Aṅguttara Nikāya
Sattaka Nipāta
VIII. Vinaya Vagga

The Book of the Sevens

Chapter VIII: The Discipline

Sutta 79

Satth'Usāsana Suttaṃ

The Message

[96]

Now the venerable Upali¹ came to the Exalted One,
saluted and sat down at one side.

So seated, he said:

"Well were it for me, lord,
if the Exalted One were to expound Dhamma briefly to me,
so that, having heard it,
I might abide resolute,
alone, secluded, earnest and zealous.'

'The doctrines, Upali,
of which you may know:

"These doctrines lead one
not to complete weariness² (of the world),
nor to dispassion,
nor to ending,
nor to calm,
nor to knowledge,
nor to the awakening,
nor to the cool"

— regard them definitely as not Dhamma,
not the discipline,
not the word of the Teacher.

But the doctrines of which you may know:

"These doctrines lead one
to complete weariness,
dispassion,
ending,
calm,
knowledge,
the awakening,
the cool"³

— regard them unreservedly as Dhamma,
the discipline,
the word of the Teacher.'

¹ Presumably the Upāli (there are several) who recited Vinaya rules at the first Council.

² The text reads -nibbidhāya for -nibbidāya.