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Paravādī: Is there the living of the holy life (brahmacariyavāsa) among the devas?
Sakavādī: Yes.
Paravādī: Was it not said by the Blessed One: "Bhikkhus, in three respects the humans of Jambudīpa surpass the humans of Uttarakuru and the devas of Tāvatiṃsa. In which three? They are courageous, they are mindful (satimanto), and there is the living of the holy life here"?¹ Is there really such a discourse (suttanta)?
Sakavādī: Yes.
Paravādī: In that case, there is no living of the holy life among the devas.
Sakavādī: Was it said by the Blessed One at Sāvatthī: "There is the living of the holy life here"?
Paravādī: Yes.
Sakavādī: Is there the living of the holy life only at Sāvatthī, and no living of the holy life elsewhere?
Paravādī: It should not be said thus.
Sakavādī: For the person who is a non-returner (anāgāmī), the five lower fetters (orambhāgiya-saṃyojana) have been abandoned, but the five higher fetters (uddhambhāgiya-saṃyojana) have not been abandoned: when he has passed away from here and arisen there, where does the arising of the fruit (phaluppatti) take place?
Paravādī: Right there.
Sakavādī: If, for the person who is a non-returner, the five lower fetters have been abandoned but the five higher fetters have not been abandoned, and, when he has passed away from here and arisen there, the arising of the fruit takes place there, then indeed, good sir, it should not be said: "There is no living of the holy life among the devas."
Sakavādī: For the person who is a non-returner, the five lower fetters have been abandoned, but the five higher fetters have not been abandoned: when he has passed away from here and arisen there, where is the laying down of the burden (bhāroharaṇa)? Where is the full understanding of suffering (dukkhapariññā)? Where is the abandoning of the defilements (kilesappahāna)? Where is the realization of cessation (nirodha-sacchikiriyā)? Where is the penetration of the unshakeable (akuppa-paṭivedha)?
Paravādī: Right there.
Sakavādī: If, for the person who is a non-returner, the five lower fetters have been abandoned but the five higher fetters have not been abandoned, and, when he has passed away from here and arisen there, the penetration of the unshakeable takes place there, then indeed, good sir, it should not be said: "There is no living of the holy life among the devas."
Sakavādī: For the person who is a non-returner, the five lower fetters have been abandoned, but the five higher fetters have not been abandoned: when he has passed away from here and arisen there, the arising of the fruit takes place there, the laying down of the burden there, the full understanding of suffering there, the abandoning of the defilements there, the realization of cessation there, the penetration of the unshakeable there — in what sense, then, do you say: "There is no living of the holy life among the devas"?
Paravādī: Well then, indeed: the person who is a non-returner realizes the fruit there by the path (magga) developed here.
¹ Aṅ. Navaka. 47.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.