4.
The Discourse on Answering Questions
84.
There the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna addressed the monks:
"Friends, monks!"
"Friend," those monks assented to the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna.
The Venerable Mahāmoggallāna said this:
"Here, friend, a monk declares the final liberating knowledge: 'I understand: ‘Birth is eliminated, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming back to any state of being.' Him the Truth-finder or a disciple of the Truth-finder, a meditator skilled in attainment, skilled in another's mind, skilled in the method of another's mind, cross-questions, asks for reasons, and admonishes. He, being cross-questioned, asked for reasons, and admonished by the Truth-finder or a disciple of the Truth-finder, a meditator skilled in attainment, skilled in another's mind, skilled in the method of another's mind, comes to barrenness, comes to confusion, comes to calamity, comes to disaster, comes to calamity and disaster.
"Him the Truth-finder or a disciple of the Truth-finder, a meditator skilled in attainment, skilled in another's mind, skilled in the method of another's mind, having encompassed his mind with his mind, attends thus: 'Why indeed does this venerable one declare the final liberating knowledge: "I understand: ‘Birth is eliminated, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming back to any state of being"?'
"Him the Truth-finder or a disciple of the Truth-finder, a meditator skilled in attainment, skilled in another's mind, skilled in the method of another's mind, having encompassed his mind with his mind, understands thus:
'This venerable one is prone to wrath; he frequently dwells with a mind pervaded by wrath. But prepossession by wrath is decline in the Teaching and discipline proclaimed by the Truth-finder.
'And this venerable one bears grudges; he frequently dwells with a mind pervaded by hostility. But prepossession by hostility is decline in the Teaching and discipline proclaimed by the Truth-finder.
'And this venerable one is contemptuous; he frequently dwells with a mind pervaded by contempt. But prepossession by contempt is decline in the Teaching and discipline proclaimed by the Truth-finder.
'And this venerable one is spiteful; he frequently dwells with a mind pervaded by insolence. But prepossession by insolence is decline in the Teaching and discipline proclaimed by the Truth-finder.
'And this venerable one is envious; he frequently dwells with a mind pervaded by jealousy. But prepossession by jealousy is decline in the Teaching and discipline proclaimed by the Truth-finder.
'And this venerable one is stingy; he frequently dwells with a mind pervaded by stinginess. But prepossession by stinginess is decline in the Teaching and discipline proclaimed by the Truth-finder.
'This venerable one is fraudulent; he frequently dwells with a mind pervaded by fraudulence. Prepossession by fraudulence in the Teaching and discipline proclaimed by the Truth-finder - this is decline.
'This venerable one is deceitful; he frequently dwells with a mind pervaded by deceit. Prepossession by deceit in the Teaching and discipline proclaimed by the Truth-finder - this is decline.
'This venerable one has evil desires; he frequently dwells with a mind pervaded by desire. Prepossession by desire in the Teaching and discipline proclaimed by the Truth-finder - this is decline.
'When there is still more to be done, this venerable one has stopped midway with a trifling specific attainment. Stopping midway in the Teaching and discipline proclaimed by the Truth-finder - this is decline.'
"Indeed, friends, that a monk without abandoning these ten qualities will attain growth, increase, and expansion in this Teaching and discipline - this is impossible. Indeed, friends, that a monk by abandoning these ten qualities will attain growth, increase, and expansion in this Teaching and discipline - this is possible." The fourth.