[333] 62. Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One, while wandering on tour among the Kosalans together with a large Saṅgha of bhikkhus, arrived at the town of the Kosalans named Daṇḍakappaka.
Then the Blessed One stepped down from the road and sat on a seat prepared at the foot of a certain tree. The bhikkhus entered Daṇḍakappaka to search for lodgings. Then the Venerable Ānanda, together with a number of bhikkhus, went to the river Aciravatī to bathe his limbs. Having bathed his limbs in the river Aciravatī and come out again, he stood in one robe drying his limbs. Then a certain bhikkhu approached the Venerable Ānanda and, having approached, said to the Venerable Ānanda: "Was it, friend Ānanda, after comprehending everything with his mind that Devadatta was declared by the Blessed One thus: 'Devadatta is bound for the plane of misery, Devadatta is bound for hell, he will remain there for the eon, he is irremediable' — or was it only in some particular respect?" "It was just so, friend, that this was declared by the Blessed One." Then the Venerable Ānanda approached the Blessed One and, having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, the Venerable Ānanda said this to the Blessed One: "Here, venerable sir, together with a number of bhikkhus I went to the river Aciravatī to bathe my limbs. Having bathed my limbs in the river Aciravatī and come out again, I stood in one robe drying my limbs. Then, venerable sir, a certain bhikkhu approached me and, having approached, said this to me: 'Was it, friend Ānanda, after comprehending everything with his mind that Devadatta was declared by the Blessed One thus: "Devadatta is bound for the plane of misery, Devadatta is bound for hell, he will remain there for the eon, he is irremediable" — or was it only in some particular respect?'
"When this was said, venerable sir, I said to that bhikkhu: 'It was just so, friend, that this was declared by the Blessed One.'" [The Blessed One said:] "Ānanda, either that bhikkhu must be newly ordained, not long gone forth, or else he is an elder who is foolish and incompetent. For how could there be ambiguity in what has been declared by me categorically? I do not see, Ānanda, even one other person concerning whom a declaration was made by me after comprehending everything with the mind, as there was concerning Devadatta. For so long, Ānanda, as I saw in Devadatta even a bright quality the measure of what could be picked out with the tip of a hair, I did not declare of Devadatta: 'Devadatta is bound for the plane of misery, Devadatta is bound for hell, he will remain there for the eon, he is irremediable.' But when, Ānanda, I saw in Devadatta no bright quality even the measure of what could be picked out with the tip of a hair, then I declared of Devadatta: 'Devadatta is bound for the plane of misery, Devadatta is bound for hell, he will remain there for the eon, he is irremediable.' Suppose, Ānanda, there were a cesspit deeper than a man's height, full of excrement up to the brim, and a man were sunk in it head and all. Some man might come along desiring his good, desiring his welfare, desiring his security from bondage, wishing to lift him out of that cesspit. Going all around that cesspit, he would not see on that man even a spot the measure of what could be picked out with the tip of a hair that was unsmeared with excrement, by which he might take hold of him and lift him out. Even so, Ānanda, when I saw in Devadatta no bright quality even the measure of what could be picked out with the tip of a hair, then I declared of Devadatta: 'Devadatta is bound for the plane of misery, Devadatta is bound for hell, he will remain there for the eon, he is irremediable.' If you all, Ānanda, would listen while the Tathāgata analyzes the knowledges (ñāṇa) of the faculties of persons (purisindriyañāṇa)—" "This is the time for that, Blessed One; this is the time for that, Sublime One, for the Blessed One to analyze the knowledges of the faculties of persons. Having heard it from the Blessed One, the bhikkhus will remember it." "Then, Ānanda, listen and attend carefully; I will speak." "Yes, venerable sir," the Venerable Ānanda replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this:
"Here, Ānanda, having encompassed mind with mind, I understand a certain person thus: 'In this person there exist both wholesome qualities and unwholesome qualities.' On a later occasion, having encompassed mind with mind, I understand him thus: 'This person's wholesome qualities have disappeared; unwholesome qualities have come to the fore; but there is in him a wholesome root that has not been cut off; from that, wholesomeness will manifest for him. Thus this person will be of a nature not to decline in the future.' Suppose, Ānanda, seeds unbroken, unspoiled, undamaged by wind and sun, fecund, well stored, were sown in a good field, in well-prepared soil: would you know, Ānanda, 'These seeds will come to growth, increase, and abundance'?"
"Yes, venerable sir."
"Even so, Ānanda, having encompassed mind with mind, I understand a certain person here thus: 'In this person there exist both wholesome qualities and unwholesome qualities.' On a later occasion, having encompassed mind with mind, I understand him thus: 'This person's wholesome qualities have disappeared; unwholesome qualities have come to the fore; but there is in him a wholesome root that has not been cut off; from that, wholesomeness will manifest for him. Thus this person will be of a nature not to decline in the future.' In this way too, Ānanda, a person is known to the Tathāgata by encompassing mind with mind; in this way too, Ānanda, the knowledge of the faculties of persons is known to the Tathāgata by encompassing mind with mind; in this way too, Ānanda, the future arising of qualities is known to the Tathāgata by encompassing mind with mind.
"Here again, Ānanda, having encompassed mind with mind, I understand a certain person thus: 'In this person there exist both wholesome qualities and unwholesome qualities.' On a later occasion, having encompassed mind with mind, I understand him thus: 'This person's unwholesome qualities have disappeared; wholesome qualities have come to the fore; but there is in him an unwholesome root that has not been cut off; from that, unwholesomeness will manifest for him. Thus this person will be of a nature to decline in the future.' Suppose, Ānanda, seeds unbroken, unspoiled, undamaged by wind and sun, fecund, well stored, were placed upon a broad rock: would you know, Ānanda, 'These seeds will not come to growth, increase, and abundance'?"
"Yes, venerable sir."
"Even so, Ānanda, having encompassed mind with mind, I understand a certain person here thus: 'In this person there exist both wholesome qualities and unwholesome qualities.' On a later occasion, having encompassed mind with mind, I understand him thus: 'This person's unwholesome qualities have disappeared; wholesome qualities have come to the fore; but there is in him an unwholesome root that has not been cut off; from that, unwholesomeness will manifest for him. Thus this person will be of a nature to decline in the future.' In this way too, Ānanda, a person is known to the Tathāgata by encompassing mind with mind; in this way too, Ānanda, the knowledge of the faculties of persons is known to the Tathāgata by encompassing mind with mind; in this way too, Ānanda, the future arising of qualities is known to the Tathāgata by encompassing mind with mind.
"Here again, Ānanda, having encompassed mind with mind, I understand a certain person thus: 'In this person there exist both wholesome qualities and unwholesome qualities.' On a later occasion, having encompassed mind with mind, I understand him thus: 'There is not in this person even a bright quality the measure of what could be picked out with the tip of a hair; this person, endowed with exclusively black, unwholesome qualities, with the breakup of the body, after death, will be reborn in the plane of misery, the bad destination, the lower world, hell.' Suppose, Ānanda, seeds broken, spoiled, damaged by wind and sun, were sown in a good field, in well-prepared soil: would you know, Ānanda, 'These seeds will not come to growth, increase, and abundance'?"
"Yes, venerable sir."
"Even so, Ānanda, having encompassed mind with mind, I understand a certain person here thus: 'In this person there exist both wholesome qualities and unwholesome qualities.' On a later occasion, having encompassed mind with mind, I understand him thus: 'There is not in this person even a bright quality the measure of what could be picked out with the tip of a hair; this person, endowed with exclusively black, unwholesome qualities, with the breakup of the body, after death, will be reborn in the plane of misery, the bad destination, the lower world, hell.' In this way too, Ānanda, a person is known to the Tathāgata by encompassing mind with mind; in this way too, Ānanda, the knowledge of the faculties of persons is known to the Tathāgata by encompassing mind with mind; in this way too, Ānanda, the future arising of qualities is known to the Tathāgata by encompassing mind with mind."
When this was said, the Venerable Ānanda said this to the Blessed One: "Is it possible, venerable sir, to describe, besides these three persons, three other persons who are their counterparts?" "It is possible, Ānanda," said the Blessed One. "Here, Ānanda, having encompassed mind with mind, I understand a certain person thus: 'In this person there exist both wholesome qualities and unwholesome qualities.' On a later occasion, having encompassed mind with mind, I understand him thus: 'This person's wholesome qualities have disappeared; unwholesome qualities have come to the fore; and there is in him a wholesome root that has not been cut off, but that too is heading toward utter eradication. Thus this person will be of a nature to decline in the future.' Suppose, Ānanda, coals burning, blazing, glowing, were placed upon a broad rock: would you know, Ānanda, 'These coals will not come to growth, increase, and abundance'?"
"Yes, venerable sir."
"Or suppose, Ānanda, in the evening time, as the sun is setting: would you know, Ānanda, 'Light will disappear; darkness will manifest'?"
"Yes, venerable sir."
"Or suppose, Ānanda, at the meal-time at midnight: would you know, Ānanda, 'Light has disappeared; darkness has manifested'?"
"Yes, venerable sir."
"Even so, Ānanda, having encompassed mind with mind, I understand a certain person here thus: 'In this person there exist both wholesome qualities and unwholesome qualities.' On a later occasion, having encompassed mind with mind, I understand him thus: 'This person's wholesome qualities have disappeared; unwholesome qualities have come to the fore; and there is in him a wholesome root that has not been cut off, but that too is heading toward utter eradication. Thus this person will be of a nature to decline in the future.' In this way too, Ānanda, a person is known to the Tathāgata by encompassing mind with mind; in this way too, Ānanda, the knowledge of the faculties of persons is known to the Tathāgata by encompassing mind with mind; in this way too, Ānanda, the future arising of qualities is known to the Tathāgata by encompassing mind with mind.
"Here again, Ānanda, having encompassed mind with mind, I understand a certain person thus: 'In this person there exist both wholesome qualities and unwholesome qualities.' On a later occasion, having encompassed mind with mind, I understand him thus: 'This person's unwholesome qualities have disappeared; wholesome qualities have come to the fore; and there is in him an unwholesome root that has not been cut off, but that too is heading toward utter eradication. Thus this person will be of a nature not to decline in the future.' Suppose, Ānanda, coals burning, blazing, glowing, were placed upon a heap of dry grass or a heap of dry wood: would you know, Ānanda, 'These coals will come to growth, increase, and abundance'?"
"Yes, venerable sir."
"Or suppose, Ānanda, at the time of dawn, as the sun is rising: would you know, Ānanda, 'Darkness will disappear; light will manifest'?"
"Yes, venerable sir."
"Or suppose, Ānanda, at the meal-time at midday: would you know, Ānanda, 'Darkness has disappeared; light has manifested'?"
"Yes, venerable sir."
"Even so, Ānanda, having encompassed mind with mind, I understand a certain person here thus: 'In this person there exist both wholesome qualities and unwholesome qualities.' On a later occasion, having encompassed mind with mind, I understand him thus: 'This person's unwholesome qualities have disappeared; wholesome qualities have come to the fore; and there is in him an unwholesome root that has not been cut off, but that too is heading toward utter eradication. Thus this person will be of a nature not to decline in the future.' In this way too, Ānanda, a person is known to the Tathāgata by encompassing mind with mind; in this way too, Ānanda, the knowledge of the faculties of persons is known to the Tathāgata by encompassing mind with mind; in this way too, Ānanda, the future arising of qualities is known to the Tathāgata by encompassing mind with mind.
"Here again, Ānanda, having encompassed mind with mind, I understand a certain person thus: 'In this person there exist both wholesome qualities and unwholesome qualities.' On a later occasion, having encompassed mind with mind, I understand him thus: 'There is not in this person even an unwholesome quality the measure of what could be picked out with the tip of a hair; this person, endowed with exclusively bright, blameless qualities, will attain final Nibbāna (parinibbāna) in this very life.' Suppose, Ānanda, coals cold and extinguished were placed upon a heap of dry grass or a heap of dry wood: would you know, Ānanda, 'These coals will not come to growth, increase, and abundance'?"
"Yes, venerable sir."
"Even so, Ānanda, having encompassed mind with mind, I understand a certain person here thus: 'In this person there exist both wholesome qualities and unwholesome qualities.' On a later occasion, having encompassed mind with mind, I understand him thus: 'There is not in this person even an unwholesome quality the measure of what could be picked out with the tip of a hair; this person, endowed with exclusively bright, blameless qualities, will attain final Nibbāna in this very life.' In this way too, Ānanda, a person is known to the Tathāgata by encompassing mind with mind; in this way too, Ānanda, the knowledge of the faculties of persons is known to the Tathāgata by encompassing mind with mind; in this way too, Ānanda, the future arising of qualities is known to the Tathāgata by encompassing mind with mind. Therein, Ānanda, as to the former three persons: of those three persons, one is of a nature not to decline, one is of a nature to decline, and one is bound for the plane of misery, bound for hell. Therein, Ānanda, as to the latter three persons: of these three persons, one is of a nature not to decline, one is of a nature to decline, and one is of a nature to attain final Nibbāna."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.