1At Sāvatthī.

Then a certain brahmin went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to the Buddha:

2“Master Gotama, does the person who does the deed experience the result?”

“‘The person who does the deed experiences the result’: this is one extreme, brahmin.”

3“Then does one person do the deed and another experience the result?”

“‘One person does the deed and another experiences the result’: this is the second extreme.

Avoiding these two extremes, the Realized One teaches by the middle way: ‘Ignorance is a condition for choices.

Choices are a condition for consciousness. … That is how this entire mass of suffering originates. When ignorance fades away and ceases with nothing left over, choices cease. When choices cease … That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.’”

4When he said this, the brahmin said to the Buddha: “Excellent, Master Gotama! Excellent! … From this day forth, may Master Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”

1Sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati.

Atha kho aññataro brāhmaṇo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: 

2"Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, so karoti so paṭisaṁvedayatī"ti?

"‘So karoti so paṭisaṁvedayatī’ti kho, brāhmaṇa, ayameko anto".

3"Kiṁ pana, bho gotama, añño karoti, añño paṭisaṁvedayatī"ti?

"‘Añño karoti, añño paṭisaṁvedayatī’ti kho, brāhmaṇa, ayaṁ dutiyo anto.

Ete te, brāhmaṇa, ubho ante anupāgamma majjhena tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti: ‘avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā;

saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṁ … pe … evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti. Avijjāya tveva asesavirāganirodhā saṅkhāranirodho; saṅkhāranirodhā … pe … evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hotī’"ti.

4Evaṁ vutte, so brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "Abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama, abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama … pe … upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan"ti.

Chaṭṭhaṁ.