[46] On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling among the Sakkas at Kapilavatthu, in the Nigrodhārāma. Then, on that uposatha day, many Sakka lay followers approached the Blessed One; having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, they sat down to one side. As the Sakka lay followers sat to one side, the Blessed One said this to them: "Sakkas, do you observe the uposatha endowed with eight factors?"
"Sometimes, venerable sir, we observe the uposatha endowed with eight factors, and sometimes we do not observe it."
"That is a loss for you, Sakkas; that is ill-gotten for you, that while life is thus beset by the peril of sorrow, beset by the peril of death, you sometimes observe the uposatha endowed with eight factors and sometimes do not observe it. What do you think, Sakkas? Suppose a man here, by some occupation (kammaṭṭhāna), without engaging in anything unwholesome, were to earn half a kahāpaṇa a day — would he deserve to be called a capable man, full of initiative?"
"Yes, venerable sir."
"What do you think, Sakkas? Suppose a man here, by some occupation, without engaging in anything unwholesome, were to earn one kahāpaṇa a day — would he deserve to be called a capable man, full of initiative?"
"Yes, venerable sir."
"What do you think, Sakkas? Suppose a man here, by some occupation, without engaging in anything unwholesome, were in a day to earn two kahāpaṇas, to earn three kahāpaṇas, to earn four kahāpaṇas, to earn five kahāpaṇas, to earn six kahāpaṇas, to earn seven kahāpaṇas, to earn eight kahāpaṇas, to earn nine kahāpaṇas, to earn ten kahāpaṇas, to earn twenty kahāpaṇas, to earn thirty kahāpaṇas, to earn forty kahāpaṇas, to earn fifty kahāpaṇas, to earn a hundred kahāpaṇas — would he deserve to be called a capable man, full of initiative?"
"Yes, venerable sir."
"What do you think, Sakkas? Would that man, earning a hundred kahāpaṇas, a thousand kahāpaṇas a day, depositing whatever he gained, living a hundred years, come into a great mass of wealth?"
"Yes, venerable sir."
"What do you think, Sakkas? Would that man, on account of his wealth, with wealth as its source, with wealth as its basis, dwell experiencing exclusively happiness for a single night, or a single day, or half a day?"
"No indeed, venerable sir."
"Why is that?"
"Because, venerable sir, sensual pleasures are impermanent, hollow, false, deceptive by nature."
"But here, Sakkas, a disciple of mine, dwelling diligent, ardent (ātāpī), and resolute for ten years, practicing as I have instructed, might dwell experiencing exclusively happiness for even a hundred years, even a hundred centuries, even a hundred millennia; and he might be a once-returner, or a non-returner, or assuredly a stream-enterer. Let alone ten years, Sakkas: here a disciple of mine, dwelling diligent, ardent, and resolute for nine years, for eight years, for seven years, for six years, for five years, for four years, for three years, for two years, for one year, practicing as I have instructed, might dwell experiencing exclusively happiness for even a hundred years, even a hundred centuries, even a hundred millennia; and he might be a once-returner, or a non-returner, or assuredly a stream-enterer. Let alone one year, Sakkas: here a disciple of mine, dwelling diligent, ardent, and resolute for ten months, practicing as I have instructed, might dwell experiencing exclusively happiness for even a hundred years, even a hundred centuries, even a hundred millennia; and he might be a once-returner, or a non-returner, or assuredly a stream-enterer. Let alone ten months, Sakkas: here a disciple of mine, dwelling diligent, ardent, and resolute for nine months, for eight months, for seven months, for six months, for five months, for four months, for three months, for two months, for one month, for half a month, practicing as I have instructed, might dwell experiencing exclusively happiness for even a hundred years, even a hundred centuries, even a hundred millennia; and he might be a once-returner, or a non-returner, or assuredly a stream-enterer. Let alone half a month, Sakkas: here a disciple of mine, dwelling diligent, ardent, and resolute for ten nights-and-days, practicing as I have instructed, might dwell experiencing exclusively happiness for even a hundred years, even a hundred centuries, even a hundred millennia; and he might be a once-returner, or a non-returner, or assuredly a stream-enterer. Let alone ten nights-and-days, Sakkas: here a disciple of mine, dwelling diligent, ardent, and resolute for nine nights-and-days, for eight nights-and-days, for seven nights-and-days, for six nights-and-days, for five nights-and-days, for four nights-and-days, for three nights-and-days, for two nights-and-days, for one night-and-day, practicing as I have instructed, might dwell experiencing exclusively happiness for even a hundred years, even a hundred centuries, even a hundred millennia; and he might be a once-returner, or a non-returner, or assuredly a stream-enterer. That is a loss for you, Sakkas; that is ill-gotten for you, that while life is thus beset by the peril of sorrow, beset by the peril of death, you sometimes observe the uposatha endowed with eight factors and sometimes do not observe it."
"Venerable sir, from this day forth we will observe the uposatha endowed with eight factors."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.