[664] "One teacher holds this doctrine, holds this view: 'For one who acts and who makes others act, who mutilates and who makes others mutilate, who torments and who makes others torment, who inflicts sorrow and who makes others inflict sorrow, who oppresses and who makes others oppress, who intimidates and who makes others intimidate; who destroys life, takes what is not given, breaks into houses, plunders wealth, commits burglary at a solitary house, waylays travellers on the road, goes to another's wife, speaks falsehood — evil (pāpa) is done by the one who acts. Even if, with a razor-rimmed wheel, one were to make the living beings of this earth into one mass of flesh, one heap of flesh, there is evil arising from that cause, there is an accrual of evil. Even if one were to go along the south bank of the Gaṅgā killing and slaughtering, mutilating and making others mutilate, tormenting and making others torment, there is evil arising from that cause, there is an accrual of evil. Even if one were to go along the north bank of the Gaṅgā giving and making others give, sacrificing and making others sacrifice, there is merit (puñña) arising from that cause, there is an accrual of merit. By giving, by self-taming (dama), by restraint (saṃyama), by truthful speech, there is merit, there is an accrual of merit.'
"Venerable sir, there arose in me perplexity (kaṅkhā), there arose doubt: 'Which, indeed, of these honourable ascetics and brahmins speaks truth, and which speaks falsehood?'"
"It is fitting for you to be perplexed, headman, fitting for you to doubt; doubt has arisen in you regarding a perplexing matter."
"Venerable sir, I have such confidence in the Blessed One: the Blessed One is able to teach me the Dhamma in such a way that I might abandon this state of perplexity."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.