Knowledge evident to the faculties of a Great Man

I heard thus. At one time The Blessed One was touring the country of Kosala with a large Community of bhikkhus and entered the hamlet Dandakappa. The Blessed One deviating from the path sat on the prepared seat at the root of a tree. The bhikkhus too entered Dandakappa to make dwellings. Venerable Ānanda approached river Acirawathie with many bhikkhus to wash their bodies. Having washed their bodies in river Acirawathie and coming out of the river were standing in one robe until the body got dried.

Then a certain bhikkhu approached venerable Ānanda and said:

Friend, Ānanda, did The Blessed One consider everything before he declared that Devadatta is decreasing, gone to hell, is in serious trouble until the end of the world cycle. Or did he declare it in another way. Friend, it was declared in that manner.

Then venerable Ānanda approached The Blessed One, worshipped, sat on a side and said:

Here, venerable sir, I approached river Acirawathie with many bhikkhus to wash our bodies. Having washed our bodies in river Acirawathie and coming out of the river were standing in one robe until the body got dried.

Then a certain bhikkhu approached me and said:

Friend, Ānanda, did The Blessed One consider everything before he declared that Devadatta is decreasing, gone to hell, is in serious trouble until the end of the world cycle. Or did he declare it in another way. Venerable sir I said, it was declared by The Blessed One, in that manner.

Ānanda, either this bhikkhu is a novice, or a recent elder not learned and foolish. How could he contradict, that which I have definitely stated. Ānanda, there is no other person whom I have so well considered, as this Devadatta. Ānanda, I did not see any thing pure in him, as much as the tip of a hair. Therefore, I declared that Devadatta is decreasing, gone to hell, is in serious trouble until the end of the world cycle. Ānanda, there is a pit, filled with excreta to the height of a man. A man is sunk in it together with his head. To a certain man the desire arises for his welfare, to pull him out of the pit of excreta to end his unpleasantness. He goes round the pit of excreta yet does not see even the tip of a hair by which to pull him out. In like manner Ānanda, I did not see anything pure in him, as much as the tip of a hair. Therefore, I declared that Devadatta is decreasing, gone to hell, is in serious trouble until the end of the world cycle. Ānanda, would you listen to the classification of the Thus Gone One's mental faculties? O! Blessed One! This is the time, to declare the classification of the Thus Gone One's mental faculties. Hearing it from The Blessed One, the bhikkhus will bear it in mind. Then Ānanda, listen and attend carefully. I will tell. The Blessed One said:

Here, Ānanda, I penetrate and see the mind of a certain person and know, in this person are evident meritorious and demeritorious things. After a certain time I penetrate and see his mind and know, his meritorious things have disappeared and the demeritorious things have come to the forefront. He has some roots of merit, which are not cut up, therefore to him merits become evident from merits. In this manner, this person will not decrease in the future.

Ānanda, it is like some seeds not broken or decayed, not destroyed by the heat and wind, are embeded in a well prepared bed. Ānanda, do you know that those seeds will grow, well? Yes, venerable sir.

In the same manner, Ānanda, I penetrate and see the mind of a certain person and know, in this person are evident meritorious and demeritorious things. After a certain time I penetrate and see his mind and know, his meritorious things have disappeared and the demeritorious things have come to the forefront. He has some roots of merit which are not cut up, therefore to him merits become evident from merits. In this manner, this person will not decrease in the future. Ānanda, the Thus Gone One penetrates and knows the mind of a Great Man. Ānanda, the Thus Gone One's knowledge of the mental faculties penetrates and knows the mind. Ānanda, the Thus Gone One penetrates and knows the mind in which the Teaching arises in the future.

Here, Ānanda, I penetrate and see the mind of a certain person and know, in this person are evident meritorious and demeritorious things. After a certain time I penetrate and see his mind and know, his demeritorious things have disappeared and the meritorious things have come to the forefront. He has some roots of demerit, which are not cut up, therefore to him demerits become evident from demerits. In this manner, this person will decrease in the future.

Ānanda, it is like some seeds not broken or decayed, not destroyed by the heat and wind, are embeded on a spreading rock. Ānanda, do you know that those seeds will not grow?

Yes, venerable sir. In the same manner, Ānanda, I penetrate and see the mind of a certain person and know, in this person are evident meritorious and demeritorious things. After a certain time I penetrate and see his mind and know, his demeritorious things have disappeared and the meritorious things have come to the forefront. He has some roots of demerit which are not cut up, therefore to him demerits become evident from demerits. In this manner, this person will decrease in the future. Ānanda, the Thus Gone One penetrates and knows the mind of a Great Man. Ānanda, the Thus Gone One's knowledge of the mental faculties penetrates and knows the mind. Ānanda, the Thus Gone One penetrates and knows the mind in which the Teaching arises in the future.

Here, Ānanda, I penetrate and see the mind of a certain person and know, in this person are evident meritorious and demeritorious things. After a certain time I penetrate and see his mind and know, this person is not endowed with any pure things as much as the tip of a hair This person is completely endowed with dark demeritorious things After death he will go to loss, to decrease, to hell.

Ānanda, it is like some seeds broken and decayed, destroyed by the heat and wind, are embeded in a well prepared bed. Ānanda, do you know that those seeds will not grow?

In the same manner, Ānanda, I penetrate and see the mind of a certain person and know, in this person are evident meritorious and demeritorious things. After a certain time I penetrate and see his mind and know, this person is not endowed with any pure things as much as the tip of a hair This person is completely endowed with dark demeritorious things After death he will go to loss, to decrease, to hell. Ānanda, the Thus Gone One penetrates and knows the mind of a Great Man. Ānanda, the Thus Gone One's knowledge of the mental faculties penetrates and knows the mind. Ānanda, the Thus Gone One penetrates and knows the mind in which the Teaching arises in the future.

When this was said venerable Ānanda asked The Blessed One, could The Blessed One appoint three other persons counterparts of these three? The Blessed One said it could be done.

Here, Ānanda, I penetrate and see the mind of a certain person and know, in this person are evident meritorious and demeritorious things. After a certain time I penetrate and see his mind and know, his meritorious things have disappeared and the demeritorious things have come to the forefront. He has some roots of merit, which are completely uprooted. In this manner, this person will decrease in the future.

Ānanda, it is like some burning charcoal, with flames is put on a rock. Ānanda, do you know that this charcoal will not develop and grow? Yes, venerable sir. Ānanda, when the sun sets, do you know that the light disappears and darkness sets in? Yes, venerable sir. Ānanda, do you know that when the night is far spent and at mid-night there is darkness and the light disappears? Yes, venerable sir.

In the same manner, Ānanda, I penetrate and see the mind of a certain person and know, in this person are evident meritorious and demeritorious things. After a certain time I penetrate and see his mind and know, his meritorious things have disappeared and the demeritorious things have come to the forefront. He has some roots of merit which are completely uprooted In this manner, this person will decrease in the future. Ānanda, the Thus Gone One penetrates and knows the mind of a Great Man. Ānanda, the Thus Gone One's knowledge of the mental faculties penetrates and knows the mind. Ānanda, the Thus Gone One penetrates and knows the mind in which the Teaching arises in the future.

Here, Ānanda, I penetrate and see the mind of a certain person and know, in this person are evident meritorious and demeritorious things. After a certain time I penetrate and see his mind and know, his demeritorious things have disappeared and the meritorious things have come to the forefront. He has some roots of demerit, which are completely uprooted. In this manner, this person will not decrease in the future.

Ānanda, it is like some burning charcoal, red and flaming is put in a bundle of grass or sticks. Ānanda, do you know that the burning charcoal red and flaming will grow and develop? Yes, venerable sir. Ānanda, do you know that in the last watch of the night that darkness disappears and light appears? Yes, venerable sir. In the same manner, Ānanda, I penetrate and see the mind of a certain person and know, in this person are evident meritorious and demeritorious things. After a certain time I penetrate and see his mind and know, his demeritorious things have disappeared and the meritorious things have come to the forefront. He has some roots of demerit which are not cut up, and they are completely uprooted. In this manner, this person will not decrease in the future. Ānanda, the Thus Gone One penetrates and knows the mind of a Great Man. Ānanda, the Thus Gone One's knowledge of the mental faculties penetrates and knows the mind. Ānanda, the Thus Gone One penetrates and knows the mind in which the Teaching arises in the future.

Here, Ānanda, I penetrate and see the mind of a certain person and know, in this person are evident meritorious and demeritorious things. After a certain time I penetrate and see his mind and know, this person is not endowed with any evil things as much as the tip of a hair This person is completely endowed with pure things.

Ānanda, it is like some charcoal that have cooled Ānanda, do you know that the cooled charcoal put among a bundle of grass or a bundle of sticks would not grow?

In the same manner, Ānanda, I penetrate and see the mind of a certain person and know, in this person are evident meritorious and demeritorious things. After a certain time I penetrate and see his mind and know, this person is not endowed with any evil things as much as the tip of a hair This person endowed with only not faulty pleasant things is here and and now extinguished. Ānanda, the Thus Gone One penetrates and knows the mind of a Great Man. Ānanda, the Thus Gone One's knowledge of the mental faculties penetrates and knows the mind. Ānanda, the Thus Gone One penetrates and knows the mind in which the Teaching arises in the future.

Ānanda, of those three persons told first, one does not decrease, one decreases and the other goes to hell. Ānanda, of the three persons told later one does not decrease, one decreases and the other extinguishes.