[86] On one occasion the Venerable Mahākassapa was dwelling at Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels' Feeding Ground. There the Venerable Mahākassapa addressed the bhikkhus: "Friends, bhikkhus!" "Friend!" those bhikkhus replied to the Venerable Mahākassapa. The Venerable Mahākassapa said this:
"Here, friends, a bhikkhu declares final knowledge (aññā): 'I understand: birth (jāti) is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of being.' The Tathāgata, or a disciple of the Tathāgata who is a meditator, skilled in the attainments, skilled in the minds of others, skilled in the ways of the minds of others, questions him, probes him, cross-examines him. Being questioned, probed, and cross-examined by the Tathāgata, or by a disciple of the Tathāgata who is a meditator, skilled in the attainments, skilled in the minds of others, skilled in the ways of the minds of others, he comes to barrenness, comes to desolation, comes to ruin, comes to disaster, comes to ruin and disaster. The Tathāgata, or a disciple of the Tathāgata who is a meditator, skilled in the attainments, skilled in the minds of others, skilled in the ways of the minds of others, having encompassed his mind (citta) with his own mind, attends to him thus: 'Why does this venerable one declare final knowledge: "I understand: birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of being"?' The Tathāgata, or a disciple of the Tathāgata who is a meditator, skilled in the attainments, skilled in the minds of others, skilled in the ways of the minds of others, having encompassed his mind with his own mind, understands him thus: 'This venerable one is given to overestimation; he holds his overestimation to be truth; he perceives what has not been reached as reached, what has not been done as done, what has not been achieved as achieved; through overestimation he declares final knowledge: "I understand: birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of being."' The Tathāgata, or a disciple of the Tathāgata who is a meditator, skilled in the attainments, skilled in the minds of others, skilled in the ways of the minds of others, having encompassed his mind with his own mind, attends to him thus: 'In dependence on what is this venerable one given to overestimation, holding his overestimation to be truth, perceiving what has not been reached as reached, what has not been done as done, what has not been achieved as achieved, so that through overestimation he declares final knowledge: "I understand: birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of being"?' The Tathāgata, or a disciple of the Tathāgata who is a meditator, skilled in the attainments, skilled in the minds of others, skilled in the ways of the minds of others, having encompassed his mind with his own mind, understands him thus: 'This venerable one is of great learning, a retainer of what he has heard, an accumulator of what he has heard; those dhammas that are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, which proclaim, with meaning and with phrasing, the holy life utterly complete and pure — such dhammas he has learned much of, retained, recited verbally, examined with the mind, and well penetrated by view. Therefore this venerable one is given to overestimation, holds his overestimation to be truth, perceives what has not been reached as reached, what has not been done as done, what has not been achieved as achieved; through overestimation he declares final knowledge: "I understand: birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of being."' The Tathāgata, or a disciple of the Tathāgata who is a meditator, skilled in the attainments, skilled in the minds of others, skilled in the ways of the minds of others, having encompassed his mind with his own mind, understands him thus: 'This venerable one is covetous; he dwells much with a mind obsessed by covetousness (abhijjhā); and obsession by covetousness is decline in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata. This venerable one bears ill will; he dwells much with a mind obsessed by ill will (byāpāda); and obsession by ill will is decline in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata. This venerable one is given to dullness and drowsiness (thīna-middha); he dwells much with a mind obsessed by dullness and drowsiness; and obsession by dullness and drowsiness is decline in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata. This venerable one is restless; he dwells much with a mind obsessed by restlessness (uddhacca); and obsession by restlessness is decline in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata. This venerable one is doubting; he dwells much with a mind obsessed by doubt (vicikicchā); and obsession by doubt is decline in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata. This venerable one delights in work, is fond of work, is devoted to delight in work; and delight in work is decline in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata. This venerable one delights in talk, is fond of talk, is devoted to delight in talk; and delight in talk is decline in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata. This venerable one delights in sleep, is fond of sleep, is devoted to delight in sleep; and delight in sleep is decline in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata. This venerable one delights in company, is fond of company, is devoted to delight in company; and delight in company is decline in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata. This venerable one is muddled in mindfulness (sati): while there is something further to be done, he has come to a stop midway with a lower achievement of distinction; and coming to a stop midway is decline in the Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata.'
"Truly, friends, that a bhikkhu, without having abandoned these ten things, will attain growth, increase, and abundance in this Dhamma and Discipline — this is impossible. Truly, friends, that a bhikkhu, having abandoned these ten things, will attain growth, increase, and abundance in this Dhamma and Discipline — this is possible."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.