[511] 72. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī, in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park. Then Channa the wanderer approached the Venerable Ānanda; having approached, he exchanged greetings with the Venerable Ānanda, and when they had concluded their courteous and amiable talk, he sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, Channa the wanderer said to the Venerable Ānanda: "Friend Ānanda, do you too prescribe the abandonment of lust (rāga), prescribe the abandonment of hatred, prescribe the abandonment of delusion?"
"Friend, we do prescribe the abandonment of lust, prescribe the abandonment of hatred, prescribe the abandonment of delusion."
"But, friend, what danger have you seen in lust that you prescribe the abandonment of lust? What danger have you seen in hatred that you prescribe the abandonment of hatred? What danger have you seen in delusion that you prescribe the abandonment of delusion?"
"Friend, one who is lustful, overcome by lust, his mind (citta) obsessed by it, intends for his own affliction, intends for the affliction of others, intends for the affliction of both, and he experiences mental suffering (dukkha) and grief. When lust is abandoned, he neither intends for his own affliction, nor intends for the affliction of others, nor intends for the affliction of both, and he does not experience mental suffering and grief. One who is lustful, friend, overcome by lust, his mind obsessed by it, engages in misconduct by body, engages in misconduct by speech, engages in misconduct by mind. When lust is abandoned, he neither engages in misconduct by body, nor engages in misconduct by speech, nor engages in misconduct by mind. One who is lustful, friend, overcome by lust, his mind obsessed by it, does not understand as it really is (yathābhūta) his own good, does not understand as it really is the good of others, does not understand as it really is the good of both. When lust is abandoned, he understands as it really is his own good, understands as it really is the good of others, understands as it really is the good of both. Lust, friend, makes one blind, makes one sightless, makes one without knowledge; it brings about the cessation of wisdom, sides with vexation, and does not conduce to Nibbāna.
"One who is full of hatred, friend … One who is deluded, friend, overcome by delusion, his mind obsessed by it, intends for his own affliction, intends for the affliction of others, intends for the affliction of both, and he experiences mental suffering and grief. When delusion is abandoned, he neither intends for his own affliction, nor intends for the affliction of others, nor intends for the affliction of both, and he does not experience mental suffering and grief. One who is deluded, friend, overcome by delusion, his mind obsessed by it, engages in misconduct by body, engages in misconduct by speech, engages in misconduct by mind. When delusion is abandoned, he neither engages in misconduct by body, nor engages in misconduct by speech, nor engages in misconduct by mind. One who is deluded, friend, overcome by delusion, his mind obsessed by it, does not understand as it really is his own good, does not understand as it really is the good of others, does not understand as it really is the good of both. When delusion is abandoned, he understands as it really is his own good, understands as it really is the good of others, understands as it really is the good of both. Delusion, friend, makes one blind, makes one sightless, makes one without knowledge; it brings about the cessation of wisdom, sides with vexation, and does not conduce to Nibbāna.
"It is this danger, friend, that we have seen in lust that we prescribe the abandonment of lust; it is this danger we have seen in hatred that we prescribe the abandonment of hatred; it is this danger we have seen in delusion that we prescribe the abandonment of delusion."
"But is there, friend, a path (magga), is there a way of practice for the abandonment of this lust, this hatred, this delusion?"
"There is, friend, a path, there is a way of practice for the abandonment of this lust, this hatred, this delusion."
"And what, friend, is the path, what is the way of practice for the abandonment of this lust, this hatred, this delusion?"
"It is just this Noble Eightfold Path, namely: right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. This, friend, is the path, this is the way of practice for the abandonment of this lust, this hatred, this delusion."
"Excellent, friend, is the path, excellent the way of practice for the abandonment of this lust, this hatred, this delusion; and it is enough, friend Ānanda, for heedfulness."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.