[350] Bhikkhus, here some clansman goes forth out of faith from the home life into homelessness, thinking: "I am immersed in birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair; I am immersed in suffering (dukkha), overwhelmed by suffering. Perhaps a making of an end of this whole mass of suffering might be discerned." Having thus gone forth, he generates gain, honor, and fame. He is not pleased with that gain, honor, and fame, and his intention is not fulfilled by it. He does not exalt himself and does not disparage others on account of that gain, honor, and fame. He does not become intoxicated by that gain, honor, and fame, does not grow heedless, does not fall into heedlessness; being heedful, he achieves the accomplishment of virtue (sīlasampadā). He is pleased with that accomplishment of virtue, but his intention is not yet fulfilled. He does not exalt himself and does not disparage others on account of that accomplishment of virtue. He does not become intoxicated by that accomplishment of virtue, does not grow heedless, does not fall into heedlessness; being heedful, he achieves the accomplishment of concentration (samādhisampadā). He is pleased with that accomplishment of concentration, but his intention is not yet fulfilled. He does not exalt himself and does not disparage others on account of that accomplishment of concentration. He does not become intoxicated by that accomplishment of concentration, does not grow heedless, does not fall into heedlessness; being heedful, he achieves knowledge and vision (ñāṇadassana). He is pleased with that knowledge and vision, and his intention is fulfilled. On account of that knowledge and vision he exalts himself and disparages others: "I dwell knowing and seeing, but these other bhikkhus dwell not knowing and not seeing." He becomes intoxicated by that knowledge and vision, grows heedless, falls into heedlessness; being heedless, he dwells in suffering.
Bhikkhus, suppose a man in need of heartwood, seeking heartwood, wandering in search of heartwood, came upon a great tree standing possessed of heartwood; passing over the very heartwood, he would cut away the softwood and depart taking it, imagining it to be heartwood. A man with eyes, seeing him, would say thus: "Truly this good man did not know the heartwood, did not know the softwood, did not know the bark, did not know the outer bark, did not know the branches and leaves. Thus indeed this good man, in need of heartwood, seeking heartwood, wandering in search of heartwood, having come upon a great tree standing possessed of heartwood, passing over the very heartwood, cut away the softwood 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 attain." Just so, bhikkhus, here some clansman goes forth out of faith from the home life into homelessness, thinking: "I am immersed in birth, aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair; I am immersed in suffering, overwhelmed by suffering. Perhaps a making of an end of this whole mass of suffering might be discerned." Having thus gone forth, he generates gain, honor, and fame. He is not pleased with that gain, honor, and fame, and his intention is not fulfilled by it. He does not exalt himself and does not disparage others on account of that gain, honor, and fame. He does not become intoxicated by that gain, honor, and fame, does not grow heedless, does not fall into heedlessness; being heedful, he achieves the accomplishment of virtue. He is pleased with that accomplishment of virtue, but his intention is not yet fulfilled. He does not exalt himself and does not disparage others on account of that accomplishment of virtue. He does not become intoxicated by that accomplishment of virtue, does not grow heedless, does not fall into heedlessness; being heedful, he achieves the accomplishment of concentration. He is pleased with that accomplishment of concentration, but his intention is not yet fulfilled. He does not exalt himself and does not disparage others on account of that accomplishment of concentration. He does not become intoxicated by that accomplishment of concentration, does not grow heedless, does not fall into heedlessness; being heedful, he achieves knowledge and vision. He is pleased with that knowledge and vision, and his intention is fulfilled. On account of that knowledge and vision he exalts himself and disparages others: "I dwell knowing and seeing, but these other bhikkhus dwell not knowing and not seeing." He becomes intoxicated by that knowledge and vision, grows heedless, falls into heedlessness; being heedless, he dwells in suffering. Bhikkhus, this bhikkhu is said to have taken hold of the softwood of the holy life, and with that he has come to a stop.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.