At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī.
Then the Buddha said to Venerable Sāriputta, “Sāriputta, this was said in ‘The Way to the Far Shore’, in ‘The Questions of Ajita’:
‘There are those who have appraised the teaching, and many kinds of trainees here. Now you, being alert, are asked to tell me their behavior, good fellow.’
How should we see the detailed meaning of this brief statement?”
When he said this, Sāriputta kept silent.
For a second time …
For a third time …
Sāriputta kept silent.
“Sāriputta, do you see that this has come to be?”
“Sir, one truly sees with right wisdom that this has come to be. Seeing this, one is practicing for disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding what has come to be. One truly sees with right wisdom that it came to be with that as fuel. Seeing this, one is practicing for disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding the fuel for its origination. One truly sees with right wisdom that when that fuel ceases, what has come to be is liable to cease. Seeing this, one is practicing for disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding what is liable to cease. In this way one is a trainee.
And how, sir, has one appraised the teaching? Sir, one truly sees with right wisdom that this has come to be. Seeing this, one is freed by not grasping through disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding what has come to be. One truly sees with right wisdom that it came to be with that as fuel. Seeing this, one is freed by not grasping through disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding the fuel for its origination. One truly sees with right wisdom that when that fuel ceases, what has come to be is liable to cease. Seeing this, one is freed by not grasping through disillusionment, dispassion, and cessation regarding what is liable to cease. In this way one has appraised the teaching.
Sir, regarding what was said in ‘The Way to the Far Shore’, in ‘The Questions of Ajita’:
‘There are those who have appraised the teaching, and many kinds of trainees here. Now you, being alert, are asked to tell me their behavior, good fellow.’
This is how I understand the detailed meaning of what was said in brief.”
“Good, good, Sāriputta! (The Buddha repeated all of Sāriputta’s explanation, concluding:)
This is how to see the detailed meaning of what was said in brief.”