[76] "But it is possible (ṭhānaṃ etaṃ vijjati), Sunakkhatta, that some bhikkhu here might think thus: 'Craving (taṇhā), the Ascetic has said, is the dart; the poisonous taint of ignorance (avijjā) is aggravated (ruppati) by desire and lust and by ill will (byāpāda). That dart of craving has been abandoned by me; the poisonous taint of ignorance has been removed; I am one rightly intent upon Nibbāna' — such thoughts and the like might be his, he taking this to be the fact. He would then pursue those things that are unsuitable for one rightly intent upon Nibbāna: he would pursue the unsuitable sight of forms with the eye, he would pursue unsuitable sounds with the ear, he would pursue unsuitable odours with the nose, he would pursue unsuitable tastes with the tongue, he would pursue unsuitable tangibles with the body, he would pursue unsuitable dhammas with the mind. When he pursues the unsuitable sight of forms with the eye, pursues unsuitable sounds with the ear, pursues unsuitable odours with the nose, pursues unsuitable tastes with the tongue, pursues unsuitable tangibles with the body, pursues unsuitable dhammas with the mind, lust would assail his mind (citta). With a mind assailed by lust, he would incur death, or suffering (dukkha) verging on death.
"Suppose, Sunakkhatta, a man were pierced by a dart thickly smeared with poison. His friends and companions, his kinsmen and blood relations, would bring in a physician-surgeon to attend him. That physician-surgeon would cut around the opening of the wound with a knife; having cut around the opening of the wound with a knife, he would probe for the dart with a probe; having probed for the dart with a probe, he would draw out the dart and remove the poisonous taint — a residue of it still remaining, though knowing (jānamāno) it to be without residue. He would speak thus: 'Good man, the dart has been drawn out of you; the poisonous taint has been removed without residue, and this suffices for your being out of danger. Eat only suitable food; do not, by eating unsuitable food, let the wound suppurate. Wash the wound from time to time, and anoint the opening of the wound from time to time; do not, while washing the wound from time to time and anointing the opening of the wound from time to time, let pus and blood close over the opening of the wound. And do not go wandering about in wind and sun; do not, wandering about in wind and sun, let dust and dirt infect the opening of the wound. Dwell, good man, watching over the wound, seeing to the wound's healing.'
"He would think thus: 'The dart has been drawn out of me; the poisonous taint has been removed without residue, and this suffices for my being out of danger.' He would eat unsuitable food, and as he ate unsuitable food the wound would suppurate. He would not wash the wound from time to time, nor anoint the opening of the wound from time to time; as he did not wash the wound from time to time and did not anoint the opening of the wound from time to time, pus and blood would close over the opening of the wound. He would go wandering about in wind and sun; as he went wandering about in wind and sun, dust and dirt would infect the opening of the wound. He would not dwell watching over the wound, nor seeing to the wound's healing. Then, both through this very unsuitable conduct of his, and because the foul poisonous taint had been removed with a residue remaining — through both of these the wound would swell up. With the wound swollen, he would incur death, or suffering verging on death. Even so, Sunakkhatta, it is possible that some bhikkhu here might think thus: 'Craving, the Ascetic has said, is the dart; the poisonous taint of ignorance is aggravated by desire and lust and by ill will. That dart of craving has been abandoned by me; the poisonous taint of ignorance has been removed; I am one rightly intent upon Nibbāna' — such thoughts and the like might be his, he taking this to be the fact. He would then pursue those things that are unsuitable for one rightly intent upon Nibbāna: he would pursue the unsuitable sight of forms with the eye, he would pursue unsuitable sounds with the ear, he would pursue unsuitable odours with the nose, he would pursue unsuitable tastes with the tongue, he would pursue unsuitable tangibles with the body, he would pursue unsuitable dhammas with the mind. When he pursues the unsuitable sight of forms with the eye, pursues unsuitable sounds with the ear, pursues unsuitable odours with the nose, pursues unsuitable tastes with the tongue, pursues unsuitable tangibles with the body, pursues unsuitable dhammas with the mind, lust would assail his mind. With a mind assailed by lust, he would incur death, or suffering verging on death.
"For this, Sunakkhatta, is death in the discipline of the Noble One: that one should give up the training and revert to the lower life. And this, Sunakkhatta, is suffering verging on death: that one should commit some defiled offense."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.