[386] When his mind (citta) is thus concentrated (samādhi) — purified, cleansed, unblemished, rid of defilement, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability — he directs the mind to the knowledge (ñāṇa) of the recollection of past lives. He recollects his manifold past lives, that is: one birth (jāti), two births, … Thus, with their aspects and particulars, he recollects his manifold past lives. This too, Udāyi, is a state (dhamma) higher and more excellent, for the sake of the realization of which bhikkhus live the holy life under me.
When his mind is thus concentrated — purified, cleansed, unblemished, rid of defilement, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability — he directs the mind to the knowledge of the passing away and reappearance of beings. With the divine eye, purified and surpassing the human, he sees beings passing away and reappearing — inferior and superior, fair and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate … he understands beings as faring according to their kamma. This too, Udāyi, is a state higher and more excellent, for the sake of the realization of which bhikkhus live the holy life under me.
When his mind is thus concentrated — purified, cleansed, unblemished, rid of defilement, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability — he directs the mind to the knowledge of the destruction of the taints (āsava). He understands as it really is (yathābhūta): 'This is suffering (dukkha)'; 'This is the origin (samudaya) of suffering' …; 'This is the cessation (nirodha) of suffering' …; he understands as it really is: 'This is the way of practice leading to the cessation of suffering.' He understands as it really is: 'These are the taints'; 'This is the origin of the taints' …; 'This is the cessation of the taints' …; he understands as it really is: 'This is the way of practice leading to the cessation of the taints.' When he knows thus and sees thus, his mind is liberated from the taint of sensuality, his mind is liberated from the taint of existence, his mind is liberated from the taint of ignorance (avijjā). When it is liberated, there comes the knowledge: 'It is liberated.' He understands: 'Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more of this state of being.' This, Udāyi, is a state higher and more excellent, for the sake of the realization of which bhikkhus live the holy life under me.
These, Udāyi, are the states higher and more excellent, for the sake of the realization of which bhikkhus live the holy life under me.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.