[124] "Bhikkhus, seed sown in a field possessing eight factors does not bear great fruit, does not yield great gratification, and does not thrive. Possessing eight factors in what way? Here, bhikkhus, a field has mounds and hollows; it is full of stones and gravel; it is salty; it cannot be furrowed deeply; it is not provided with inlets for water; it is not provided with outlets; it is not provided with irrigation channels; it is not provided with boundary dikes. Seed sown in a field possessing these eight factors, bhikkhus, does not bear great fruit, does not yield great gratification, and does not thrive. In just the same way, bhikkhus, a gift (dāna) given to ascetics and brahmins possessing eight factors is not of great fruit, not of great benefit, not of great splendor, not of great pervasiveness. Possessing eight factors in what way? Here, bhikkhus, ascetics and brahmins are of wrong view, of wrong thought, of wrong speech, of wrong action, of wrong livelihood, of wrong effort, of wrong mindfulness, of wrong concentration. A gift given to ascetics and brahmins possessing these eight factors, bhikkhus, is not of great fruit, not of great benefit, not of great splendor, not of great pervasiveness.
"But, bhikkhus, seed sown in a field possessing eight factors bears great fruit, yields great gratification, and thrives. Possessing eight factors in what way? Here, bhikkhus, a field is without mounds and hollows; it is free of stones and gravel; it is not salty; it can be furrowed deeply; it is provided with inlets for water; it is provided with outlets; it is provided with irrigation channels; it is provided with boundary dikes. Seed sown in a field possessing these eight factors, bhikkhus, bears great fruit, yields great gratification, and thrives. In just the same way, bhikkhus, a gift given to ascetics and brahmins possessing eight factors is of great fruit, of great benefit, of great splendor, of great pervasiveness. Possessing eight factors in what way? Here, bhikkhus, ascetics and brahmins are of right view, of right thought, of right speech, of right action, of right livelihood, of right effort, of right mindfulness, of right concentration. A gift given to ascetics and brahmins possessing these eight factors, bhikkhus, is of great fruit, of great benefit, of great splendor, of great pervasiveness."
Just as when excellent seed is sown in an excellent field,
and the rain god supplies rain in full measure,
there is an accomplishment of grain:
its freedom from blight is accomplished,
its growth is accomplished,
its abundance is accomplished,
its fruit indeed is accomplished —
so too an accomplished offering of food,
given to those accomplished in virtue,
leads on to accomplishments,
for what he has done is itself accomplished.
Therefore let a person here who desires accomplishment
be one accomplished in the goal;
let him resort to those accomplished in wisdom:
thus do accomplishments succeed.
One accomplished in true knowledge and conduct,
having gained the accomplishment of mind (citta),
performs an accomplishment of action
and gains the accomplishment of the goal.
Having known the world as it really is,
having reached the accomplishment of view,
having come to the accomplishment of the path,
he goes on with mind accomplished.
Having shaken off all stain,
having attained the accomplishment of Nibbāna,
he is freed from all sufferings:
that is the accomplishment of everything.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.