“Bhante nāgasena, yadā bodhisatto dukkarakārikaṃ akāsi, netādiso aññatra ārambho ahosi nikkamo kilesayuddhaṃ maccusenaṃ vidhamanaṃ āhārapariggaho dukkarakārikā, evarūpe parakkame kiñci assādaṃ alabhitvā tameva cittaṃ parihāpetvā evamavoca ‘na kho panāhaṃ imāya kaṭukāya ­dukka­ra­kārikāya adhigacchāmi uttari manussadhammaṃ ala­mariya­ñāṇadas­sana­visesaṃ, siyā nu kho añño maggo bodhāyā’ti, tato nibbinditvā aññena maggena sabbaññutaṃ patto, puna tāya paṭipadāya sāvake anusāsati samādapeti.

‘Ārambhatha nikkhamatha,
yuñjatha buddhasāsane;
Dhunātha maccuno senaṃ,
naḷāgāraṃva kuñjaro’ti.

Kena nu kho, bhante nāgasena, kāraṇena tathāgato yāya paṭipadāya attanā nibbinno virattarūpo, tattha sāvake anusāsati samādapetī”ti?

“Tadāpi, mahārāja, etarahipi sāyeva paṭipadā, taṃyeva paṭipadaṃ paṭipajjitvā bodhisatto sabbaññutaṃ patto. Api ca, mahārāja, bodhisatto ativīriyaṃ karonto niravasesato āhāraṃ uparundhi. Tassa āhārūparodhena cittadubbalyaṃ uppajji. So tena dubbalyena nāsakkhi sabbaññutaṃ pāpuṇituṃ, so mattamattaṃ kabaḷīkā­rāhāraṃ sevanto tāyeva paṭipadāya nacirasseva sabbaññutaṃ pāpuṇi. Sāyeva, mahārāja, paṭipadā sabbesaṃ tathāgatānaṃ sabbañ­ñu­ta­ñāṇap­paṭi­lābhāya.

Yathā, mahārāja, sabbesaṃ sattānaṃ āhāro upatthambho, āhārūpanissitā sabbe sattā sukhaṃ anubhavanti; evameva kho, mahārāja, sāyeva paṭipadā sabbesaṃ tathāgatānaṃ sabbañ­ñu­ta­ñāṇap­paṭi­lābhāya, neso, mahārāja, doso ārambhassa, na nikkamassa, na kilesa­yuddhassa, yena tathāgato tasmiṃ samaye na pāpuṇi sabbañ­ñu­ta­ñāṇaṃ, atha kho āhārūpa­rodhas­se­veso doso, sadā paṭiyattā yevesā paṭipadā.

Yathā, mahārāja, puriso addhānaṃ ativegena gaccheyya, tena so pakkhahato vā bhaveyya pīṭhasappī vā asañcaro pathavitale. Api nu kho, mahārāja, mahāpathaviyā doso atthi, yena so puriso pakkhahato ahosī”ti? “Na hi, bhante; sadā paṭiyattā, bhante, mahāpathavī, kuto tassā doso? Vāyāmasseveso doso, yena so puriso pakkhahato ahosī”ti. “Evameva kho, mahārāja, neso doso ārambhassa, na nikkamassa, na kilesa­yuddhassa, yena tathāgato tasmiṃ samaye na pāpuṇi sabbañ­ñu­ta­ñāṇaṃ, atha kho āhārūpa­rodhas­se­veso doso sadā paṭiyattā yevesā paṭipadā.

Yathā vā pana, mahārāja, puriso kiliṭṭhaṃ sāṭakaṃ nivāseyya, na so taṃ dhovāpeyya, neso doso udakassa, sadā paṭiyattaṃ udakaṃ. Purisasseveso doso. Evameva kho, mahārāja, neso doso ārambhassa, na nikkamassa, na kilesa­yuddhassa, yena tathāgato tasmiṃ samaye na pāpuṇi sabbañ­ñu­ta­ñāṇaṃ, atha kho āhārūpa­rodhas­se­veso doso, sadā paṭiyattā yevesā paṭipadā, tasmā tathāgato tāyeva paṭipadāya sāvake anusāsati samādapeti, evaṃ kho, mahārāja, sadā paṭiyattā anavajjā sā paṭipadā”ti. “Sādhu, bhante nāgasena, evametaṃ tathā sampaṭicchāmī”ti.

Paṭi­padā­dosa­pañho catuttho.