4.
The Second Discourse on Proximate Cause
4.
There the Venerable Sāriputta addressed the monks:
"Friends, for one who is immoral, failing in morality, freedom from remorse has its proximate cause destroyed;
when freedom from remorse is absent, for one failing in freedom from remorse, etc.
knowledge and vision of liberation.
Just as, friends, a tree lacking branches and leaves.
Its outer bark does not go to fulfilment, its inner bark etc.
its softwood etc.
its heartwood does not go to fulfilment.
So too, friends, for one who is immoral, failing in morality, freedom from remorse has its proximate cause destroyed;
when freedom from remorse is absent, for one failing in freedom from remorse, etc.
knowledge and vision of liberation.
"Friends, for one who is moral, accomplished in morality, freedom from remorse is accomplished in its proximate cause; when freedom from remorse is present, for one accomplished in freedom from remorse, etc. knowledge and vision of liberation. Just as, friends, a tree accomplished with branches and leaves. Its outer bark goes to fulfilment, its inner bark etc. its softwood etc. its heartwood goes to fulfilment. So too, friends, for one who is moral, accomplished in morality, freedom from remorse is accomplished in its proximate cause; when freedom from remorse is present, for one accomplished in freedom from remorse, etc. knowledge and vision of liberation." The fourth.