[131] On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Vesālī, in the Great Wood, in the Hall with the Peaked Roof. Then Mahali the Licchavi approached the Blessed One … Sitting to one side, Mahali the Licchavi said to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, Pūraṇa Kassapa speaks thus: 'There is no cause, there is no condition for the defilement of beings; without cause, without condition, beings are defiled. There is no cause, there is no condition for the purification of beings; without cause, without condition, beings are purified.' What does the Blessed One say about this?"
"There is, Mahali, a cause, there is a condition for the defilement of beings; with cause, with condition, beings are defiled. There is, Mahali, a cause, there is a condition for the purification of beings; with cause, with condition, beings are purified."
"But what, venerable sir, is the cause, what is the condition for the defilement of beings? How is it that with cause, with condition, beings are defiled?"
"Mahali, if this form (rūpa) were exclusively suffering (dukkha), beset by suffering, steeped in suffering, and not steeped in pleasure, beings would not become enamored with form. But because, Mahali, form is pleasant, attended by pleasure, steeped in pleasure, and not steeped in suffering, beings become enamored with form; being enamored, they are bound; being bound, they are defiled. This too, Mahali, is a cause, this a condition for the defilement of beings. Thus too, with cause, with condition, beings are defiled.
"And if this feeling (vedanā), Mahali, were exclusively suffering, beset by suffering, steeped in suffering, and not steeped in pleasure, beings would not become enamored with feeling. But because, Mahali, feeling is pleasant, attended by pleasure, steeped in pleasure, and not steeped in suffering, beings become enamored with feeling; being enamored, they are bound; being bound, they are defiled. This too, Mahali, is a cause, this a condition for the defilement of beings. Thus too, with cause, with condition, beings are defiled.
"And if this perception (saññā), Mahali, … And if these volitional formations (saṅkhārā), Mahali, were exclusively suffering, beset by suffering, steeped in suffering, and not steeped in pleasure, beings would not become enamored with volitional formations. But because, Mahali, volitional formations are pleasant, attended by pleasure, steeped in pleasure, and not steeped in suffering, beings become enamored with volitional formations; being enamored, they are bound; being bound, they are defiled. This too, Mahali, is a cause, this a condition for the defilement of beings. Thus too, with cause, with condition, beings are defiled.
"And if this consciousness (viññāṇa), Mahali, were exclusively suffering, beset by suffering, steeped in suffering, and not steeped in pleasure, beings would not become enamored with consciousness. But because, Mahali, consciousness is pleasant, attended by pleasure, steeped in pleasure, and not steeped in suffering, beings become enamored with consciousness; being enamored, they are bound; being bound, they are defiled. This too, Mahali, is a cause, this a condition for the defilement of beings. Thus too, with cause, with condition, beings are defiled."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.