[451] "Bhikkhus, knowing thus and seeing thus, would you run back to the past, thinking: 'Did we exist in the past? Did we not exist in the past? What were we in the past? How were we in the past? Having been what, what did we become in the past?'"
"No indeed, venerable sir."
"Bhikkhus, knowing thus and seeing thus, would you run forward to the future, thinking: 'Will we exist in the future? Will we not exist in the future? What will we be in the future? How will we be in the future? Having been what, what will we become in the future?'"
"No indeed, venerable sir."
"Bhikkhus, knowing thus and seeing thus, would you now be inwardly perplexed concerning the present time: 'Am I? Am I not? What am I? How am I? This being — whence has it come? Whither will it go?'"
"No indeed, venerable sir."
"Bhikkhus, knowing thus and seeing thus, would you speak thus: 'The Teacher is respected by us; it is only out of respect for the Teacher that we would speak thus'?"
"No indeed, venerable sir."
"Bhikkhus, knowing thus and seeing thus, would you speak thus: 'The Ascetic says thus, and so do the ascetics; but we ourselves do not say so'?"
"No indeed, venerable sir."
"Bhikkhus, knowing thus and seeing thus, would you acknowledge another teacher?"
"No indeed, venerable sir."
"Bhikkhus, knowing thus and seeing thus, would you return, as though they possessed the essence, to those observances, tumultuous festivities, and auspicious ceremonies of the many ascetics and brahmins?"
"No indeed, venerable sir."
"Bhikkhus, do you not speak only of that which is known by yourselves, seen by yourselves, found by yourselves?"
"Even so, venerable sir."
"Good, bhikkhus. You have been guided by me with this Dhamma that is directly visible, immediate, inviting one to come and see, onward-leading, to be personally experienced by the wise. For it was with reference to this that it was said: 'Bhikkhus, this Dhamma is directly visible, immediate, inviting one to come and see, onward-leading, to be personally experienced by the wise.'"
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.