1“‘Now is the time! Now is the time!’ So says an uneducated ordinary person. But they don’t know whether it’s time or not. Mendicants, there are eight lost opportunities for spiritual practice. What eight?

Firstly, a Realized One has arisen in the world — perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those who wish to train, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed. He teaches the Dhamma leading to peace, extinguishment, awakening, as proclaimed by the Holy One. But a person has been reborn in hell. This is the first lost opportunity for spiritual practice.

2Furthermore, a Realized One has arisen in the world. But a person has been reborn in the animal realm. This is the second lost opportunity.

3Furthermore, a Realized One has arisen in the world. But a person has been reborn in the ghost realm. This is the third lost opportunity.

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4Furthermore, a Realized One has arisen in the world. But a person has been reborn in one of the long-lived orders of gods. This is the fourth lost opportunity.

5Furthermore, a Realized One has arisen in the world. But a person has been reborn in the borderlands, among strange barbarian tribes, where monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen do not go. This is the fifth lost opportunity …

6Furthermore, a Realized One has arisen in the world. And a person is reborn in a central country. But they have wrong view and distorted perspective: ‘There’s no meaning in giving, sacrifice, or offerings. There’s no fruit or result of good and bad deeds. There’s no afterlife. There’s no obligation to mother and father. No beings are reborn spontaneously. And there’s no ascetic or brahmin who is well attained and practiced, and who describes the afterlife after realizing it with their own insight.’ This is the sixth lost opportunity …

7Furthermore, a Realized One has arisen in the world. And a person is reborn in a central country. But they’re witless, dull, stupid, and unable to distinguish what is well said from what is poorly said. This is the seventh lost opportunity …

8Furthermore, a Realized One has not arisen in the world … So he doesn’t teach the Dhamma leading to peace, extinguishment, awakening, as proclaimed by the Holy One. And a person is reborn in a central country. And they’re wise, bright, clever, and able to distinguish what is well said from what is poorly said. This is the eighth lost opportunity …

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9There are these eight lost opportunities for spiritual practice.

10Mendicants, there is just one opportunity for spiritual practice. What is that one? It’s when a Realized One has arisen in the world, perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those who wish to train, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed. He teaches the Dhamma leading to peace, extinguishment, awakening, as proclaimed by the Holy One. And a person is reborn in a central country. And they’re wise, bright, clever, and able to distinguish what is well said from what is poorly said. This is the one opportunity for spiritual practice.

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11When you’ve gained the human state,
and the true teaching has been so well proclaimed,
if you don’t seize the moment
it’ll pass you by.

12For many wrong times are spoken of,
which obstruct the path.
Only on rare occasions
do Realized Ones arise.

13If you find yourself in their presence,
so hard to find in the world,
and if you’ve gained a human birth,
and the teaching of the Dhamma;
that’s enough to make an effort,
for a person who loves themselves.

14How is the true teaching to be understood
so that the moment doesn’t pass you by?
For if you miss your moment
you’ll grieve when you’re sent to hell.

15If you fail to achieve
certainty regarding the true teaching
you’ll regret it for a long time,
like a trader who loses a profit.

16A man hindered by ignorance,
a failure in the true teaching,
will long undergo
transmigration through birth and death.

17Those who’ve gained the human state
when the true teaching has been so well proclaimed,
and have completed what the Teacher taught —
or will do so, or are doing so now —

18have realized the right time in the world
for the supreme spiritual life.
You should live guarded, ever mindful,
not soaked with defilements,

19among those restrained ones
who have practiced the path
proclaimed by the Realized One, the one with vision,
and taught by the Kinsman of the Sun.

20Having cut off all underlying tendencies
that follow those drifting in Māra’s dominion,
they’re the ones in this world who’ve truly crossed over,
having reached the ending of defilements.”

1"‘Khaṇakicco loko, khaṇakicco loko’ti, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano bhāsati, no ca kho so jānāti khaṇaṁ vā akkhaṇaṁ vā. Aṭṭhime, bhikkhave, akkhaṇā asamayā brahmacariyavāsāya. Katame aṭṭha?

Idha, bhikkhave, tathāgato ca loke uppanno hoti arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā, dhammo ca desiyati opasamiko parinibbāniko sambodhagāmī sugatappavedito; ayañca puggalo nirayaṁ upapanno hoti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamo akkhaṇo asamayo brahmacariyavāsāya. (1)

2Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, tathāgato ca loke uppanno hoti … pe … satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā, dhammo ca desiyati opasamiko parinibbāniko sambodhagāmī sugatappavedito; ayañca puggalo tiracchānayoniṁ upapanno hoti … pe … . (2)

3Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave … pe … ayañca puggalo pettivisayaṁ upapanno hoti … pe … . (3)

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4Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave … pe … ayañca puggalo aññataraṁ dīghāyukaṁ devanikāyaṁ upapanno hoti … pe … . (4)

5Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave … pe … ayañca puggalo paccantimesu janapadesu paccājāto hoti, so ca hoti aviññātāresu milakkhesu, yattha natthi gati bhikkhūnaṁ bhikkhunīnaṁ upāsakānaṁ upāsikānaṁ … pe … . (5)

6Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave … pe … ayañca puggalo majjhimesu janapadesu paccājāto hoti, so ca hoti micchādiṭṭhiko viparītadassano:  ‘Natthi dinnaṁ, natthi yiṭṭhaṁ, natthi hutaṁ, natthi sukatadukkaṭānaṁ kammānaṁ phalaṁ vipāko, natthi ayaṁ loko, natthi paro loko, natthi mātā, natthi pitā, natthi sattā opapātikā, natthi loke samaṇabrāhmaṇā sammaggatā sammā paṭipannā ye imañca lokaṁ parañca lokaṁ sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā pavedentī’ti … pe … . (6)

7Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave … pe … ayañca puggalo majjhimesu janapadesu paccājāto hoti, so ca hoti duppañño jaḷo eḷamūgo appaṭibalo subhāsitadubbhāsitassa atthamaññātuṁ. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, sattamo akkhaṇo asamayo brahmacariyavāsāya. (7)

8Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, tathāgato ca loke anuppanno hoti arahaṁ sammāsambuddho … pe … satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā. Dhammo ca na desiyati opasamiko parinibbāniko sambodhagāmī sugatappavedito. Ayañca puggalo majjhimesu janapadesu paccājāto hoti, so ca hoti paññavā ajaḷo aneḷamūgo paṭibalo subhāsitadubbhāsitassa atthamaññātuṁ. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, aṭṭhamo akkhaṇo asamayo brahmacariyavāsāya. (8)

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9Ime kho, bhikkhave, aṭṭha akkhaṇā asamayā brahmacariyavāsāya.

10Ekova kho, bhikkhave, khaṇo ca samayo ca brahmacariyavāsāya. Katamo eko? Idha, bhikkhave, tathāgato ca loke uppanno hoti arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā. Dhammo ca desiyati opasamiko parinibbāniko sambodhagāmī sugatappavedito. Ayañca puggalo majjhimesu janapadesu paccājāto hoti, so ca hoti paññavā ajaḷo aneḷamūgo paṭibalo subhāsitadubbhāsitassa atthamaññātuṁ. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, ekova khaṇo ca samayo ca brahmacariyavāsāyāti.

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11Manussalābhaṁ laddhāna,
saddhamme suppavedite;
Ye khaṇaṁ nādhigacchanti,
atināmenti te khaṇaṁ.

12Bahū hi akkhaṇā vuttā,
maggassa antarāyikā;
Kadāci karahaci loke,
uppajjanti tathāgatā.

13Tayidaṁ sammukhībhūtaṁ,
yaṁ lokasmiṁ sudullabhaṁ;
Manussapaṭilābho ca,
saddhammassa ca desanā;
Alaṁ vāyamituṁ tattha,
attakāmena jantunā.

14Kathaṁ vijaññā saddhammaṁ,
khaṇo ve mā upaccagā;
Khaṇātītā hi socanti,
nirayamhi samappitā.

15Idha ce naṁ virādheti,
saddhammassa niyāmataṁ;
Vāṇijova atītattho,
cirattaṁ anutapissati.

16Avijjānivuto poso,
saddhammaṁ aparādhiko;
Jātimaraṇasaṁsāraṁ,
ciraṁ paccanubhossati.

17Ye ca laddhā manussattaṁ,
saddhamme suppavedite;
Akaṁsu satthu vacanaṁ,
karissanti karonti vā.

18Khaṇaṁ paccaviduṁ loke,
brahmacariyaṁ anuttaraṁ;
Ye maggaṁ paṭipajjiṁsu,
tathāgatappaveditaṁ.

19Ye saṁvarā cakkhumatā,
desitādiccabandhunā;
Tesu gutto sadā sato,
vihare anavassuto.

20Sabbe anusaye chetvā,
māradheyyaparānuge;
Te ve pāraṅgatā loke,
ye pattā āsavakkhayan"ti.

Navamaṁ.