Then Venerable Anuruddha went up to Venerable Sāriputta, and exchanged greetings with him. Atha kho āyasmā anuruddho yenāyasmā sāriputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā sāriputtena saddhiṁ sammodi. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to him: Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā anuruddho āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca:

“Here’s the thing, Reverend Sāriputta. With clairvoyance that is purified and surpasses the human, I survey the thousandfold galaxy. “idhāhaṁ, āvuso sāriputta, dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena sahassaṁ lokaṁ olokemi. My energy is roused up and unflagging, my mindfulness is established and lucid, my body is tranquil and undisturbed, and my mind is immersed in samādhi and unified. Āraddhaṁ kho pana me vīriyaṁ asallīnaṁ, upaṭṭhitā sati asammuṭṭhā, passaddho kāyo asāraddho, samāhitaṁ cittaṁ ekaggaṁ. But my mind is not freed from the defilements by not grasping.” Atha ca pana me nānupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimuccatī”ti.

“Well, Reverend Anuruddha, when you say: “Yaṁ kho te, āvuso anuruddha, evaṁ hoti: ‘With clairvoyance that is purified and surpasses the human, I survey the thousandfold galaxy,’ that’s your conceit. ‘ahaṁ dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena sahassaṁ lokaṁ volokemī’ti, idaṁ te mānasmiṁ. And when you say: Yampi te, āvuso anuruddha, evaṁ hoti: ‘My energy is roused up and unflagging, my mindfulness is established and lucid, my body is tranquil and undisturbed, and my mind is immersed in samādhi,’ that’s your restlessness. ‘āraddhaṁ kho pana me vīriyaṁ asallīnaṁ, upaṭṭhitā sati asammuṭṭhā, passaddho kāyo asāraddho, samāhitaṁ cittaṁ ekaggan’ti, idaṁ te uddhaccasmiṁ. And when you say: Yampi te, āvuso anuruddha, evaṁ hoti: ‘But my mind is not freed from the defilements by not grasping,’ that’s your remorse. ‘atha ca pana me nānupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimuccatī’ti, idaṁ te kukkuccasmiṁ. It would be good to give up these three things. Ignore them and apply your mind to freedom from death.” Sādhu vatāyasmā anuruddho ime tayo dhamme pahāya, ime tayo dhamme amanasikaritvā amatāya dhātuyā cittaṁ upasaṁharatū”ti.

After some time Anuruddha gave up these three things. Ignoring them, he applied his mind to freedom from death. Atha kho āyasmā anuruddho aparena samayena ime tayo dhamme pahāya, ime tayo dhamme amanasikaritvā amatāya dhātuyā cittaṁ upasaṁhari. Then Anuruddha, living alone, withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute, soon realized the supreme culmination of the spiritual path in this very life. He lived having achieved with his own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness. Atha kho āyasmā anuruddho eko vūpakaṭṭho appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto nacirasseva—yassatthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti, tadanuttaraṁ—brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihāsi.

He understood: “Rebirth is ended; the spiritual journey has been completed; what had to be done has been done; there is nothing further for this place.” “Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā”ti abbhaññāsi. And Venerable Anuruddha became one of the perfected. Aññataro ca panāyasmā anuruddho arahataṁ ahosīti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.