[281] On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī, in Jeta's Grove, in Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery. Now on that occasion the Venerable Sāriputta was dwelling at Sāvatthī, in the Eastern Monastery, in the mansion of Migāra's mother. There the Venerable Sāriputta addressed the bhikkhus: "Friends, bhikkhus!" "Friend," those bhikkhus replied to the Venerable Sāriputta. The Venerable Sāriputta said this: "Friends, I shall teach the person with a fetter (saṃyojana) internally and the person with a fetter externally. Listen to it and attend well; I shall speak." "Yes, friend," those bhikkhus replied to the Venerable Sāriputta. The Venerable Sāriputta said this:
"And what, friends, is the person with a fetter internally? Here, friends, a bhikkhu is virtuous; he dwells restrained by the restraint of the Pātimokkha, accomplished in conduct and resort, seeing danger in the slightest faults; having undertaken the training rules, he trains in them. With the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in a certain company of devas. Passing away from there, he is a returner (āgāmī), one who comes back to this state of being. This, friends, is called the person with a fetter internally, a returner, one who comes back to this state of being.
"And what, friends, is the person with a fetter externally? Here, friends, a bhikkhu is virtuous; he dwells restrained by the restraint of the Pātimokkha, accomplished in conduct and resort, seeing danger in the slightest faults; having undertaken the training rules, he trains in them. He attains and dwells in a certain peaceful deliverance of mind (cetovimutti). With the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in a certain company of devas. Passing away from there, he is a non-returner (anāgāmī), one who does not come back to this state of being. This, friends, is called the person with a fetter externally, a non-returner, one who does not come back to this state of being.
"Further, friends, a bhikkhu is virtuous; he dwells restrained by the restraint of the Pātimokkha, accomplished in conduct and resort, seeing danger in the slightest faults; having undertaken the training rules, he trains in them. He is practicing for disenchantment with sensual pleasures, for their fading away and cessation; he is practicing for disenchantment with existences, for their fading away and cessation; he is practicing for the destruction of craving (taṇhā); he is practicing for the destruction of greed. With the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in a certain company of devas. Passing away from there, he is a non-returner, one who does not come back to this state of being. This, friends, is called the person with a fetter externally, a non-returner, one who does not come back to this state of being."
Then a number of devatās of like mind approached the Blessed One; having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, they stood to one side. Standing to one side, those devatās said this to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, the Venerable Sāriputta, in the Eastern Monastery, in the mansion of Migāra's mother, is teaching the bhikkhus about the person with a fetter internally and the person with a fetter externally. The assembly is delighted, venerable sir. It would be good, venerable sir, if the Blessed One would approach the Venerable Sāriputta out of compassion." The Blessed One consented by silence. Then, just as a strong man might extend his drawn-in arm or draw in his extended arm, so the Blessed One vanished from Jeta's Grove and appeared before the Venerable Sāriputta in the Eastern Monastery, in the mansion of Migāra's mother. The Blessed One sat down on the seat that had been prepared. The Venerable Sāriputta too, having paid homage to the Blessed One, sat down to one side. As the Venerable Sāriputta sat to one side, the Blessed One said this to him:
"Here, Sāriputta, a number of devatās of like mind approached me; having approached and paid homage to me, they stood to one side. Standing to one side, those devatās said this to me: 'Venerable sir, the Venerable Sāriputta, in the Eastern Monastery, in the mansion of Migāra's mother, is teaching the bhikkhus about the person with a fetter internally and the person with a fetter externally. The assembly is delighted, venerable sir. It would be good, venerable sir, if the Blessed One would approach the Venerable Sāriputta out of compassion.' Now those devatās, Sāriputta, being ten, being twenty, being thirty, being forty, being fifty, being sixty, stand in a space no larger than the prick of the point of an awl, yet they do not impinge upon one another. It may be, Sāriputta, that you think: 'Surely it was there that those devatās developed such a mind, whereby those devatās, being ten, being twenty, being thirty, being forty, being fifty, being sixty, stand in a space no larger than the prick of the point of an awl, yet do not impinge upon one another.' But it should not be seen thus, Sāriputta. It was right here, Sāriputta, that those devatās developed such a mind, whereby those devatās, being ten … yet do not impinge upon one another. Therefore, Sāriputta, you should train thus: 'We shall be peaceful in our faculties, peaceful in mind.' Thus indeed, Sāriputta, should you train. For when you are peaceful in your faculties, Sāriputta, peaceful in mind, bodily action will be peaceful, verbal action peaceful, mental action peaceful. 'We shall offer only peaceful service to our fellows in the holy life' — thus indeed, Sāriputta, should you train. Lost indeed, Sāriputta, are those wanderers of other sects who have not heard this exposition of the Dhamma."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.