[700] If one abandons neither past defilements (kilesa), nor future defilements, nor present defilements, then there is no development of the path (maggabhāvanā), no realization of fruition (phalasacchikiriyā), no abandoning of defilements (kilesappahāna), no breakthrough to the Dhamma (dhammābhisamaya).
That is not so: there is development of the path, there is realization of fruition, there is abandoning of defilements, there is breakthrough to the Dhamma. Like what? Suppose there were a young tree that had not yet borne fruit, and a man were to cut it at the root: the unborn fruits of that tree, being unborn, are not born; being unproduced, they are not produced; being unarisen, they do not arise; being unmanifest, they do not become manifest. In just the same way, arising (uppāda) is a cause, arising is a condition for the production of defilements. Having seen the danger (ādīnava) in arising, the mind (citta) leaps forth into non-arising; through the mind's leaping forth into non-arising, whatever defilements might be produced with arising as their condition — those, being unborn, are not born; being unproduced, they are not produced; being unarisen, they do not arise; being unmanifest, they do not become manifest. Thus, with the cessation of the cause there is the cessation of suffering (dukkha).
Occurrence (pavatta) is a cause; the sign (nimitta) is a cause; accumulation (āyūhana) is a cause — accumulation is a condition for the production of defilements. Having seen the danger in accumulation, the mind leaps forth into non-accumulation; through the mind's leaping forth into non-accumulation, whatever defilements might be produced with accumulation as their condition — those, being unborn, are not born; being unproduced, they are not produced; being unarisen, they do not arise; being unmanifest, they do not become manifest. Thus, with the cessation of the cause there is the cessation of suffering. Thus there is development of the path, there is realization of fruition, there is abandoning of defilements, there is breakthrough to the Dhamma.
The Discourse on Breakthrough (Abhisamayakathā) is concluded.
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Paññāvagga: The Discourse on Seclusion (Vivekakathā)
Setting at Sāvatthī.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.