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he speaks the word: 'There is a cause'; that is his right speech. When there is a cause, he says: 'There is a cause'; he does not oppose those Arahants who are advocates of cause. When there is a cause, he convinces another: 'There is a cause'; that is his proclamation of the True Dhamma. And by that proclamation of the True Dhamma, he neither exalts himself nor disparages others. Thus, his immorality is already abandoned, his morality is established – and this right view, right intention, right speech, non-opposition to the Noble Ones, proclamation of the True Dhamma, non-exaltation of self, non-disparagement of others. Thus, many wholesome states arise for him conditioned by right view. There, householders, a discerning person thus reflects: 'If there is a cause, then this venerable person will, at the breaking up of the body, after death, be reborn in a good destination, a heavenly world. But suppose there is no cause, let them be, those venerable ones the word of ascetics and brahmins is true; and moreover, this good person is praised by the discerning in this very life – 'This person is virtuous, has right view, and speaks of causes.' If there is a cause, then for this good person there is a firm grasp on both sides – both that he is praised by the discerning in this very life, and that after the body's dissolution, beyond death, he will be reborn in a good destination, a heavenly world. Thus, this unshakeable teaching is well-completed, well-undertaken by him, it stands pervading both sides, it abandons the unwholesome state. 103. "There are, householders, some ascetics and brahmins who speak thus, who hold such a view – 'There are no formless realms at all.' And some ascetics and brahmins, householders, are directly opposed to those very ascetics and brahmins. They say thus – 'There are formless realms at all.' What do you think, householders, are not these ascetics and brahmins directly opposed to one another?" "Yes, venerable sir." "There, householders, a discerning person reflects thus – 'Those good ascetics and brahmins who speak thus, who hold such a view – "There are no formless realms at all," this I have not seen; and those good ascetics and brahmins who speak thus, who hold such a view – "There are formless realms at all," this I have not known. If I, not knowing, not seeing, were to assert definitively – "This alone is true, anything else is false," that would not be proper for me. Those good ascetics and brahmins who speak thus, who hold such a view – "There are no formless realms at all," if the word of those good ascetics and brahmins is true, it is possible – that those deities who are of form, mind-made, my rebirth there will be unshakeable. But those good ascetics and brahmins who speak thus, who hold such a view – "There are formless realms at all," if the word of those good ascetics and brahmins is true, it is possible – that those deities who are formless, perception-made, unshakeable There will be rebirth for me there. But indeed, on account of form, there are seen: taking of sticks, taking of weapons, quarrels, disputes, arguments, recriminations, slandering, false speech. 'But this is entirely absent in the formless.' So, having reflected thus, he practices for the disenchantment, dispassion, and cessation of form itself. 104. "There are, householders, some recluses and brahmins who speak thus, who hold such a view: 'There is no cessation of becoming whatsoever.' And some recluses and brahmins speak in direct opposition to those recluses and brahmins. They say thus: 'There is cessation of becoming whatsoever.' What do you think, householders, are not these recluses and brahmins in direct opposition to one another?" "Yes, venerable sir." "There, householders, a discerning person reflects thus: 'Those venerable recluses and brahmins who speak thus, who hold such a view: "There is no cessation of becoming whatsoever" - this I have not seen. And those venerable recluses and brahmins who speak thus, who hold such a view: "There is cessation of becoming whatsoever" - this I have not known. If I, not knowing, not seeing, were to assert definitively: "This alone is truth, anything else is foolish," that would not be proper for me. Those venerable recluses and brahmins who speak thus, who hold such a view: "There is no cessation of becoming whatsoever" - if the word of those venerable recluses and brahmins is true, it is possible that I will be reborn there, among those formless, perception-made deities, without doubt. But those venerable recluses and brahmins who speak thus, who hold such a view: "There is cessation of becoming whatsoever" - if the word of those venerable recluses and brahmins is true, it is possible that I will attain final Nibbāna in this very life. Those venerable recluses and brahmins who speak thus, who hold such a view: "There is no cessation of becoming whatsoever" - their view is close to passion, to bondage." is near to clinging, is near to delight, is near to attachment, is near to grasping. But those venerable ascetics and brahmins who hold such views, who say: ‘There is the complete cessation of becoming,’ their view is near to non-craving, is near to non-binding, is near to non-delight, is near to non-attachment, is near to non-grasping.’” So, reflecting thus, he becomes one who practices for the disillusionment, for the dispassion, for the cessation of becomings. 105. “There are these four types of individuals, householders, existing and found in the world. Which four? Here, householders, a certain individual is one who torments himself, devoted to the practice of self-torment. Here, householders, a certain individual is one who torments others, devoted to the practice of tormenting others. Here, householders, a certain individual is one who torments himself, devoted to the practice of self-torment, and also one who torments others, devoted to the practice of tormenting others. Here, householders, a certain individual is neither one who torments himself, devoted to the practice of self-torment, nor one who torments others, devoted to the practice of tormenting others; he, not tormenting himself, not tormenting others, is cooled, extinguished, become cool, experiencing happiness in this very life, dwelling with a mind that has become divine. 106. “And what kind of individual, householders, is one who torments himself, devoted to the practice of self-torment? Here, householders, a certain individual is naked, of loose conduct, licking his hands… [the detailed description is in Majjhima Nikāya 2.6-7, Kandarakasutta] Thus he dwells devoted to various kinds of practices of tormenting and afflicting the body. This, householders, is called an individual who torments himself, devoted to the practice of self-torment. “And what kind of individual, householders, is one who torments others, devoted to the practice of tormenting others? Here, householders, a certain individual is a sheep-butcher, a pig-butcher… …or any other cruel occupation. This, householders, is called an individual who torments others, devoted to the practice of tormenting others. “And what kind of, householders, Householders, what kind of person torments himself, devoted to the practice of self-torment, and torments others, devoted to the practice of tormenting others? Here, householders, some person is a king, a consecrated warrior… (and so on) They, threatened by punishment, threatened by fear, with tearful faces, weeping, perform their tasks. This, householders, is called a person who torments himself, devoted to the practice of self-torment, and torments others, devoted to the practice of tormenting others. And what kind of person, householders, neither torments himself nor is devoted to the practice of self-torment, nor torments others nor is devoted to the practice of tormenting others? Such a one, neither tormenting self nor tormenting others, in this very life is cooled, extinguished, become cool, experiencing happiness, dwelling with a divine self. Here, householders, a Tathāgata arises in the world, an Arahant, a Fully Self-Awakened One… (and so on) Having abandoned these five hindrances, defilements of the mind that weaken wisdom, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, he enters and dwells in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by applied thought and sustained thought, born of seclusion, filled with rapture and happiness. With the fading away of applied thought and sustained thought, with the internal pacification and unification of mind, he enters and dwells in the second jhāna, which is without applied thought and sustained thought, born of concentration, filled with rapture and happiness… (and so on) the third jhāna… the fourth jhāna. With his mind thus concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished, rid of defilements, malleable, wieldy, steady, attained to imperturbability, he directs and inclines his mind to the knowledge of the recollection of past lives. He recollects his manifold past lives, that is, one birth, two births… (and so on) Thus he recollects his manifold past lives, with their aspects and details. With his mind thus concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished, rid of defilements, malleable, wieldy, steady, attained to imperturbability, he directs and inclines his mind to the knowledge of the passing away and reappearance of beings. With the divine eye, purified and surpassing that of humans, he sees beings passing away and reappearing. In high status, in low status, in excellent form, in good complexion, in bad complexion, in good destination, in bad destination... he knows beings as they fare according to their deeds. He, with his mind thus concentrated, purified, cleansed, without blemish, rid of defilements, pliant, workable, steady, attained to imperturbability, directs his mind to the knowledge of the destruction of the taints. He knows 'This is suffering' as it really is...