[143] At Sāvatthī. Seated to one side, that bhikkhu said this to the Blessed One: "It would be good, venerable sir, if the Blessed One would teach me the Dhamma in brief … [elided in the Pali] … I might dwell."
"Whatever, bhikkhu, is suffering (dukkha) — there you should abandon desire (chanda)."
"Understood, Blessed One! Understood, Fortunate One (Sugata)!"
"But in what way, bhikkhu, do you understand in detail the meaning of what was spoken by me in brief?"
"Form (rūpa), venerable sir, is suffering; there I should abandon desire. Feeling (vedanā) … Perception … Volitional formations … Consciousness is suffering; there I should abandon desire. It is in this way, venerable sir, that I understand in detail the meaning of what was spoken in brief by the Blessed One."
"Good, good, bhikkhu! It is good that you understand in detail the meaning of what was spoken by me in brief. Form, bhikkhu, is suffering; there you should abandon desire. Feeling … Perception … Volitional formations … Consciousness is suffering; there you should abandon desire. It is in this way, bhikkhu, that the meaning of what was spoken by me in brief should be seen in detail." … [elided in the Pali] … And that bhikkhu became one of the arahants.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.