Thus have I heard. Once, the Buddha travelled among the Kurus and stayed at a town there named Karmasaddharma.

At that time, the World Honored One addressed the bhikṣus: “It is by knowing and by seeing that the outflows are ended, not by not knowing and not seeing. How is it that by knowing and by seeing that the outflows are ended? There is right thinking and thinking that is not right. If one does not rightly think, unarisen outflows of desires will arise and those that have already arisen will increase. Unarisen outflows of existence and non-insight (ignorance) arise and those that have already arisen will increase. If one rightly thinks, unarisen outflows of desire will not arise and those that have already arisen will decrease. Unarisen outflows of existence and non-insight will not arise and those that have already arisen will decrease.

“Still, the ordinary fool does not listen to the right Dharma, does not encounter the true friend, does not know the Noble’s Dharma, is not tamed by the Noble’s Dharma, and does not know the Dharma of the real. Being one who does not rightly think, unarisen outflows of desires will arise and those that have already arisen will increase. Unarisen outflows of existence and non-insight will arise and those that have already arisen will increase. Whereas, in one who rightly thinks, unarisen outflows of desire will not arise and those that have already arisen will decrease. Unarisen outflows of existence and non-insight will not arise and those that have already arisen will decrease. Because he does not know the Dharma of the real, things that should not be thought about are thought about and things that should be thought about are not thought about. Because things that should not be thought about are thought about and things that should be thought about are not thought about, unarisen outflows of desires will arise and those that have already arisen will increase. Unarisen outflows of existence and non-insight will arise and those that have already arisen will increase.

“Now, the Noble disciple is well-versed and hears the right Dharma, encounters the true friend, is tamed by the Noble’s Dharma, and knows the Dharma of the real. In one who does not rightly think, unarisen outflows of desires will arise and those that have already arisen will increase. Unarisen outflows of existence and non-insight will arise and those that have already arisen will increase. Whereas, in one who rightly thinks, unarisen outflows of desire will not arise and those that have already arisen will decrease. Unarisen outflows of existence and non-insight will not arise and those that have already arisen will decrease. Having known the Dharma of the real, things that should not be thought about are not thought about and things that should be thought about are thought about. Because things that should not be thought about are not thought about and things that should be thought about are thought about, unarisen outflows of desire will not arise and those that have already arisen will decrease. Unarisen outflows of existence and non-insight will not arise and those that have already arisen will decrease.

“There are seven ways to stop the outflows, the afflictions, those sorrowful things. What are the seven? There are outflows that are stopped by views, stopped by guarding, stopped by distancing, stopped by usage, stopped by tolerance, stopped by removal, and stopped by consideration.

“Now, how are outflows stopped by views? The ordinary fool who does not hear the right Dharma, does not encounter the true friend, does not know the Noble’s Dharma, is not tamed by the Noble’s Dharma, or does not know the Dharma of the real, who does not rightly think, has this thought: ‘I have past lives, I have no past lives, what were the cause of my past lives? What were my past lives?’. Or: ‘I will have future lives, I will have no future lives, what would be the causes for my future lives? What will be my future lives?’. Or, he has doubts about himself, thinking: ‘What am I here? Where has this sentient being come from? To where shall it go? What were the causes for it to be in the past? What will be the causes for it to be in the future?’. Such thoughts are made from not thinking rightly. From out of those six views, it follows that his views arise. ‘There really is a soul’: this view arises. Then it becomes: ‘There really is no soul.’ That view arises. Then it becomes: ‘The soul looks on the soul’. That views arises. Then it becomes: ‘The soul does not see the soul.’ That view arises. Then it becomes: ‘It is not the soul that sees the soul.’ That view arises. Then it becomes: ‘The soul is able to speak, able to know, able to act, teach, initiate actions, initiate teachings, born in this or that place, receiving good and evil results.’ Or: ‘It is certain to come from nowhere, certain not to exist, certain that it will not exist.’ This is called the downfall of views, being driven by views, being bound up by the fetter of views. It is because of this that the ordinary fool then receives the distress of birth, old age, illness, and death.

“Now, the Noble disciple is well-versed and hears the right Dharma, encounters the true friend, is tamed by the Noble’s Dharma, and knows the Dharma of the real. He knows the reality of distress, knows the sources of distress, knows the cessation of distress, and knows the reality of the path to the cessation of distress. Thus having known it as it really is, then the three fetters are ended. Seeing it for himself, taking the precepts, and having the doubts of the three fetters ended, he attains śrota-apanna (stream entry). He will not fall into evil things. He is certain to arrive at the perfect awakening, experiencing at most seven more existences. Having been reborn seven times in the heavens or among humans, he will then reach the limit of distress. If one does not know and see, then affliction and sorrow will arise in him. Knowing and seeing, affliction and sorrow will not arise in him. This is called the outflows being stopped by views.

“How are the outflows stopped by guarding? Bhikṣus, one who guards the eye faculty while the eye sees forms watches for the impure with right thinking. One who does not guard the eye faculty, not rightly thinking, does not watch for the impure. If one does not guard himself, then affliction and sorrow will arise in him. Guarding himself, affliction and sorrow will not arise. Thus it is with the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind faculties that perceive things. One who guards the mind-faculty watches for the impure with rightly thinking. One who does not guard the mental faculty, not rightly thinking, does not watch for the impure. If one does not guard himself, then affliction and sorrow will arise in him. Guarding himself, affliction and sorrow will not arise. This is called the outflows being stopped by guarding.

“How are the outflows stopped by distancing? A bhikṣu sees an evil elephant and removes himself far from it, and so too with evil horses, evil cattle, evil dogs, venomous creatures, evil paths, ditches, pits, hedges, rivers, deep springs, mountains, cliffs, evil associates, evil friends, evil heretics, evil towns, and evil households. If brāhmaṇas are in the same place, and people who are doubtless then are made to have doubts, the bhikṣu should distance himself form that. If brāhmaṇas are in the same place among evil associates, evil friends, evil heretics, evil towns, and evil households, and people who were doubtless are made to have doubts by them, the bhikṣu should distance himself from them. If he does not distance himself, it will give rise to affliction and sorrow in him. Distancing himself, it will not cause affliction and sorrow to arise in him. This is called the outflows being stopped by distancing onself.

“How are the outflows stopped by usage? Suppose a bhikṣu uses robes not to profit by it, not in order to be superior, not for ornamentation, but only to ward off insects, wind, rain, cold, heat, and because of modesty. He does so not in order for fatness or comfort, but only in order to cause his body to last a long time, to remove afflictions and sorrow, in order to practice the divine practice, because he wishes illness to be abated and new illnesses to not arise, in order to long remain in comfort and without illness. If he uses a household, a hut, a floor, a bedding, it is not to profit by it, not in order to be superior, not for ornamentation, but only to sleep and gain rest and in order to have a tranquil resting place. If he uses hot baths and medicines, it is not to profit by it, not in order to be superior, not for luxury and comfort, but only to remove illness and discomfort, in order to gather and manage his life-basis, and to be comfortable and without illness. If one does not use them, it will cause affliction and sorrow to arise in him. Using them, affliction and sorrow will not arise in him. This is called the outflows being stopped by usage.

“How are the outflows stopped by tolerance? A bhikṣu makes effort to end evil and what is not good and to cultivate good things. He always has produced this idea, concentrating his mind and endevouring. His body, torso, limbs, muscles, tendons, bones, blood, and marrow are made strong and upright. He does not abandon his efforts. Only once he had attained what he is seeking does he abandon this effort. A bhikṣu, again, will be able to tolerate hunger, thirst, cold, heat, flying insects, fleas, and lice; the oppression of wind and sun; abusive voices, being hit and beaten. He is also able to tolerate them. If his body becomes ill, causing the utmost of distress and pain, even what would make him wish that his life would end, he is capable of tolerating such unpleasantness. If one cannot tolerate them, that will cause affliction and sorrow to arise in him. Tolerating them, affliction and sorrow will not arise in him. This is called the outflows being stopped by tolerance.

“How are the outflows stopped by removal? A bhikṣu gives rise to a desirable recollection that has not been removed or abandoned. He gives rise to frustrating recollections and harmful recollections that has not been removed or abandoned. If one does not remove them, affliction and sorrow will arise in him. Removing them, affliction and sorrow will not arise in him. This is called the outflows being stopped by removal.

“How are the outflows stopped by consideration? A bhikṣu considers the first limb of awakening, recollection, which is supported by separation, supported by desirelessness, and supported by complete cessation, and leads to the production of the gist. He considers dharma, effort, ease, calm, concentration, and the seventh limb of awakening, renunciation, which are supported by separation, supported by desirelessness, and supported by complete cessation, and lead to the production of the gist. If one does not consider them, affliction and sorrow will arise in him. Considering them, affliction and sorrow will not arise in him. This is called the outflows being stopped by consideration.

“If a bhikṣu sets out to stop the outflows through view and stops them through view, to stop the outflows though guarding himself and stops them through guarding himself, to stop the outflows through distancing himself and stops them through distancing himself, to stop the outflows through usage and stops them through usage, to stop the outflows through tolerance and stops them through tolerance, to stop the outflows through removal and stops them through removal, and to stop the outflows through consideration and stops them through consideration, he is called a bhikṣu who was once bound up by all the outflows and is now freed. He is capable to reach the limit of distress with right knowledge.”

The Buddha spoke thus. The bhikṣus who heard the Buddha’s discourse were elated, took it up, and left.