[27] "But at what point, venerable sir, does the disgust of sin through austerity (tapojigucchā) become one that has reached the peak and reached the pith? It would be good, venerable sir, if the Blessed One would bring me to the very peak, bring me to the very pith, of the disgust of sin through austerity."
"Here, Nigrodha, an austere ascetic (tapassī) is restrained by the fourfold restraint (cātuyāmasaṃvara). And how, Nigrodha, is an austere ascetic restrained by the fourfold restraint? … When, Nigrodha, an austere ascetic is restrained by the fourfold restraint, that constitutes his asceticism. He advances, and does not turn back to the lower state. He resorts to a secluded lodging. … Having abandoned these five hindrances (nīvaraṇa), corruptions of the mind that weaken wisdom, he dwells pervading one direction with a mind imbued with loving-kindness … He recollects his manifold past abodes, that is: one birth (jāti), two births, three births, four births, five births … ten births, twenty births, thirty births, forty births, fifty births, a hundred births, a thousand births, a hundred thousand births; many eons of world-contraction, many eons of world-expansion, many eons of world-contraction and expansion: 'There I was so named, of such a clan, of such an appearance, such was my food, such my experience of pleasure and pain, such the end of my life-span; passing away from there, I arose elsewhere; and there too I was so named, of such a clan, of such an appearance, such was my food, such my experience of pleasure and pain, such the end of my life-span; passing away from there, I arose here.' Thus, with its aspects and particulars, he recollects his manifold past abodes.
What do you think, Nigrodha? If this is so, is the disgust of sin through austerity purified, or unpurified?"
"Surely, venerable sir, if this is so, the disgust of sin through austerity is purified, not unpurified; and it has reached the peak and reached the pith."
"No, Nigrodha, not merely at this point has the disgust of sin through austerity reached the peak or reached the pith; rather, it has reached only the softwood."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.