1Then a certain brahmin approached the Blessed One and exchanged greetings with him. When they had concluded their greetings and cordial talk, he sat down to one side and said to the Blessed One:

1Atha kho aññataro brāhmaṇo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: 

2"Master Gotama, is there one thing which, when developed and cultivated, can accomplish both kinds of good, the good pertaining to the present life and the good pertaining to the future life?"

"There is such a thing, brahmin."

2"Atthi nu kho, bho gotama, eko dhammo bhāvito bahulīkato yo ubho atthe samadhiggayha tiṭṭhati – diṭṭhadhammikañceva atthaṁ, yo ca attho samparāyiko"ti?

"Atthi kho, brāhmaṇa, eko dhammo bhāvito bahulīkato yo ubho atthe samadhiggayha tiṭṭhati – diṭṭhadhammikañceva atthaṁ, yo ca attho samparāyiko"ti.

"And what is it?"

3"Katamo pana, bho gotama, eko dhammo bhāvito bahulīkato yo ubho atthe samadhiggayha tiṭṭhati – diṭṭhadhammikañceva atthaṁ, yo ca attho samparāyiko"ti?

"It is heedfulness.

"Appamādo kho, brāhmaṇa, eko dhammo bhāvito bahulīkato ubho atthe samadhiggayha tiṭṭhati – diṭṭhadhammikañceva atthaṁ, yo ca attho samparāyiko.

4(1) "Just as, brahmin, the footprints of all animals that walk fit into the footprint of the elephant, and the elephant's footprint is declared to be foremost among them with respect to size, so too heedfulness is the one thing that, when developed and cultivated, can accomplish both kinds of good, the good pertaining to the present life and the good pertaining to the future life.

4Seyyathāpi, brāhmaṇa, yāni kānici jaṅgalānaṁ pāṇānaṁ padajātāni, sabbāni tāni hatthipade samodhānaṁ gacchanti; hatthipadaṁ tesaṁ aggamakkhāyati, yadidaṁ mahantattena. Evamevaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, appamādo eko dhammo bhāvito bahulīkato ubho atthe samadhiggayha tiṭṭhati – diṭṭhadhammikañceva atthaṁ, yo ca attho samparāyiko. (1)

5(2) "Just as all the rafters of a peaked house lean toward the roof peak, slope toward the roof peak, converge upon the roof peak, and the roof peak is declared to be foremost among them, so too heedfulness is the one thing that … can accomplish both kinds of good ….

5Seyyathāpi, brāhmaṇa, kūṭāgārassa yā kāci gopānasiyo sabbā tā kūṭaṅgamā kūṭaninnā kūṭasamosaraṇā, kūṭaṁ tāsaṁ aggamakkhāyati; evamevaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa … pe …. (2)

6(3) "Just as a reed-cutter, having cut a bunch of reeds, grabs them by the top, shakes the bottom, shakes the two sides, and beats them, so too heedfulness is the one thing that … can accomplish both kinds of good ….

6Seyyathāpi, brāhmaṇa, pabbajalāyako pabbajaṁ lāyitvā agge gahetvā odhunāti nidhunāti nicchādeti; evamevaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa … pe …. (3)

7(4) "Just as, when the stalk of a bunch of mangoes is cut, all the mangoes attached to the stalk follow along with it, so too heedfulness is the one thing that … can accomplish both kinds of good ….

7Seyyathāpi, brāhmaṇa, ambapiṇḍiyā vaṇṭacchinnāya yāni kānici ambāni vaṇṭūpanibandhanāni sabbāni tāni tadanvayāni bhavanti; evamevaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa … pe …. (4)

8(5) "Just as all petty princes are the vassals of a wheel-turning monarch, and the wheel-turning monarch is declared to be foremost among them, so too heedfulness is the one thing that … can accomplish both kinds of good ….

8Seyyathāpi, brāhmaṇa, ye keci khuddarājāno sabbete rañño cakkavattissa anuyantā bhavanti, rājā tesaṁ cakkavattī aggamakkhāyati; evamevaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa … pe …. (5)

9(6) "Just as the radiance of all the stars does not amount to a sixteenth part of the radiance of the moon, and the radiance of the moon is declared to be foremost among them, so too heedfulness is the one thing that … can accomplish both kinds of good ….

9Seyyathāpi, brāhmaṇa, yā kāci tārakarūpānaṁ pabhā sabbā tā candassa pabhāya kalaṁ nāgghanti soḷasiṁ, candappabhā tāsaṁ aggamakkhāyati; evamevaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, appamādo eko dhammo bhāvito bahulīkato ubho atthe samadhiggayha tiṭṭhati – diṭṭhadhammikañceva atthaṁ yo ca attho samparāyiko. (6)

10"This, brahmin, is the one thing which, when developed and cultivated, can accomplish both kinds of good, the good pertaining to the present life and the good pertaining to the future life."

10Ayaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, eko dhammo bhāvito bahulīkato ubho atthe samadhiggayha tiṭṭhati – diṭṭhadhammikañceva atthaṁ, yo ca attho samparāyiko"ti.

11"Excellent, Master Gotama! … Let Master Gotama consider me a lay follower who from today has gone for refuge for life."

11"Abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama, abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama … pe … upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan"ti.

Ekādasamaṁ.