To the Nigantas

At one time venerable Ānanda was living in the gabled hall in the great forest in Vesali. The Licchavi Abhaya and the Licchavi Paṇḍitakumara approached venerable Ānanda, worshipped, sat on side and the Licchavi Abhaya said: Venerable sir, Nigaṇṭanataputta acknowledges he is all knowing and all seeing and acknowledges his knowledge and vision is complete- and says my knowledge and vision is always arranged and established whether walking, standing, lying or awake. He appoints the finishing of earlier done actions with austerities, and the breaking down of the bridge, not doing new actions. Thus with the destruction of action, the destruction of unpleasantness. With the destruction of unpleasantness, the destruction of feelings. With the destruction of feelings the destruction of all unpleasantness. Thus the decay which is here and now is transcended by purity. Venerable sir, what does the Blessed One say about this?

Abhaya, these three are the purities through decay, rightfully announced by the Blessed One who knows and sees, is worthy and rightfully enlightened. It is for the purity of beings, for overcoming grief and lament, for going beyond unpleasantness and displeasure and for gaining knowledge and realizing extinction. What three?

Here, Abhaya, the bhikkhu becomes virtuous observing the higher code of rules. He does no new action and while feeling he finishes actions done earlier, here and now causing them to decay. [1] It is not a matter of time, inviting to inspection, leading inwards and to be realized by the wise by themselves.

Abhaya, the bhikkhu become thus virtuous secludes the mind from sensual and evil thoughts, with thoughts and thought processes and with joy and pleasantness born of seclusion attains to the first jhana. Allaying thoughts and thought processes and the mind internally appeased and brought to one point, without thoughts and thought processes and with joy and pleasantness born of concentration attains to the second jhana. With detachment to joy abides in equanimity. Mindful and aware experiences pleasantness too with the body. This is the third jhana, to this the noble ones say mindfully abiding in pleasantness with equanimity. Giving up pleasantness and unpleasantness and earlier gone beyond pleasure and displeasure and experiencing neither the pleasant nor the unpleasant by purifying mindfulness with equanimity attains to the forth jhana. He does no new action and while feeling he finishes actions done earlier, here and now causing them to decay. [1] It is not a matter of time, inviting to inspection, leading inwards and to be realized by the wise by themselves.

Abhaya, the bhikkhu become thus virtuous and thus concentrated pursues the destruction of desires. He knows as it really is, this is unpleasant. Knows as it really is, this is the arising of unpleasantness. Knows as it really is, this is the cessation of unpleasantness and knows as it really is, this is the path to the cessation of unpleasantness. He knows, these are desires, this is the arising of desires, this is the cessation of desires and he knows as it really is, this is the path leading to the cessation of desires. When he knows and sees thus his mind is released, from sensual desires, from desires to be, and from delusionḍestroying desires and the mind released, and released through wisdom abides He does no new action and while feeling he finishes actions done earlier, here and now causing them to decay. [1] It is not a matter of time, inviting to inspection, leading inwards and to be realized by the wise by themselves. Abhaya, these three are the purities through decay, rightfully announced by the Blessed One who knows and sees, is worthy and rightfully enlightened. It is for the purity of beings, for overcoming grief and lament, for going beyond unpleasantness and displeasure and for gaining knowledge and realizing extinction.

When this was said the Licchavi Paṇḍitakumara said to the Licchavi Abhaya: Friend, Abhaya, do you not appreciate the good words of venerable Ānanda?

Friend, how could I not appreciate the good words of venerable Ānanda, if I do even my head would split.

Notes. 1. He does no new action and while feeling finishes actions done earlier, here and now causing them to decay. `so navañca kammaṃ na karoti purānaṃ ca kammaṃ phussa phussa vyantikaroti sandiṭṭhikā nijjarā' That is, with whatever circumstances he meets, he knows that they are the results of earlier done actions, whether pleasant or un-pleasant, so without making any new intentions for future action. he mindfully feels whatever circumstances he meets with and sees an end to all actions.