[94] "Venerable sir, on one occasion I approached Pūraṇa Kassapa; having approached, I exchanged greetings with Pūraṇa Kassapa, and when the courteous and memorable talk was concluded, I sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, venerable sir, I said this to Pūraṇa Kassapa: 'Good Kassapa, there are these many fields of craft, namely: elephant riders, cavalrymen, charioteers, archers, standard-bearers, camp adjutants, provisioners, high-born princes, chargers, great warriors, heroes, leather-clad soldiers, sons of slaves, bakers, barbers, bath attendants, cooks, garland-makers, dyers, weavers, basket-makers, potters, accountants, finger-reckoners, and whatever other many fields of craft there are of a similar kind — those men live in this very life upon the visible fruit of their craft; with it they make themselves happy and satisfied, they make their mother and father happy and satisfied, they make their children and wives happy and satisfied, they make their friends and companions happy and satisfied, and they establish among ascetics and brahmins an offering that leads upward, that is heavenly, that ripens in happiness, that conduces to heaven. Is it possible, good Kassapa, to point out in the same way a fruit of the ascetic life, visible in this very life?'
When this was said, venerable sir, Pūraṇa Kassapa said this to me: 'Great king, for one who acts and who causes others to act, who mutilates and who causes others to mutilate, who torments and who causes others to torment, who inflicts sorrow and who causes others to inflict sorrow, who oppresses and who causes others to oppress, who intimidates and who causes others to intimidate, who destroys life, who takes what is not given, who breaks into houses, who carries off plunder, who burgles a solitary house, who lies in ambush on the highway, who goes to another's wife, who speaks falsehood — for the one who does these things, no evil is done. Even if with a razor-rimmed wheel one were to make the living beings of this earth into one shambles of flesh, one heap of flesh, there is no evil from that cause, no coming of evil. Even if one were to go along the southern bank of the Ganges killing and slaying, mutilating and causing others to mutilate, tormenting and causing others to torment, there is no evil from that cause, no coming of evil. Even if one were to go along the northern bank of the Ganges giving and causing others to give, sacrificing and causing others to sacrifice, there is no merit from that cause, no coming of merit. By giving, by self-taming, by restraint, by truthful speech, there is no merit from that cause, no coming of merit.'
Thus, venerable sir, when asked about a fruit of the ascetic life visible in this very life, Pūraṇa Kassapa declared to me non-action. Just as, venerable sir, one asked about a mango might answer about a breadfruit, or one asked about a breadfruit might answer about a mango — even so, venerable sir, when asked about a fruit of the ascetic life visible in this very life, Pūraṇa Kassapa declared to me non-action. Then, venerable sir, this occurred to me: 'How indeed could one such as I think to disparage an ascetic or brahmin dwelling in my realm?' So I, venerable sir, neither delighted in nor rejected the statement of Pūraṇa Kassapa; neither delighting in it nor rejecting it, though displeased, I uttered no word of displeasure; and neither taking up that statement nor overthrowing it, I rose from my seat and departed."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.