[3] Then, when the venerable Soṇa had attained arahantship (arahatta), this thought occurred to him: "What if I were to declare final knowledge (aññā) in the presence of the Blessed One?" Then the venerable Soṇa approached the Blessed One; having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat down at one side. Seated at one side, the venerable Soṇa said this to the Blessed One:
"Venerable sir, a bhikkhu who is an arahant, whose taints (āsava) are destroyed, who has lived the life, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, attained his own goal, utterly destroyed the fetters (saṃyojana) of existence, and is liberated through right final knowledge — he is intent upon six things: he is intent upon renunciation (nekkhamma), intent upon seclusion (paviveka), intent upon non-affliction (abyāpajjha), intent upon the destruction of clinging (upādāna), intent upon the destruction of craving (taṇhā), and intent upon non-delusion (asammoha).
"Now, venerable sir, it may be that some venerable one here might think thus: 'Surely this venerable one is intent upon renunciation in reliance upon mere faith alone.' But, venerable sir, it should not be seen thus. A bhikkhu whose taints are destroyed, venerable sir, who has lived the life and done what had to be done, seeing in himself nothing further to be done, nor any adding to what has been done, is intent upon renunciation because, with the destruction of lust (rāga), he is devoid of lust; he is intent upon renunciation because, with the destruction of hatred, he is devoid of hatred; he is intent upon renunciation because, with the destruction of delusion, he is devoid of delusion.
"Now, venerable sir, it may be that some venerable one here might think thus: 'Surely this venerable one is intent upon seclusion because he desires gain, honor, and fame.' But, venerable sir, it should not be seen thus. A bhikkhu whose taints are destroyed, venerable sir, who has lived the life and done what had to be done, seeing in himself nothing further to be done, nor any adding to what has been done, is intent upon seclusion because, with the destruction of lust, he is devoid of lust; he is intent upon seclusion because, with the destruction of hatred, he is devoid of hatred; he is intent upon seclusion because, with the destruction of delusion, he is devoid of delusion.
"Now, venerable sir, it may be that some venerable one here might think thus: 'Surely this venerable one is intent upon non-affliction because he falls back upon attachment to rules and observances (sīlabbataparāmāsa) as the essence.' But, venerable sir, it should not be seen thus. A bhikkhu whose taints are destroyed, venerable sir, who has lived the life and done what had to be done, seeing in himself nothing further to be done, nor any adding to what has been done, is intent upon non-affliction because, with the destruction of lust, he is devoid of lust; he is intent upon non-affliction because, with the destruction of hatred, he is devoid of hatred; he is intent upon non-affliction because, with the destruction of delusion, he is devoid of delusion.
"He is intent upon the destruction of clinging because, with the destruction of lust, he is devoid of lust; he is intent upon the destruction of clinging because, with the destruction of hatred, he is devoid of hatred; he is intent upon the destruction of clinging because, with the destruction of delusion, he is devoid of delusion.
"He is intent upon the destruction of craving because, with the destruction of lust, he is devoid of lust; he is intent upon the destruction of craving because, with the destruction of hatred, he is devoid of hatred; he is intent upon the destruction of craving because, with the destruction of delusion, he is devoid of delusion.
"He is intent upon non-delusion because, with the destruction of lust, he is devoid of lust; he is intent upon non-delusion because, with the destruction of hatred, he is devoid of hatred; he is intent upon non-delusion because, with the destruction of delusion, he is devoid of delusion.
"Venerable sir, even if powerful forms cognizable by the eye come into the range of the eye of a bhikkhu whose mind (citta) is thus rightly liberated, they do not overwhelm his mind; his mind remains unmixed [with them], steady, attained to imperturbability, and he contemplates its passing away. Even if powerful sounds cognizable by the ear … odors cognizable by the nose … tastes cognizable by the tongue … tangibles cognizable by the body … mental phenomena cognizable by the mind come into the range of the mind, they do not overwhelm his mind; his mind remains unmixed [with them], steady, attained to imperturbability, and he contemplates its passing away.
"Suppose, venerable sir, there were a mountain of rock, without cleft, without hollow, one solid mass: even if a violent storm of wind and rain were to come from the eastern quarter, it would not shake it, make it quake, or make it tremble; even if a violent storm of wind and rain were to come from the western quarter …; even if a violent storm of wind and rain were to come from the northern quarter …; even if a violent storm of wind and rain were to come from the southern quarter, it would not shake it, make it quake, or make it tremble. In the same way, venerable sir, even if powerful forms cognizable by the eye come into the range of the eye of a bhikkhu whose mind is thus rightly liberated, they do not overwhelm his mind; his mind remains unmixed [with them], steady, attained to imperturbability, and he contemplates its passing away. Even if powerful sounds cognizable by the ear … odors cognizable by the nose … tastes cognizable by the tongue … tangibles cognizable by the body … mental phenomena cognizable by the mind come into the range of the mind, they do not overwhelm his mind; his mind remains unmixed [with them], steady, attained to imperturbability, and he contemplates its passing away."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.