanti; virāgā visujjhanti. This is a cause and reason for the purification of sentient beings. Ayaṁ kho, mahāli, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo, sattānaṁ visuddhiyā. This is how sentient beings are purified with cause and reason.” Evampi sahetū sappaccayā sattā visujjhantī”ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.