[116] Then the wanderer Ājina approached the Blessed One; having approached, he exchanged greetings with the Blessed One, and when the courteous and memorable talk was concluded, he sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, the wanderer said this to the Blessed One: "Master Gotama, we have a fellow practitioner of the holy life named Paṇḍita. He has five hundred grounds of mind (cittaṭṭhāna) by which those of other sects, when refuted, know: 'We are refuted.'"
Then the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: "Bhikkhus, do you remember the grounds of the wise (paṇḍitavatthu)?"
"Blessed One, this is the time for that; Sublime One, this is the time for that — for the Blessed One to speak. Having heard it from the Blessed One, the bhikkhus will remember it."
"Then listen, bhikkhus, and attend carefully; I shall speak."
"Yes, venerable sir," those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this:
"Here, bhikkhus, someone refutes and crushes a statement that is not Dhamma with a statement that is not Dhamma, and thereby he delights an assembly that is not in accordance with Dhamma. Because of that, that assembly not in accordance with Dhamma becomes loud and clamorous: 'A wise man indeed, sir! A wise man indeed, sir!'
"Here again, bhikkhus, someone refutes and crushes a statement that is Dhamma with a statement that is not Dhamma, and thereby he delights an assembly that is not in accordance with Dhamma. Because of that, that assembly not in accordance with Dhamma becomes loud and clamorous: 'A wise man indeed, sir! A wise man indeed, sir!'
"Here again, bhikkhus, someone refutes and crushes both a statement that is Dhamma and a statement that is not Dhamma with a statement that is not Dhamma, and thereby he delights an assembly that is not in accordance with Dhamma. Because of that, that assembly not in accordance with Dhamma becomes loud and clamorous: 'A wise man indeed, sir! A wise man indeed, sir!'
"Here again, bhikkhus, someone refutes and crushes a statement that is not Dhamma with a statement that is Dhamma, and thereby he delights an assembly that is not in accordance with Dhamma. Because of that, that assembly not in accordance with Dhamma becomes loud and clamorous: 'A wise man indeed, sir! A wise man indeed, sir!'
"Here again, bhikkhus, someone refutes and crushes a statement that is Dhamma with a statement that is Dhamma, and thereby he delights an assembly that is in accordance with Dhamma. Because of that, that assembly in accordance with Dhamma becomes loud and clamorous: 'A wise man indeed, sir! A wise man indeed, sir!'
"Bhikkhus, what is not Dhamma should be known, and what is Dhamma; what is harmful should be known, and what is beneficial. Having known what is not Dhamma and what is Dhamma, having known what is harmful and what is beneficial, one should practice in accordance with what is Dhamma and in accordance with what is beneficial.
"And what, bhikkhus, is not Dhamma? What is Dhamma? What is harmful? And what is beneficial? Wrong view, bhikkhus, is not Dhamma; right view is Dhamma; and the many bad, unwholesome states that come into being with wrong view as condition — this is harmful; and with right view as condition, many wholesome states go to fulfillment by development — this is beneficial. Wrong thought, bhikkhus, is not Dhamma; right thought is Dhamma … Wrong speech, bhikkhus, is not Dhamma; right speech is Dhamma … Wrong action, bhikkhus, is not Dhamma; right action is Dhamma … Wrong livelihood, bhikkhus, is not Dhamma; right livelihood is Dhamma … Wrong effort, bhikkhus, is not Dhamma; right effort is Dhamma … Wrong mindfulness, bhikkhus, is not Dhamma … right mindfulness is Dhamma. Wrong concentration, bhikkhus, is not Dhamma; right concentration is Dhamma … Wrong knowledge, bhikkhus, is not Dhamma; right knowledge is Dhamma … Wrong deliverance, bhikkhus, is not Dhamma; right deliverance is Dhamma; and the many bad, unwholesome states that come into being with wrong deliverance as condition — this is harmful; and with right deliverance as condition, many wholesome states go to fulfillment by development — this is beneficial.
"'Bhikkhus, what is not Dhamma should be known, and what is Dhamma; what is harmful should be known, and what is beneficial. Having known what is not Dhamma and what is Dhamma, having known what is harmful and what is beneficial, one should practice in accordance with what is Dhamma and in accordance with what is beneficial' — thus what was said, it was said in dependence on this."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.