[171] Bhikkhus, for a bhikkhu whose taints (āsava) are destroyed, who has lived the life fulfilled, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, reached his own goal, utterly destroyed the fetters of existence, and is rightly liberated by final knowledge, this is the answer that accords with the Dhamma: 'Friends, in regard to the eye, forms, eye-consciousness, and dhammas cognizable through eye-consciousness — whatever desire, whatever lust, whatever delight, whatever craving (taṇhā), and whatever engagement and clinging, mental standpoints, adherences, and underlying tendencies there may be — through their destruction, fading away, cessation, giving up, and relinquishment, I understand: "My mind is liberated." Friends, in regard to the ear, sounds, ear-consciousness … in regard to the nose, odours, nose-consciousness … in regard to the tongue, tastes, tongue-consciousness … in regard to the body, tangibles, body-consciousness … in regard to the mind, dhammas, mind-consciousness, and dhammas cognizable through mind-consciousness — whatever desire, whatever lust, whatever delight, whatever craving, and whatever engagement and clinging, mental standpoints, adherences, and underlying tendencies there may be — through their destruction, fading away, cessation, giving up, and relinquishment, I understand: "My mind is liberated." Knowing thus, friends, seeing thus, in regard to these six internal and external sense bases (āyatana), my mind is liberated from the taints through not clinging.'
Bhikkhus, that bhikkhu's statement should be delighted in and rejoiced in with the word 'Good!' Having delighted in and rejoiced in his statement with the word 'Good!', a further question should be asked: 'But knowing how, seeing how, has the venerable one thoroughly eradicated I-making, mine-making, and the underlying tendency to conceit in regard to this body with its consciousness and in regard to all external signs?'
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.