7.
The Discourse on Washing
107.
"There is, monks, in the southern countries a festival called 'washing'.
There is food and drink and hard food and soft food and lickable food and drinkable food and dancing and singing and music.
There is, monks, this washing;
I do not say 'there is not'.
But this washing, monks, is low, vulgar, belonging to ordinary people, ignoble, not connected with benefit; it does not lead to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbāna.
"But I, monks, will teach the noble washing, which washing leads exclusively to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbāna; by which washing beings subject to birth are released from birth, beings subject to ageing are released from ageing, beings subject to death are released from death, beings subject to sorrow, lamentation, suffering, displeasure and anguish are released from sorrow, lamentation, suffering, displeasure and anguish. Listen to that, pay close attention; I will speak." "Yes, venerable sir," those monks assented to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this:
"And what, monks, is that noble washing, which leads exclusively to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbāna; by which washing beings subject to birth are released from birth, beings subject to ageing are released from ageing, beings subject to death are released from death, beings subject to sorrow, lamentation, suffering, displeasure and anguish are released from sorrow, lamentation, suffering, displeasure and anguish?
"For one of right view, monks, wrong view is washed away; and whatever many evil unwholesome mental states come to be with wrong view as condition, those too are washed away for him; and with right view as condition, many wholesome mental states go to fulfilment through development.
"For one of right thought, monks, wrong thought is washed away. Etc. For one of right speech, monks, wrong speech is washed away. For one of right action, monks, wrong action is washed away. For one of right livelihood, monks, wrong livelihood is washed away. For one of right effort, monks, wrong effort is washed away. For one of right mindfulness, monks, wrong mindfulness is washed away. For one of right concentration, monks, wrong concentration is washed away. For one of right knowledge, monks, wrong knowledge is washed away. Etc.
"For one of right liberation, monks, wrong liberation is washed away; and whatever many evil unwholesome mental states come to be with wrong liberation as condition, those too are washed away for him; and with right liberation as condition, many wholesome mental states go to fulfilment through development. This, monks, is that noble washing which leads exclusively to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbāna; by which washing beings subject to birth are released from birth, beings subject to ageing are released from ageing, beings subject to death are released from death, beings subject to sorrow, lamentation, suffering, displeasure and anguish are released from sorrow, lamentation, suffering, displeasure and anguish." The seventh.