[72] When this was said, the venerable Mahāmoggallāna said this to the venerable Sāriputta: "Friend Sāriputta, a simile occurs to me." "Let it occur to you, friend Moggallāna."
"On one occasion, friend, I was dwelling at Rājagaha, in Giribbaja (the Mountain Fold). Then, friend, in the morning, having dressed and taking bowl and robe, I entered Rājagaha for alms. Now on that occasion Samīti, a wheelwright's son, was planing the rim of a chariot wheel, and the Ājīvaka Paṇḍuputta, son of a former wheelwright, was standing by him. Then, friend, this reflection arose in the mind of the Ājīvaka Paṇḍuputta, son of a former wheelwright: 'Oh, that this Samīti, the wheelwright's son, would plane away this crook, this twist, and this flaw from this rim! Then this rim, free of crooks, free of twists, free of flaws, would be pure, established in the heartwood.' And just as the reflection arose in the mind of the Ājīvaka Paṇḍuputta, son of a former wheelwright, even so did Samīti, the wheelwright's son, plane away that crook, that twist, and that flaw from that rim. Then, friend, the Ājīvaka Paṇḍuputta, son of a former wheelwright, delighted, uttered words of delight: 'He planes, methinks, knowing my heart with his heart!'
"Even so, friend: those persons who are without faith, who have gone forth from the home life into homelessness seeking a livelihood, not out of faith — who are fraudulent, deceitful, treacherous, restless, haughty, fickle, scurrilous, of loose speech, unguarded in the doors of the sense faculties, knowing no moderation in food, not devoted to wakefulness, without regard for the ascetic life, without keen respect for the training, luxurious, lax, leaders in backsliding, casting off the burden of seclusion, indolent, of inferior energy, of muddled mindfulness, without clear comprehension (sampajañña), unconcentrated, with wandering mind (citta), of poor wisdom, witless as though dumb — the venerable Sāriputta, knowing, methinks, their heart with his heart, planes them with this exposition of the Dhamma.
"But those clansmen who have gone forth from the home life into homelessness out of faith — who are not fraudulent, not deceitful, not treacherous, not restless, not haughty, not fickle, not scurrilous, not of loose speech, guarded in the doors of the sense faculties, knowing moderation in food, devoted to wakefulness, having regard for the ascetic life, with keen respect for the training, not luxurious, not lax, casting off the burden of backsliding, leaders in seclusion, of aroused energy, resolute, of established mindfulness (sati), clearly comprehending, concentrated, with one-pointed mind, wise, not witless as though dumb — they, having heard this exposition of the Dhamma from the venerable Sāriputta, drink it in, methinks, and devour it, methinks, with speech and with mind, saying: 'It is good indeed, sirs, that he lifts his companions in the holy life out of the unwholesome and establishes them in the wholesome.'
"Just as, friend, a woman or a man, young, youthful, fond of adornment, having bathed the head, on receiving a garland of blue lotuses, or a garland of jasmine, or a garland of adhimuttaka flowers, would receive it with both hands and place it upon the head, the noblest limb — even so, friend, those clansmen who have gone forth from the home life into homelessness out of faith — who are not fraudulent, not deceitful, not treacherous, not restless, not haughty, not fickle, not scurrilous, not of loose speech, guarded in the doors of the sense faculties, knowing moderation in food, devoted to wakefulness, having regard for the ascetic life, with keen respect for the training, not luxurious, not lax, casting off the burden of backsliding, leaders in seclusion, of aroused energy, resolute, of established mindfulness, clearly comprehending, concentrated, with one-pointed mind, wise, not witless as though dumb — they, having heard this exposition of the Dhamma from the venerable Sāriputta, drink it in, methinks, and devour it, methinks, with speech and with mind, saying: 'It is good indeed, sirs, that he lifts his companions in the holy life out of the unwholesome and establishes them in the wholesome.'"
Thus did those two great nāgas rejoice in each other's well-spoken words.
The Anaṅgaṇa Sutta, the fifth, is finished.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.