1"Bhikkhus, based upon the Himalayas, the king of mountains, the nāgas nurture their bodies and acquire strength.[n.39] Spk: When the female nāgas become pregnant they realize that if they gave birth in the ocean their offspring could be attacked by the supaṇṇas or swept away by a strong current. Thus they ascend the rivers to the Himalayas and give birth there. They then train their young in the mountain ponds until they have mastered the art of swimming. When they have nurtured their bodies and acquired strength, they then enter the pools. From the pools they enter the lakes, then the streams, then the rivers, and finally they enter the ocean. There they achieve greatness and expansiveness of body.

"So too, bhikkhus, based upon virtue, established upon virtue, a bhikkhu develops and cultivates the factors of enlightenment, and thereby he achieves greatness and expansiveness in wholesome states.

"And how does a bhikkhu do so?

"Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu develops the enlightenment factor of mindfulness,
develops the enlightenment factor of discrimination of states,
develops the enlightenment factor of energy,
develops the enlightenment factor of rapture,
develops the enlightenment factor of tranquillity,
develops the enlightenment factor of concentration,
develops the enlightenment factor of equanimity,
- which are based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release;
- which have as their final goal the removal of lust, the removal of hatred, the removal of delusion;
- which have the Deathless as their ground, the Deathless as their destination, the Deathless as their final goal;
- which slant, slope, and incline towards Nibbāna.

"It is in this way, bhikkhus, that a bhikkhu, based upon virtue, established upon virtue, develops and cultivates the factors of enlightenment, and thereby achieves greatness and expansiveness in wholesome states."

1"Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, himavantaṁ pabbatarājaṁ nissāya nāgā kāyaṁ vaḍḍhenti, balaṁ gāhenti; te tattha kāyaṁ vaḍḍhetvā balaṁ gāhetvā kusobbhe otaranti, kusobbhe otaritvā mahāsobbhe otaranti, mahāsobbhe otaritvā kunnadiyo otaranti, kunnadiyo otaritvā mahānadiyo otaranti, mahānadiyo otaritvā mahāsamuddaṁ otaranti, te tattha mahantattaṁ vepullattaṁ āpajjanti kāyena; … pe …