[97] "One time, venerable sir, I approached Pakudha Kaccāyana; having approached, I exchanged greetings with Pakudha Kaccāyana, and when the courteous and memorable talk of greeting was concluded, I sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, venerable sir, I said to Pakudha Kaccāyana: 'Just as, good Kaccāyana, these many fields of craft … Is it possible, good Kaccāyana, in the same way, to point out a fruit of the ascetic life (sāmaññaphala) that is visible here and now, in this very life?'
When this was said, venerable sir, Pakudha Kaccāyana said to me: 'Great king, these seven bodies (kāyā) are not made, not of a kind that is made, not created, without a creator, barren, steady as a mountain peak, standing firm like a pillar. They do not move, do not change, do not obstruct one another; they are incapable of causing one another pleasure, or pain, or both pleasure and pain. What are the seven? The earth-body, the water-body, the fire-body, the air-body, pleasure, pain, and the soul (jīva) as the seventh. These seven bodies are not made, not of a kind that is made, not created, without a creator, barren, steady as a mountain peak, standing firm like a pillar. They do not move, do not change, do not obstruct one another; they are incapable of causing one another pleasure, or pain, or both pleasure and pain. Therein there is no slayer, nor one who causes slaying; no hearer, nor one who causes hearing; no cognizer, nor one who causes cognizing. For though one should cut off a head with a sharp sword, no one thereby deprives anyone of life; the sword merely passes through the interval between the seven bodies.'
Thus, venerable sir, when asked about a fruit of the ascetic life visible in this very life, Pakudha Kaccāyana answered me with something other than what was asked. Just as if, venerable sir, a person asked about a mango were to answer about a breadfruit, or asked about a breadfruit were to answer about a mango; even so, venerable sir, when asked about a fruit of the ascetic life visible in this very life, Pakudha Kaccāyana answered me with something other than what was asked. Then, venerable sir, this occurred to me: 'How indeed could one such as I think to rebuke an ascetic or a brahmin dwelling in my realm?' So, venerable sir, I neither delighted in nor rejected the statement of Pakudha Kaccāyana. Neither delighting in it nor rejecting it, though displeased, without uttering a word of displeasure, neither taking up that statement nor overturning it, I rose from my seat and departed.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.