English
It is not possible for a woman to be a Tathāgata, an Arahant, a Fully Self-Awakened One. It is possible for a man to be a Tathāgata, an Arahant, a Fully Self-Awakened One. It is not possible for two Tathāgatas, Arahants, Fully Self-Awakened Ones, to arise or teach the Dhamma in one world-system, without one preceding the other. It is possible for one Tathāgata, an Arahant, a Fully Self-Awakened One, to arise or teach the Dhamma in one world-system. It is not possible for the result of three bad conducts to be desirable, agreeable, pleasing, delightful. It is possible for the result of three bad conducts to be undesirable, disagreeable, unpleasing, unlovely. It is not possible for the result of three good conducts to be undesirable, disagreeable, unpleasing, unlovely. It is possible for the result of three good conducts to be desirable, agreeable, pleasing, delightful. It is not possible for any ascetic or brahmin, who is a deceiver, a chatterer, a soothsayer, making deception, chattering, and soothsaying their foremost practice, without abandoning the five hindrances, the corruptions of the mind that weaken wisdom, dwelling with unestablished mindfulness in the four foundations of mindfulness, to realize the seven Without developing the factors of awakening, to fully awaken to unsurpassed perfect enlightenment, this is not possible. But for a certain recluse or brahmin, who has abandoned all defilements, who has overcome the five hindrances, the mind's corruptions, the weakening of wisdom, who dwells with mindfulness established in the four foundations of mindfulness, having developed the seven factors of awakening, to fully awaken to unsurpassed perfect enlightenment, this is possible. The knowledge here, of cause, of possibility, of limitlessness, this is called the knowledge of what is possible and impossible, the first power of a Tathāgata. Thus, regarding what is possible and impossible, all things are subject to decay, subject to dissolution, subject to dispassion, subject to cessation. Some go to heaven, some go to the lower realms, some go to Nibbāna. Thus the Blessed One said: 58. All beings will die, For life ends in death. They will go according to their deeds, Receiving the fruits of merit and demerit; Those with evil deeds to hell, And those with meritorious deeds to a good destination; Others, having developed the path, Attain Nibbāna, free from taints. "All beings" means noble ones and ignoble ones, those caught in the personality view and those who have transcended the personality view. "Will die" means by two kinds of death: slow death and swift death. For those caught in the personality view, it is swift death; for those who have transcended the personality view, it is slow death. "For life ends in death" means the end of life, the end of death, due to the exhaustion of lifespan and the cessation of faculties. "They will go according to their deeds" means they are owners of their actions. "Receiving the fruits of merit and demerit" means the manifestation of the fruits of deeds and their inseparability. "Those with evil deeds to hell" means unwholesome volitional formations. "And those with meritorious deeds to a good destination" means wholesome volitional formations will go to a good destination. "Others, having developed the path, attain Nibbāna, free from taints" means the transcendence of all volitional formations. Therefore the Blessed One said: "All... (etc.)... free from taints." "All beings will die, for life ends in death. They will go according to their deeds, receiving the fruits of merit and demerit. Those with evil deeds to hell," are tormented and burned and The path. “And others, having developed the path, attain Nibbāna, taintless” — this is the middle path. “All beings will die, for life ends in death; they will go according to their deeds, experiencing the fruits of good and bad, those with evil deeds to hell” — this is defilement. Thus, saṃsāra is produced. “All beings will die... ...those with evil deeds to hell” — these are the three rounds: the round of suffering, the round of kamma, the round of defilements. “And others, having developed the path, attain Nibbāna, taintless” — this is the turning away from the three rounds. “All beings will die... ...those with evil deeds to hell” — this is the danger; “and those with good deeds to a good destination” — this is the gratification; “and others, having developed the path, attain Nibbāna, taintless” — this is the escape. “All beings will die... ...those with evil deeds to hell” — this is the cause and the effect; the five aggregates are the effect, craving is the cause; “and others, having developed the path, attain Nibbāna, taintless” — this is the path and the fruit. “All beings will die, for life ends in death; they will go according to their deeds, experiencing the fruits of good and bad, those with evil deeds to hell” — this is defilement; that defilement is threefold: defilement of craving, defilement of views, defilement of misconduct. 59. Therein, the defilement of craving is to be indicated by three cravings: craving for sensual pleasures, craving for existence, craving for non-existence. Or by whatever object one is obsessed, by that very thing it is to be indicated; its elaboration is the thirty-six courses of the net of craving. Therein, the defilement of views is to be indicated by annihilationism and eternalism; or by whatever object one clings to by way of view, “this alone is true, anything else is false” — by that very thing it is to be indicated; its elaboration is the sixty-two wrong views. Therein, the defilement of misconduct is to be indicated by volition, by mental kamma, by three kinds of misconduct: misconduct of body, misconduct of speech, misconduct of mind; its elaboration is the ten unwholesome courses of action. And others, having developed the path, attain Nibbāna, taintless. This is purification. This purification is threefold: The defilement of craving is purified by tranquility; That tranquility is the aggregate of concentration. The defilement of views is purified by insight; That insight is the aggregate of wisdom. The defilement of misconduct is purified by good conduct; That good conduct is the aggregate of morality. “All beings will die, For life ends in death, They will go according to their deeds, Experiencing the results of good and bad deeds, To hell, those with evil deeds.” — this is the path of demerit. “And those with good deeds to a good destination.” — this is the path of merit. “And others, having developed the path, Attain Nibbana, taintless.” — this is the path transcending merit and demerit. Therein, that which is the path of merit and that which is the path of demerit, This is one path, leading everywhere: one to the lower realms, one to the divine realms. And that which is the path transcending merit and demerit, this is the path leading to that specific destination. Three categories: The category fixed in wrongness, The category fixed in rightness, The unfixed category. Therein, that which is the category fixed in wrongness and that which is the category fixed in rightness, is one path leading to specific destinations. Therein, that which is the unfixed category, this is the path leading everywhere. For what reason? Obtaining a condition, one might be reborn in hell. Obtaining a condition, one might be reborn in animal wombs. Obtaining a condition, one might be reborn in the realm of hungry ghosts. Obtaining a condition, one might be reborn among asuras. Obtaining a condition, one might be reborn among devas. Obtaining a condition, one might be reborn among humans. Obtaining a condition, one might attain Nibbana. Therefore, this is the path leading everywhere. The knowledge here, as to cause, as to condition, without restriction, This is called the knowledge of the path leading everywhere, the second power of a Tathagata. Thus, the path leading everywhere is the world of many elements. The path leading to specific destinations is the world of various elements. Therein, which is the world of many elements? The eye element, the form element, the eye-consciousness element. The ear element, the sound element, the ear-consciousness element. The nose element, the smell element, the nose-consciousness element. , tongue element, taste element, tongue-consciousness element, body element, touch element, body-consciousness element, mind element, mind-object element, mind-consciousness element, earth element, water element, fire element, wind element, space element, consciousness element, sensuality element, ill-will element, cruelty element, renunciation element, non-ill-will element, non-cruelty element, suffering element, displeasure element, ignorance element, happiness element, joy element, equanimity element, form element, formless element, cessation element, formations element, Nibbāna element, This is the world of many elements. What, then, is the world of diverse elements? Different is the eye element, different is the form element, different is the eye-consciousness element. So are all. Different is the Nibbāna element. The knowledge here, of cause, of basis, without limit, this is called the knowledge of many elements, diverse elements, the third power of the Tathāgata. 60. Thus, in the world of many and diverse elements, whatever element beings are inclined towards, that very one they adhere to, they cling to. Some are inclined towards forms, some towards sounds, some towards smells, some towards tastes, some towards touches, some towards mind-objects, some towards women, some towards men, some towards giving, some towards the low, some towards the excellent, some towards devas, some towards humans, some towards Nibbāna. The knowledge here, of cause, of basis, without limit, "This one is trainable, this one is not trainable, this one goes to heaven, this one goes to a bad destination,"