Ekaṃ samayaṃ bhagavā kosambiyaṃ viharati siṃsapāvake. Atha kho bhagavā parittāni siṃsapāpaṇṇāni pāṇinā gahetvā bhikkhū āmantesi: “taṃ kiṃ maññatha bhikkhave, katamaṃ nu kho bahutaraṃ yāni vā mayā parittāni siṃsapāpaṇṇāni pāṇinā gahitāni yānidaṃ upari siṃsapāye”ti?

At one time the Sublime One was abiding at Kosambi in a siṃsapā forest. And there the Sublime One had taken up a few siṃsapā leaves in his hand and addressed the monks: “What do you think monks; which are greater in number, these few siṃsapā leaves in my hand or those that are in the siṃsapā forest above?”

Appamattakāni bhante, bhagavatā parittāni siṃsapāpaṇṇāni pāṇinā gahitāni, atha kho etāneva bahutarāni yadidaṃ upari siṃsapāyeti

“The siṃsapā leaves in the hand of the Sublime One are of smaller amount than those that are in the siṃsapā forest above.”

Evameva kho bhikkhave, etadeva bahutaraṃ yaṃ vo mayā abhiññā anakkhātaṃ. Appamattakaṃ akkhātaṃ. Kasmā cetaṃ bhikkhave, mayā anakkhātaṃ?

“Even so monks, it is just this way with those things of perfected knowledge that I have not taught. And why monks, have I not taught these?”

Na hetaṃ bhikkhave, atthasaṃhitaṃ nādibrahmacariyakaṃ na nibbidāya na virāgāya na nirodhāya na upasamāya nābhiññāya na sambodhāya na nibbānāya saṃvattati, tasmā taṃ mayā anakkhātaṃ.

“Monks, indeed because these are not of significance to what is beneficial; neither do they lead to the principles of the renounced life, nor to disillusionment, nor to dispassion, nor to cessation, nor to peacefulness, nor to perfected knowledge, nor to awakening, nor to Nibbāna. It is for this reason that I have not taught these.”

Kiñca bhikkhave, mayā akkhātaṃ: ‘idaṃ dukkhan’ti bhikkhave, mayā akkhātaṃ, ‘ayaṃ dukkhasamudayo’ti mayā akkhātaṃ, ‘ayaṃ dukkhanirodho’ti mayā akkhataṃ, ‘ayaṃ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti mayā akkhātaṃ.

“And what, monks, have I taught? This is dukkha, monks, this I have taught; this is the arising of dukkha, monks, this I have taught; this is the cessation of dukkha, monks, this I have taught; this is the way of progress leading to the extinction of dukkha, monks, this I have taught.”

Kasmā cetaṃ bhikkhave mayā akkhātaṃ? Etaṃ hi bhikkhave, atthasaṃhitaṃ, etaṃ ādibrahmacariyakaṃ, etaṃ nibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṃvattati, tasmā taṃ mayā akkhātaṃ.

“And why monks, have I taught these? “Monks, indeed because these are of significance to what is beneficial; they lead to the principles of the renounced life, to disillusionment, to dispassion, to cessation, to peacefulness, to perfected knowledge, to awakening, to Nibbāna. It is for this reason that I have taught these.”

Tasmātiha bhikkhave, ‘idaṃ dukkhan’ti yogo karaṇīyo, ‘ayaṃ dukkhasamudayo’ti” yogo karaṇīyo, ‘ayaṃ dukkhanirodho’ti yogo karaṇīyo, ‘ayaṃ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yogo karaṇīyoti.

“Therefore, monks, the effort to be made is ‘this is dukkha’; the effort to be made is ‘this is the arising of dukkha’; the effort to be made is ‘this is the cessation of dukkha’; the effort to be made is ‘this is the way of progress leading to the cessation of dukkha’. 

[ขนตชโย ภิกฺข]