[348] Bhikkhus, here a certain clansman goes forth out of faith from the household life into homelessness, thinking: 'I am immersed in birth, aging, and death, in sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair; immersed in suffering (dukkha), afflicted by suffering. Perhaps an ending of this whole mass of suffering might be discerned.' When he has thus gone forth, he generates gain, honor, and renown. He is not pleased with that gain, honor, and renown, and his intention is not fulfilled. He does not exalt himself nor disparage others on account of that gain, honor, and renown. He does not become intoxicated with that gain, honor, and renown, does not grow negligent, does not fall into negligence; being diligent, he achieves the accomplishment of virtue (sīla). He is pleased with that accomplishment of virtue, and his intention is fulfilled. On account of that accomplishment of virtue he exalts himself and disparages others: 'I am virtuous, of good character; but these other bhikkhus are immoral, of evil character.' He becomes intoxicated with that accomplishment of virtue, grows negligent, falls into negligence; being negligent, he dwells in suffering.
Bhikkhus, suppose a man needing heartwood, seeking heartwood, wandering in search of heartwood, while a great tree possessed of heartwood stands there, passing over the heartwood itself, passing over the sapwood, passing over the inner bark, were to cut off the outer bark and depart taking it, imagining it to be heartwood. A man with eyes, seeing him, would say thus: 'Indeed, this good man did not know the heartwood, did not know the sapwood, did not know the inner bark, did not know the outer bark, did not know the branches and foliage. Thus this good man, needing heartwood, seeking heartwood, wandering in search of heartwood, while a great tree possessed of heartwood stood there, passing over the heartwood itself, passing over the sapwood, passing over the inner bark, cut off the outer bark and departed taking it, imagining it to be heartwood; and whatever purpose of his was to be served by heartwood, that purpose he will not achieve.' Even so, bhikkhus, here a certain clansman goes forth out of faith from the household life into homelessness, thinking: 'I am immersed in birth, aging, and death, in sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair; immersed in suffering, afflicted by suffering. Perhaps an ending of this whole mass of suffering might be discerned.' When he has thus gone forth, he generates gain, honor, and renown. He is not pleased with that gain, honor, and renown, and his intention is not fulfilled. He does not exalt himself nor disparage others on account of that gain, honor, and renown. He does not become intoxicated with that gain, honor, and renown, does not grow negligent, does not fall into negligence; being diligent, he achieves the accomplishment of virtue. He is pleased with that accomplishment of virtue, and his intention is fulfilled. On account of that accomplishment of virtue he exalts himself and disparages others: 'I am virtuous, of good character; but these other bhikkhus are immoral, of evil character.' He becomes intoxicated with that accomplishment of virtue, grows negligent, falls into negligence; being negligent, he dwells in suffering. This, bhikkhus, is called a bhikkhu who has grasped the outer bark of the holy life (brahmacariya), and with that he has come to a stop.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.