[300] "Poṭṭhapāda, suppose a man were to speak thus: 'Whoever is the finest lady of the land (janapadakalyāṇī) in this country — it is her I desire, it is her I love.' They would say to him: 'Good man, this finest lady of the land whom you desire and love — do you know whether that finest lady of the land is a khattiya woman, or a brahmin woman, or a vessa woman, or a sudda woman?' Asked thus, he would say: 'No.' They would say to him: 'Good man, this finest lady of the land whom you desire and love — do you know whether that finest lady of the land is of such-and-such a name or of such-and-such a clan; whether she is tall, short, or of medium height; whether she is dark, brown, or of golden complexion; whether she is of such-and-such a village, or town, or city?' Asked thus, he would say: 'No.' They would say to him: 'Good man, do you then desire and love one whom you neither know nor have ever seen?' Asked thus, he would say: 'Yes.' What do you think, Poṭṭhapāda — this being so, does not that man's speech turn out to be groundless (appāṭihīrakata)?"
"Certainly, venerable sir, this being so, that man's speech turns out to be groundless."
"Even so, Poṭṭhapāda, as to those ascetics and brahmins who hold such a doctrine, such a view: 'The self (attā) is exclusively happy and free from disease after death' — I approach them and say: 'Is it true, as is said, that you venerable ones hold such a doctrine, such a view: "The self is exclusively happy and free from disease after death"?' If, asked thus by me, they acknowledge: 'Yes,' I say to them: 'But then, venerable ones, do you dwell knowing and seeing an exclusively happy world?' Asked thus, they say: 'No.' I say to them: 'But then, venerable ones, are you clearly aware of a self that is exclusively happy for a single night, or a single day, or half a night, or half a day?' Asked thus, they say: 'No.' I say to them: 'But then, venerable ones, do you know: "This is the path, this is the practice for the realization of an exclusively happy world"?' Asked thus, they say: 'No.' I say to them: 'But then, venerable ones, do you hear the voice of those deities who have been reborn in an exclusively happy world, as they say: "You have practiced well, dear sirs; you have practiced straightly, dear sirs, for the realization of an exclusively happy world; for we too, dear sirs, practicing thus, have been reborn in an exclusively happy world"?' Asked thus, they say: 'No.' What do you think, Poṭṭhapāda — this being so, does not the speech of those ascetics and brahmins turn out to be groundless?"
"Certainly, venerable sir, this being so, the speech of those ascetics and brahmins turns out to be groundless."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.