So I have heard. Evaṁ me sutaṁ—At one time Venerable Mahākassapa and Venerable Sāriputta were staying near Varanasi, in the deer park at Isipatana. ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ca mahākassapo āyasmā ca sāriputto bārāṇasiyaṁ viharanti isipatane migadāye.

Then in the late afternoon, Venerable Sāriputta came out of retreat, went to Venerable Mahākassapa, and exchanged greetings with him. Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yenāyasmā mahākassapo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā mahākassapena saddhiṁ sammodi. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to Mahākassapa: Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā sāriputto āyasmantaṁ mahākassapaṁ etadavoca:

“Reverend Kassapa, it’s said that without being keen and prudent you can’t achieve awakening, extinguishment, and the supreme sanctuary from the yoke. “vuccati hidaṁ, āvuso kassapa, anātāpī anottappī abhabbo sambodhāya abhabbo nibbānāya abhabbo anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāya; But if you are keen and prudent you can achieve awakening, extinguishment, and the supreme sanctuary from the yoke. ātāpī ca kho ottappī bhabbo sambodhāya bhabbo nibbānāya bhabbo anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāyā”ti.

To what extent is this the case?” “Kittāvatā nu kho, āvuso, anātāpī hoti anottappī abhabbo sambodhāya abhabbo nibbānāya abhabbo anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāya; kittāvatā ca panāvuso, ātāpī hoti ottappī bhabbo sambodhāya bhabbo nibbānāya bhabbo anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāyā”ti?

“Reverend, take a mendicant who doesn’t foster keenness by thinking: ‘If unarisen unskillful qualities arise in me, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If I don’t give up arisen unskillful qualities, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If I don’t give rise to unarisen skillful qualities, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If arisen skillful qualities cease in me, they’ll lead to harm.’ “Idhāvuso, bhikkhu ‘anuppannā me pāpakā akusalā dhammā uppajjamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti na ātappaṁ karoti, ‘uppannā me pāpakā akusalā dhammā appahīyamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti na ātappaṁ karoti, ‘anuppannā me kusalā dhammā nuppajjamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti na ātappaṁ karoti, ‘uppannā me kusalā dhammā nirujjhamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti na ātappaṁ karoti. That’s how you’re not keen. Evaṁ kho, āvuso, anātāpī hoti.

And how are you not prudent? Kathañcāvuso, anottappī hoti? Take a mendicant who doesn’t foster prudence by thinking: ‘If unarisen unskillful qualities arise in me, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If I don’t give up arisen unskillful qualities, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If I don’t give rise to unarisen skillful qualities, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If arisen skillful qualities cease in me, they’ll lead to harm.’ Idhāvuso, bhikkhu ‘anuppannā me pāpakā akusalā dhammā uppajjamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti na ottappati, ‘uppannā me pāpakā akusalā dhammā appahīyamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti na ottappati, ‘anuppannā me kusalā dhammā nuppajjamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti na ottappati, ‘uppannā me kusalā dhammā nirujjhamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti na ottappati. That’s how you’re not prudent. Evaṁ kho, āvuso, anottappī hoti. That’s how without being keen and prudent you can’t achieve awakening, extinguishment, and the supreme sanctuary from the yoke. Evaṁ kho, āvuso, anātāpī anottappī abhabbo sambodhāya abhabbo nibbānāya abhabbo anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāya.

And how are you keen? Kathañcāvuso, ātāpī hoti? Take a mendicant who fosters keenness by thinking: ‘If unarisen unskillful qualities arise in me, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If I don’t give up arisen unskillful qualities, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If I don’t give rise to unarisen skillful qualities, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If arisen skillful qualities cease in me, they’ll lead to harm.’ Idhāvuso, bhikkhu ‘anuppannā me pāpakā akusalā dhammā uppajjamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti ātappaṁ karoti, ‘uppannā me pāpakā akusalā dhammā appahīyamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti ātappaṁ karoti, anuppannā me kusalā dhammā …pe… ātappaṁ karoti. That’s how you’re keen. Evaṁ kho, āvuso, ātāpī hoti.

And how are you prudent? Kathañcāvuso, ottappī hoti? Take a mendicant who fosters prudence by thinking: ‘If unarisen unskillful qualities arise in me, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If I don’t give up arisen unskillful qualities, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If I don’t give rise to unarisen skillful qualities, they’ll lead to harm.’ ‘If arisen skillful qualities cease in me, they’ll lead to harm.’ Idhāvuso, bhikkhu ‘anuppannā me pāpakā akusalā dhammā uppajjamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti ottappati, ‘uppannā me pāpakā akusalā dhammā appahīyamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti ottappati, ‘anuppannā me kusalā dhammā anuppajjamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti ottappati, ‘uppannā me kusalā dhammā nirujjhamānā anatthāya saṁvatteyyun’ti ottappati. That’s how you’re prudent. Evaṁ kho, āvuso, ottappī hoti. That’s how if you’re keen and prudent you can achieve awakening, extinguishment, and the supreme sanctuary from the yoke.” Evaṁ kho, āvuso, ātāpī ottappī bhabbo sambodhāya bhabbo nibbānāya bhabbo anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāyā”ti.

Dutiyaṁ.