[8] "Then, friends, listen and attend carefully; I shall speak." "Yes, friend," those bhikkhus replied to the Venerable Sāriputta. The Venerable Sāriputta said this: "There are, friends, wise khattiyas, wise brahmins, wise householders, and wise ascetics who question a bhikkhu who has gone among the various foreign lands — for wise people, friends, are inquisitive (vīmaṃsakā) — asking: 'What does your teacher assert? What does he declare?' Asked thus, friends, you should answer thus: 'Our teacher, friends, declares the removal of desire and lust (chandarāga).'
"When you have answered thus, friends, wise khattiyas, wise brahmins, wise householders, and wise ascetics may question you further — for wise people, friends, are inquisitive — asking: 'But with regard to what does your teacher declare the removal of desire and lust?' Asked thus, friends, you should answer thus: 'It is with regard to form (rūpa), friends, that the teacher declares the removal of desire and lust; with regard to feeling (vedanā) …; with regard to perception …; with regard to volitional formations …; it is with regard to consciousness that the teacher declares the removal of desire and lust.'
"When you have answered thus, friends, wise khattiyas, wise brahmins, wise householders, and wise ascetics may question you further — for wise people, friends, are inquisitive — asking: 'But having seen what danger (ādīnava) does your teacher declare the removal of desire and lust with regard to form? … with regard to feeling …; with regard to perception …; with regard to volitional formations …; with regard to consciousness does the teacher declare the removal of desire and lust?' Asked thus, friends, you should answer thus: 'In form, friends, for one who is not devoid of lust, not devoid of desire, not devoid of affection, not devoid of thirst, not devoid of fever, not devoid of craving (taṇhā), with the change and alteration of that form there arise sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair. In feeling …; in perception …; in volitional formations, for one who is not devoid of lust … not devoid of craving, with the change and alteration of those volitional formations there arise sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair. In consciousness, for one who is not devoid of lust, not devoid of desire, not devoid of affection, not devoid of thirst, not devoid of fever, not devoid of craving, with the change and alteration of that consciousness there arise sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair. It is having seen this danger, friends, that our teacher declares the removal of desire and lust with regard to form; with regard to feeling …; with regard to perception …; with regard to volitional formations …; with regard to consciousness the teacher declares the removal of desire and lust.'
"When you have answered thus, friends, wise khattiyas, wise brahmins, wise householders, and wise ascetics may question you further — for wise people, friends, are inquisitive — asking: 'But having seen what benefit (ānisaṃsa) does your teacher declare the removal of desire and lust with regard to form? … with regard to feeling …; with regard to perception …; with regard to volitional formations …; with regard to consciousness does the teacher declare the removal of desire and lust?' Asked thus, friends, you should answer thus: 'In form, friends, for one who is devoid of lust, devoid of desire, devoid of affection, devoid of thirst, devoid of fever, devoid of craving, with the change and alteration of that form sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair do not arise.
"'In feeling …; in perception …; in volitional formations, for one who is devoid of lust, devoid of desire, devoid of affection, devoid of thirst, devoid of fever, devoid of craving, with the change and alteration of those volitional formations sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair do not arise. In consciousness, for one who is devoid of lust, devoid of desire, devoid of affection, devoid of thirst, devoid of fever, devoid of craving, with the change and alteration of that consciousness sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair do not arise. It is having seen this benefit, friends, that our teacher declares the removal of desire and lust with regard to form; with regard to feeling …; with regard to perception …; with regard to volitional formations …; with regard to consciousness the teacher declares the removal of desire and lust.'"
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.