1 . evaṃ me sutaṃ -- ekaṃ samayaṃ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṃ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṃ abhivādetvā ekamantaṃ nisīdi. ekamantaṃ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṃ etadavoca
Thus have I heard:
At one time, the Blessed One was staying near Savatthi, in Jetavana, Anathapindika's park. And then, the venerable Ananda approached the place where the Blessend one was staying and, drawing near, paid homage to the Blessed One and sat to one side. Sitting to one side thus, the venerable Ananda spoke thus to the Blessed One:
-- ``kimatthiyāni, bhante, kusalāni sīlāni kimānisaṃsānī``ti? ``avippaṭisāratthāni kho, ānanda, kusalāni sīlāni avippaṭisārānisaṃsānī``ti.
"Having what purpose, venerable sir, are wholesome (behavioural) norms? Having what benefit?"
"Having remorselessness as a purpose, Ananda, are wholesome norms; having remorselessness as a benefit."
``avippaṭisāro pana, bhante, kimatthiyo kimānisaṃso``? ``avippaṭisāro kho, ānanda, pāmojjattho pāmojjānisaṃso``.
"But remorselessness, venerable sir, has what purpose, what benefit?"
"Remorselessness, Ananda, has contentment as a purpose, contentment as a benefit."
``pāmojjaṃ pana, bhante, kimatthiyaṃ kimānisaṃsaṃ``? ``pāmojjaṃ kho, ānanda, pītatthaṃ pītānisaṃsaṃ``.
"But contentment, venerable sir, has what purpose, what benefit?"
"Contentment, Ananda, has rapture as a purpose, rapture as a benefit."
``pīti pana, bhante, kimatthiyā kimānisaṃsā``? ``pīti kho, ānanda, passaddhatthā passaddhānisaṃsā``.
"But rapture, venerable sir, has what purpose, what benefit?"
"Rapture, Ananda, has tranquility as a purpose, tranquility as a benefit."
``passaddhi pana, bhante, kimatthiyā kimānisaṃsā``? ``passaddhi kho, ānanda, sukhatthā sukhānisaṃsā``.
"But tranquility, venerable sir, has what purpose, what benefit?"
"Tranquility, Ananda, has happiness as a purpose, happiness as a benefit."
``sukhaṃ pana, bhante, kimatthiyaṃ kimānisaṃsaṃ``? ``sukhaṃ kho, ānanda, samādhatthaṃ samādhānisaṃsaṃ``. `
"But happiness, venerable sir, has what purpose, what benefit?"
"Happiness, Ananda, has concentration as a purpose, concentration as a benefit."
`samādhi pana, bhante, kimatthiyo kimānisaṃso``? ``samādhi kho, ānanda, yathābhūtañāṇadassanattho yathābhūtañāṇadassanānisaṃso`` .
"But concentration, venerable sir, has what purpose, what benefit?"
"Concentration, Ananda, has knowledge and vision of reality as a purpose, knowledge and vision of reality as a benefit."
``yathābhūtañāṇadassanaṃ pana, bhante, kimatthiyaṃ kimānisaṃsaṃ``? ``yathābhūtañāṇadassanaṃ kho, ānanda, nibbidatthaṃ nibbidānisaṃsaṃ``.
"But knowledge and vision of reality, venerable sir, has what purpose, what benefit?"
"Knowledge and vision of reality, Ananda, has disinterest as a purpose, disinterest as a benefit."
``nibbidā, pana, bhante, kimatthiyā kimānisaṃsā``? ``nibbidā kho, ānanda, virāgatthā virāgānisaṃsā ``.
"But disinterest, venerable sir, has what purpose, what benefit?"
"Disinterest, Ananda, has dispassion as a purpose, dispassion as a benefit."
``virāgo pana, bhante, kimatthiyo kimānisaṃso``? ``virāgo kho, ānanda, vimuttiñāṇadassanattho vimuttiñāṇadassanānisaṃso.
"But dispassion, venerable sir, has what purpose, what benefit?"
"Dispassion, Ananda, has knowledge and vision of freedom as a purpose, knowledge and vision of freedom as a benefit."
``iti kho, ānanda, kusalāni sīlāni avippaṭisāratthāni avippaṭisārānisaṃsāni, avippaṭisāro pāmojjattho pāmojjānisaṃso, pāmojjaṃ pītatthaṃ pītānisaṃsaṃ, pīti passaddhatthā passaddhānisaṃsā, passaddhi sukhatthā sukhānisaṃsā, sukhaṃ samādhatthaṃ samādhānisaṃsaṃ, samādhi yathābhūtañāṇadassanattho yathābhūtañāṇadassanānisaṃso, yathābhūtañāṇadassanaṃ nibbidatthaṃ nibbidānisaṃsaṃ, nibbidā virāgatthā virāgānisaṃsā, virāgo vimuttiñāṇadassanattho vimuttiñāṇadassanānisaṃso. iti kho, ānanda, kusalāni sīlāni anupubbena aggāya parentī``ti. paṭhamaṃ.
"Thus, indeed, Ananda, do wholesome norms have remorselessness as a purpose, remorselessness as a benefit; remorselessness has contentment as a purpose, contentment as a benefit; contentment has rapture as a purpose, rapture as a benefit; rapture has tranquility as a purpose, tranquility as a benefit; tranquility has happiness as a purpose, happiness as a benefit; happiness has concentration as a purpose, concentration as a benefit; concentration has knowledge and vision of reality as a purpose, knowledge and vision of reality as a benefit; knowledge and vision of reality has disinterest as a purpose, disinterest as a benefit; disinterest has dispassion as a purpose, dispassion as a benefit; dispassion has knowledge and vision of freedom as a purpose, knowledge and vision of freedom as a benefit. Thus, wholesome norms go step by step right to the top." The first.
