[70] "What do you think, householder? Suppose there were here a Nigaṇṭha restrained by the fourfold restraint (cātuyāmasaṃvara): curbed by all curbs (sabbavārivārito), yoked to all curbs, cleansed by all curbs, encompassed by all curbs. As he goes forward and turns back, he brings many small living creatures to destruction. Now, householder, what result does the Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta declare for him?"
"Venerable sir, the Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta does not declare what is unintentional to be greatly blameworthy."
"But, householder, if he intends it?"
"Then it is greatly blameworthy, venerable sir."
"But under what, householder, does the Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta declare intention (cetanā) to be classified?"
"Under the mental rod (manodaṇḍa), venerable sir."
"Householder, householder, consider! Having considered, householder, answer. What you said after does not cohere with what you said before, nor what you said before with what you said after. And yet, householder, these words were spoken by you: 'Venerable sir, I shall debate standing upon truth; let there be some conversation between us on this.'"
"Venerable sir, although the Blessed One says this, still it is the bodily rod (kāyadaṇḍa) alone that is the more greatly blameworthy for the doing of evil action, for the occurrence of evil action; not so the verbal rod (vacīdaṇḍa), not so the mental rod."
"What do you think, householder? Is this Nāḷandā prosperous and flourishing, populous, crowded with people?"
"So it is, venerable sir: this Nāḷandā is prosperous and flourishing, populous, crowded with people."
"What do you think, householder? Suppose a man were to come here with sword upraised, and he were to say: 'In one moment, in one instant, I will make all the living beings there are in this Nāḷandā into one mass of flesh, one heap of flesh.' What do you think, householder? Would that man be able, in one moment, in one instant, to make all the living beings there are in this Nāḷandā into one mass of flesh, one heap of flesh?"
"Venerable sir, ten men, venerable sir, twenty men, venerable sir, thirty men, venerable sir, forty men, venerable sir, fifty men would not be able, in one moment, in one instant, to make all the living beings there are in this Nāḷandā into one mass of flesh, one heap of flesh. What does one wretched man amount to?"
"What do you think, householder? Suppose there were to come here an ascetic or a brahmin possessed of psychic power (iddhi), attained to mastery of mind, and he were to say: 'I will reduce this Nāḷandā to ashes with a single malevolence of mind (manopadosa).' What do you think, householder? Would that ascetic or brahmin possessed of psychic power, attained to mastery of mind, be able to reduce this Nāḷandā to ashes with a single malevolence of mind?"
"Venerable sir, ten Nāḷandās, venerable sir, twenty Nāḷandās, venerable sir, thirty Nāḷandās, venerable sir, forty Nāḷandās, venerable sir, fifty Nāḷandās that ascetic or brahmin possessed of psychic power, attained to mastery of mind, would be able to reduce to ashes with a single malevolence of mind. What does one wretched Nāḷandā amount to?"
"Householder, householder, consider! Having considered, householder, answer. What you said after does not cohere with what you said before, nor what you said before with what you said after. And yet, householder, these words were spoken by you: 'Venerable sir, I shall debate standing upon truth; let there be some conversation between us on this.'"
"Venerable sir, although the Blessed One says this, still it is the bodily rod alone that is the more greatly blameworthy for the doing of evil action, for the occurrence of evil action; not so the verbal rod, not so the mental rod."
"What do you think, householder? Have you heard how the Daṇḍakī forest, the Kāliṅga forest, the Mejjha forest, and the Mātaṅga forest became forest, became sheer wilderness?"
"So it is, venerable sir: I have heard that the Daṇḍakī forest, the Kāliṅga forest, the Mejjha forest, and the Mātaṅga forest became forest, became sheer wilderness."
"What do you think, householder? What have you heard—by what did the Daṇḍakī forest, the Kāliṅga forest, the Mejjha forest, and the Mātaṅga forest become forest, become sheer wilderness?"
"Venerable sir, I have heard this: it was through the malevolence of mind of the seers that the Daṇḍakī forest, the Kāliṅga forest, the Mejjha forest, and the Mātaṅga forest became forest, became sheer wilderness."
"Householder, householder, consider! Having considered, householder, answer. What you said after does not cohere with what you said before, nor what you said before with what you said after. And yet, householder, these words were spoken by you: 'Venerable sir, I shall debate standing upon truth; let there be some conversation between us on this.'"
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.