1Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Venerable Sāriputta and the Venerable Candikāputta were dwelling at Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrel sanctuary. There the Venerable Candikāputta addressed the bhikkhus: "Friends, bhikkhus!"

"Friend!" those bhikkhus replied. The Venerable Candikāputta said this:

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ca sāriputto āyasmā ca candikāputto rājagahe viharanti veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. Tatra kho āyasmā candikāputto bhikkhū āmantesi: 

"Friends, Devadatta teaches the Dhamma to the bhikkhus thus: ‘When, friends, a bhikkhu's mind is consolidated by mind,[n.1891] The three editions differ here. I follow Ce bhikkhuno cetasā cittaṁ paricitaṁ hoti. Ee has bhikkhuno cetasā cittaṁ suparicitaṁ hoti, Be bhikkhuno cetasā citaṁ hoti. Citaṁ occurs repeatedly in Be, so it is clearly intentional. Mp Ce: "One round of the mental process is built up, increased, by another round of the mental process" (cittācārapariyāyena cittācārapariyāyo cito vaḍḍhito hoti). Mp Be has cittavāra – in place of cittācāra –. it is fitting for him to declare: "I understand: Destroyed is birth, the spiritual life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming back to any state of being."’"

"Devadatto, āvuso, bhikkhūnaṁ evaṁ dhammaṁ deseti:  ‘yato kho, āvuso, bhikkhuno cetasā citaṁ hoti, tassetaṁ bhikkhuno kallaṁ veyyākaraṇāya – khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāmī’"ti.

2Then the Venerable Sāriputta said to the Venerable Candikāputta: "Friend Candikāputta, it is not in such a way that Devadatta teaches the Dhamma to the bhikkhus. Rather, Devadatta teaches the Dhamma to the bhikkhus thus: ‘When, friends, a bhikkhu's mind is well consolidated by mind,[n.1892] All three editions have bhikkhuno cetasā cittaṁ suparicitaṁ hoti. But note that in Ee, Sāriputta's statement on Devadatta's way of teaching does not differ from Candikāputta's statement just above. Both have suparicitaṁ hoti. It is puzzling that the sutta seems to be approving of Devadatta's teaching. Normally we would expect him to be censured for proposing a distorted version of the Dhamma. Perhaps this incident occurred before Devadatta became schismatic. it is fitting for him to declare: "I understand: Destroyed is birth, the spiritual life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming back to any state of being."’"

2Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā sāriputto āyasmantaṁ candikāputtaṁ etadavoca:  "na kho, āvuso candikāputta, devadatto bhikkhūnaṁ evaṁ dhammaṁ deseti:  ‘yato kho, āvuso, bhikkhuno cetasā citaṁ hoti, tassetaṁ bhikkhuno kallaṁ veyyākaraṇāya – khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāmī’ti. Evañca kho, āvuso, candikāputta, devadatto bhikkhūnaṁ dhammaṁ deseti:  ‘yato kho, āvuso, bhikkhuno cetasā cittaṁ suparicitaṁ hoti, tassetaṁ bhikkhuno kallaṁ veyyākaraṇāya – khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāmī’"ti.

3A second time … A third time the Venerable Candikāputta addressed the bhikkhus: "Friends, Devadatta teaches the Dhamma to the bhikkhus thus: ‘When, friends, a bhikkhu's mind is consolidated by mind, it is fitting for him to declare: "I understand: Destroyed is birth, the spiritual life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming back to any state of being."’"

3Dutiyampi kho āyasmā candikāputto bhikkhū āmantesi:  "devadatto, āvuso, bhikkhūnaṁ evaṁ dhammaṁ deseti:  ‘yato kho, āvuso, bhikkhuno cetasā citaṁ hoti, tassetaṁ bhikkhuno kallaṁ veyyākaraṇāya – khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāmī’"ti. Dutiyampi kho āyasmā sāriputto āyasmantaṁ candikāputtaṁ etadavoca:  "na kho, āvuso candikāputta, devadatto bhikkhūnaṁ evaṁ dhammaṁ deseti:  ‘yato kho, āvuso, bhikkhuno cetasā citaṁ hoti, tassetaṁ bhikkhuno kallaṁ veyyākaraṇāya – khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāmī’ti. Evañca kho, āvuso candikāputta, devadatto bhikkhūnaṁ dhammaṁ deseti:  ‘yato kho, āvuso, bhikkhuno cetasā cittaṁ suparicitaṁ hoti, tassetaṁ bhikkhuno kallaṁ veyyākaraṇāya – khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāmī’"ti.

4A third time the Venerable Sāriputta said to the Venerable Candikāputta: "Friend Candikāputta, it is not in such a way that Devadatta teaches the Dhamma to the bhikkhus. Rather, Devadatta teaches the Dhamma to the bhikkhus thus: ‘When, friends, a bhikkhu's mind is well consolidated by mind, it is fitting for him to declare: "I understand: Destroyed is birth, the spiritual life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming back to any state of being."’

4Tatiyampi kho āyasmā candikāputto bhikkhū āmantesi:  "devadatto, āvuso, bhikkhūnaṁ evaṁ dhammaṁ deseti:  ‘yato kho, āvuso, bhikkhuno cetasā citaṁ hoti, tassetaṁ bhikkhuno kallaṁ veyyākaraṇāya – khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāmī’"ti. Tatiyampi kho āyasmā sāriputto āyasmantaṁ candikāputtaṁ etadavoca:  "na kho, āvuso candikāputta, devadatto bhikkhūnaṁ evaṁ dhammaṁ deseti:  ‘yato kho, āvuso, bhikkhuno cetasā citaṁ hoti, tassetaṁ bhikkhuno kallaṁ veyyākaraṇāya – khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāmī’ti. Evañca kho, āvuso candikāputta, devadatto bhikkhūnaṁ dhammaṁ deseti:  ‘yato kho, āvuso, bhikkhuno cetasā cittaṁ suparicitaṁ hoti, tassetaṁ bhikkhuno kallaṁ veyyākaraṇāya – khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyāti pajānāmī’ti.

5"And how, friend, is the mind of a bhikkhu well consolidated by mind? (1) His mind is well consolidated by mind (when he knows): ‘My mind is without lust.’ (2) His mind is well consolidated by mind (when he knows): ‘My mind is without hatred.’ (3) His mind is well consolidated by mind (when he knows): ‘My mind is without delusion.’ (4) His mind is well consolidated by mind (when he knows): ‘My mind is not subject to lust.’ (5) His mind is well consolidated by mind (when he knows): ‘My mind is not subject to hatred.’ (6) His mind is well consolidated by mind (when he knows): ‘My mind is not subject to delusion.’ (7) His mind is well consolidated by mind (when he knows): ‘My mind is not subject to return to sense-sphere existence.’ (8) His mind is well consolidated by mind (when he knows): ‘My mind is not subject to return to form-sphere existence.’ (9) His mind is well consolidated by mind (when he knows): ‘My mind is not subject to return to formless-sphere existence.’[n.1893] §§4–6 are, in Pāli, asarāgadhammaṁ, asadosadhammaṁ, asamoha-dhammaṁ. Mp does not gloss them, but the point seems to be that for the arahant lust, hatred, and delusion are no longer even capable of arising again. §§7–9 allude to the three realms of existence.

5Kathañca, āvuso, bhikkhuno cetasā cittaṁ suparicitaṁ hoti? ‘Vītarāgaṁ me cittan’ti cetasā cittaṁ suparicitaṁ hoti; ‘vītadosaṁ me cittan’ti cetasā cittaṁ suparicitaṁ hoti; ‘vītamohaṁ me cittan’ti cetasā cittaṁ suparicitaṁ hoti; ‘asarāgadhammaṁ me cittan’ti cetasā cittaṁ suparicitaṁ hoti; ‘asadosadhammaṁ me cittan’ti cetasā cittaṁ suparicitaṁ hoti; ‘asamohadhammaṁ me cittan’ti cetasā cittaṁ suparicitaṁ hoti; ‘anāvattidhammaṁ me cittaṁ kāmabhavāyā’ti cetasā cittaṁ suparicitaṁ hoti; ‘anāvattidhammaṁ me cittaṁ rūpabhavāyā’ti cetasā cittaṁ suparicitaṁ hoti; ‘anāvattidhammaṁ me cittaṁ arūpabhavāyā’ti cetasā cittaṁ suparicitaṁ hoti.

"When, friend, a bhikkhu is thus perfectly liberated in mind, even if powerful forms cognizable by the eye come into range of the eye, they do not obsess his mind; his mind is not at all affected.[n.1894] As at AN6.55, but with a different simile. It remains steady, attained to imperturbability, and he observes its vanishing. Even if powerful sounds cognizable by the ear come into range of the ear … Even if powerful odours cognizable by the nose come into range of the nose … Even if powerful tastes cognizable by the tongue come into range of the tongue … Even if powerful tactile objects cognizable by the body come into range of the body … Even if powerful phenomena cognizable by the mind come into range of the mind, they do not obsess his mind; his mind is not at all affected. It remains steady, attained to imperturbability, and he observes its vanishing.

Evaṁ sammā vimuttacittassa kho, āvuso, bhikkhuno bhusā cepi cakkhuviññeyyā rūpā cakkhussa āpāthaṁ āgacchanti, nevassa cittaṁ pariyādiyanti; amissīkatamevassa cittaṁ hoti ṭhitaṁ āneñjappattaṁ, vayaṁ cassānupassati.

6-7"Suppose, friend, there was a stone pillar eight meters long.[n.1895] Text says silāyūpo soḷasakukkuko, a stone pillar sixteen kukkus tall. According to DOP, a kukku is 45 cm, about half a meter. Thus the pillar would be about eight meters. Four meters would be below ground and four meters above ground. If a violent rainstorm should then arrive from the east, it would not shake it or make it quake, wobble, and tremble;[n.1896] The number of verbs differ among the editions. Ce, which I follow, has four: n’eva naṁ kampeyya na saṅkampeyya na sampakampeyya na sampavedheyya (but Ce abridges the middle two directions and omits the last verb in relation to the final repetition, apparently an editorial oversight). Ee has three: n’eva naṁ kampeyya na saṅkampeyya na sampavedheyya. Be uses only two verbs: n’eva naṁ saṅkampeyya na sampavedheyya, but three in the simile at AN6.55. if a violent rainstorm should then arrive from the west … from the north … from the south, it would not shake it or make it quake, wobble, and tremble. For what reason? Because the stone pillar is deep in the ground and is securely planted. So too, friend, when a bhikkhu is thus perfectly liberated in mind, even if powerful forms cognizable by the eye come into range of the eye … Even if powerful phenomena cognizable by the mind come into range of the mind, they do not obsess his mind; his mind is not at all affected. It remains steady, attained to imperturbability, and he observes its vanishing."

6Seyyathāpi, āvuso, silāyūpo soḷasakukkuko. Tassassu aṭṭha kukkū heṭṭhā nemaṅgamā, aṭṭha kukkū upari nemassa. Atha puratthimāya cepi disāya āgaccheyya bhusā vātavuṭṭhi, neva naṁ saṅkampeyya na sampavedheyya; atha pacchimāya … atha uttarāya … atha dakkhiṇāya cepi disāya āgaccheyya bhusā vātavuṭṭhi, neva naṁ saṅkampeyya na sampavedheyya. Taṁ kissa hetu? Gambhīrattā, āvuso, nemassa, sunikhātattā silāyūpassa. Evamevaṁ kho, āvuso, sammā vimuttacittassa bhikkhuno bhusā cepi cakkhuviññeyyā rūpā cakkhussa āpāthaṁ āgacchanti, nevassa cittaṁ pariyādiyanti; amissīkatamevassa cittaṁ hoti ṭhitaṁ āneñjappattaṁ, vayaṁ cassānupassati.

7Bhusā cepi sotaviññeyyā saddā … ghānaviññeyyā gandhā … jivhāviññeyyā rasā … kāyaviññeyyā phoṭṭhabbā … manoviññeyyā dhammā manassa āpāthaṁ āgacchanti, nevassa cittaṁ pariyādiyanti; amissīkatamevassa cittaṁ hoti ṭhitaṁ āneñjappattaṁ, vayaṁ cassānupassatī"ti.

Chaṭṭhaṁ.