Ekaṃ samayaṃ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalanda­ka­nivāpe. Atha kho tālapuṭo naṭagāmaṇi yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṃ abhivādetvā ekamantaṃ nisīdi. Ekamantaṃ nisinno kho tālapuṭo naṭagāmaṇi bhagavantaṃ etadavoca: “sutaṃ metaṃ, bhante, pubbakānaṃ ācari­ya­pācari­yā­naṃ naṭānaṃ bhāsamānānaṃ: ‘yo so naṭo raṅgamajjhe samajjamajjhe saccālikena janaṃ hāseti rameti, so kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā pahāsānaṃ devānaṃ sahabyataṃ upapajjatī’ti. Idha bhagavā kimāhā”ti? “Alaṃ, gāmaṇi, tiṭṭhatetaṃ. Mā maṃ etaṃ pucchī”ti. Dutiyampi kho tālapuṭo naṭagāmaṇi bhagavantaṃ etadavoca: “sutaṃ metaṃ, bhante, pubbakānaṃ ācari­ya­pācari­yā­naṃ naṭānaṃ bhāsamānānaṃ: ‘yo so naṭo raṅgamajjhe samajjamajjhe saccālikena janaṃ hāseti rameti, so kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā pahāsānaṃ devānaṃ sahabyataṃ upapajjatī’ti. Idha bhagavā kimāhā”ti? “Alaṃ, gāmaṇi, tiṭṭhatetaṃ. Mā maṃ etaṃ pucchī”ti. Tatiyampi kho tālapuṭo naṭagāmaṇi bhagavantaṃ etadavoca: “sutaṃ metaṃ, bhante, pubbakānaṃ ācari­ya­pācari­yā­naṃ naṭānaṃ bhāsamānānaṃ: ‘yo so naṭo raṅgamajjhe samajjamajjhe saccālikena janaṃ hāseti rameti, so kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā pahāsānaṃ devānaṃ sahabyataṃ upapajjatī’ti. Idha bhagavā kimāhā”ti?

“Addhā kho tyāhaṃ, gāmaṇi, na labhāmi: ‘alaṃ, gāmaṇi, tiṭṭhatetaṃ, mā maṃ etaṃ pucchī’ti. Api ca tyāhaṃ byākarissāmi. Pubbe kho, gāmaṇi, sattā avītarāgā rāga­bandha­na­baddhā. Tesaṃ naṭo raṅgamajjhe samajjamajjhe ye dhammā rajanīyā te upasaṃharati bhiyyoso mattāya. Pubbe kho, gāmaṇi, sattā avītadosā dosa­bandha­na­baddhā. Tesaṃ naṭo raṅgamajjhe samajjamajjhe ye dhammā dosanīyā te upasaṃharati bhiyyoso mattāya. Pubbe kho, gāmaṇi, sattā avītamohā moha­bandha­na­baddhā. Tesaṃ naṭo raṅgamajjhe samajjamajjhe ye dhammā mohanīyā te upasaṃharati bhiyyoso mattāya. So attanā matto pamatto pare madetvā pamādetvā kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā pahāso nāma nirayo tattha upapajjati. Sace kho panassa evaṃdiṭṭhi hoti: ‘yo so naṭo raṅgamajjhe samajjamajjhe saccālikena janaṃ hāseti rameti, so kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā pahāsānaṃ devānaṃ sahabyataṃ upapajjatī’ti, sāssa hoti micchādiṭṭhi. Micchā­diṭṭhi­kassa kho panāhaṃ, gāmaṇi, purisa­pugga­lassa dvinnaṃ gatīnaṃ aññataraṃ gatiṃ vadāmi—nirayaṃ vā tiracchā­na­yoniṃ vā”ti.

Evaṃ vutte, tālapuṭo naṭagāmaṇi parodi assūni pavattesi. “Etaṃ kho tyāhaṃ, gāmaṇi, nālatthaṃ: ‘alaṃ, gāmaṇi, tiṭṭhatetaṃ; mā maṃ etaṃ pucchī’”ti. “Nāhaṃ, bhante, etaṃ rodāmi yaṃ maṃ bhagavā evamāha; api cāhaṃ, bhante, pubbakehi ācari­ya­pācari­yehi naṭehi dīgharattaṃ nikato vañcito paluddho: ‘yo so naṭo raṅgamajjhe samajjamajjhe saccālikena janaṃ hāseti rameti so kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā pahāsānaṃ devānaṃ sahabyataṃ upapajjatī’”ti. “Abhikkantaṃ, bhante, abhikkantaṃ, bhante. Seyyathāpi, bhante, nikkujjitaṃ vā ukkujjeyya, paṭicchannaṃ vā vivareyya, mūḷhassa vā maggaṃ ācikkheyya, andhakāre vā telapajjotaṃ dhāreyya: ‘cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantī’ti; evamevaṃ bhagavatā aneka­pariyā­yena dhammo pakāsito. Esāhaṃ, bhante, bhagavantaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi dhammañca ­bhik­khu­saṅghañca. Labheyyāhaṃ, bhante, bhagavato santike pabbajjaṃ, labheyyaṃ upasampadan”ti. Alattha kho tālapuṭo naṭagāmaṇi bhagavato santike pabbajjaṃ, alattha upasampadaṃ. Acirū­pasam­panno ca panāyasmā tālapuṭo … pe … arahataṃ ahosīti.

Dutiyaṃ.