[219] "On one occasion, Mahānāma, I was dwelling at Rājagaha, on Mount Gijjhakūṭa. Now on that occasion, at the Black Rock (Kāḷasilā) on the slope of Isigili, a number of Nigaṇṭhas were practicing continuous standing, rejecting seats, and they were experiencing painful, racking, sharp, bitter feelings (vedanā) born of exertion. Then, Mahānāma, having emerged from seclusion in the evening, I went to the Nigaṇṭhas at the Black Rock on the slope of Isigili; having approached, I said this to those Nigaṇṭhas: 'Why, friends Nigaṇṭhas, do you practice continuous standing, rejecting seats, and experience painful, racking, sharp, bitter feelings born of exertion?'
"When this was said, Mahānāma, those Nigaṇṭhas said this to me: 'Friend, the Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta is all-knowing and all-seeing; he claims knowledge and vision without remainder, thus: "Whether I am walking or standing, asleep or awake, knowledge (ñāṇa) and vision are continuously and constantly present to me." He speaks thus: "Good Nigaṇṭhas, there is evil action (kamma) done in the past; wear it away by this painful practice of hard austerities. And in that you are here and now restrained in body, restrained in speech, and restrained in mind, that is the non-doing of evil action in the future. Thus, through the annihilation of old actions by asceticism and through the non-doing of new actions, there is no flowing on into the future; with no flowing on into the future, there is the destruction of action; with the destruction of action, the destruction of suffering (dukkha); with the destruction of suffering, the destruction of feeling; with the destruction of feeling, all suffering will be worn away." And that pleases us and is acceptable to us, and because of it we are satisfied.'"
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.