1Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park. Then the Venerable Ānanda approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him:

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ—​   ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: 

2"Bhante, what is the purpose and benefit of wholesome virtuous behavior?"
"Ānanda, the purpose and benefit of wholesome virtuous behavior is non-regret."

2"Kimatthiyāni, bhante, kusalāni sīlāni kimānisaṁsānī"ti? "Avippaṭisāratthāni kho, ānanda, kusalāni sīlāni avippaṭisārānisaṁsānī"ti.

3"And what, Bhante, is the purpose and benefit of non-regret?"
"The purpose and benefit of non-regret is joy."

3"Avippaṭisāro pana, bhante, kimatthiyo kimānisaṁso"ti? "Avippaṭisāro kho, ānanda, pāmojjattho pāmojjānisaṁso"ti.

4"And what, Bhante, is the purpose and benefit of joy?"
"The purpose and benefit of joy is rapture."

4"Pāmojjaṁ pana, bhante, kimatthiyaṁ kimānisaṁsan"ti? "Pāmojjaṁ kho, ānanda, pītatthaṁ pītānisaṁsan"ti.

5"And what, Bhante, is the purpose and benefit of rapture?"
"The purpose and benefit of rapture is tranquility."

5"Pīti pana, bhante, kimatthiyā kimānisaṁsā"ti? "Pīti kho, ānanda, passaddhatthā passaddhānisaṁsā"ti.

6"And what, Bhante, is the purpose and benefit of tranquility?"
"The purpose and benefit of tranquility is pleasure."

6"Passaddhi pana, bhante, kimatthiyā kimānisaṁsā"ti? "Passaddhi kho, ānanda, sukhatthā sukhānisaṁsā"ti.

7"And what, Bhante, is the purpose and benefit of pleasure?"
"The purpose and benefit of pleasure is concentration."

7"Sukhaṁ pana, bhante, kimatthiyaṁ kimānisaṁsan"ti? "Sukhaṁ kho, ānanda, samādhatthaṁ samādhānisaṁsan"ti.

8"And what, Bhante, is the purpose and benefit of concentration?"
"The purpose and benefit of concentration is the knowledge and vision of things as they really are."

8"Samādhi pana, bhante, kimatthiyo kimānisaṁso"ti? "Samādhi kho, ānanda, yathābhūtañāṇadassanattho yathābhūtañāṇadassanānisaṁso"ti.

9"And what, Bhante, is the purpose and benefit of the knowledge and vision of things as they really are?"
"The purpose and benefit of the knowledge and vision of things as they really are is disenchantment and dispassion."

9"Yathābhūtañāṇadassanaṁ pana, bhante, kimatthiyaṁ kimānisaṁsan"ti? "Yathābhūtañāṇadassanaṁ kho, ānanda, nibbidāvirāgatthaṁ nibbidāvirāgānisaṁsan"ti.

10"And what, Bhante, is the purpose and benefit of disenchantment and dispassion?"
"The purpose and benefit of disenchantment and dispassion is the knowledge and vision of liberation.

10"Nibbidāvirāgo pana, bhante, kimatthiyo kimānisaṁso"ti? "Nibbidāvirāgo kho, ānanda, vimuttiñāṇadassanattho vimuttiñāṇadassanānisaṁso.

11"Thus, Ānanda, (1) –(2) the purpose and benefit of wholesome virtuous behavior is non-regret; (3) the purpose and benefit of non-regret is joy; (4) the purpose and benefit of joy is rapture; (5) the purpose and benefit of rapture is tranquility; (6) the purpose and benefit of tranquility is pleasure; (7) the purpose and benefit of pleasure is concentration; (8) the purpose and benefit of concentration is the knowledge and vision of things as they really are; (9) the purpose and benefit of the knowledge and vision of things as they really are is disenchantment and dispassion; and (10) the purpose and benefit of disenchantment and dispassion is the knowledge and vision of liberation. Thus, Ānanda, wholesome virtuous behavior progressively leads to the foremost."[n.1964] Iti kho, Ānanda, kusalāni sīlāni anupubbena aggāya parenti. Mp glosses aggāya with arahattatthāya.

11Iti kho, ānanda, kusalāni sīlāni avippaṭisāratthāni avippaṭisārānisaṁsāni; avippaṭisāro pāmojjattho pāmojjānisaṁso; pāmojjaṁ pītatthaṁ pītānisaṁsaṁ; pīti passaddhatthā passaddhānisaṁsā; passaddhi sukhatthā sukhānisaṁsā; sukhaṁ samādhatthaṁ samādhānisaṁsaṁ; samādhi yathābhūtañāṇadassanattho yathābhūtañāṇadassanānisaṁso; yathābhūtañāṇadassanaṁ nibbidāvirāgatthaṁ nibbidāvirāgānisaṁsaṁ; nibbidāvirāgo vimuttiñāṇadassanattho vimuttiñāṇadassanānisaṁso. Iti kho, ānanda, kusalāni sīlāni anupubbena aggāya parentī"ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.