I heard thus.

At one time the Blessed One was living in the Sakya hamlet Devadaha. From there the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus. ’Bhikkhus, there are recluses and Brahmins, who hold this view and preach it. “Whatever this person feels, whether pleasant, unpleasant or neither unpleasant nor pleasant, feelings, all those are the results of earlier actions. These earlier actions are finished off with austerities, new, are not done, thus there is no accumulation for the future. Without a future accumulation, there is destruction of actions. With the destruction of actions, there is destruction of unpleasantness. With the destruction of unpleasantness, there is destruction of feelings. With the destruction of feelings all unpleasantness finishes.” Bhikkhus, Nigan.tas, are of this view. I approached the Nigan.tas of this view and asked them. ’Friends, Nigan.tas, is it true, that you are of this view Whatever this person feels, whether pleasant, unpleasant or neither unpleasant nor pleasant, feelings, all those are the results of earlier actions. These earlier actions, are finished off with austerities, new are not done, thus there is no accumulation for the future. Without a future accumulation, there is destruction of actions. With the destruction of actions, there is destruction of unpleasantness. With the destruction of unpleasantness, there is destruction of feelings. With the destruction of feelings all unpleasantness finishes? Bhikkhus, they acknowledged that it was true. Then I asked them. ‘Nigan.tas, do you know, whether you were in the past, or whether you were not in the past?’

‘Friend, we do not know that.’

‘Friends, Nigan.tas, do you know, whether you did demerit or did not refrain from demerit in the past?’

‘Friend, we do not know that.’

‘Friends, Nigan.tas, do you know, whether you did this demerit or the other demerit?’

‘Friend, we do not know that.’

‘Friends, Nigan.tas, do you know, this much unpleasantness is finished, this much unpleasant has to be finished, and when this unpleasantness is finished, all unpleasantness, will finish?’

‘Friend, we do not know that.’

‘Friends, Nigan.tas, do you know, to dispel demerit, and to accumulate merit here and now?’

‘Friend, we do not know that.’

‘Friends, Nigan.tas, you do not know, whether you were, or were not, in the past. Whether you did or did not do demerit in the past. You do not know what and what demerit you did in the past and how much unpleasantness, is finished, how much has to be finished and when, how much of it is finished, all unpleasantness finishes. You do not know to dispel demerit and accumulate merit here and now. When that is so it is not suitable that the venerable Nigan.tas should say. Whatever this person feels, whether pleasant, unpleasant or neither unpleasant nor pleasant, feelings, all those are the results of earlier actions. These earlier actions, are finished off with austerities, new are not done, thus there is no accumulation for the future. Without a future accumulation, there is destruction of actions. With the destruction of actions, there is destruction of unpleasantness. With the destruction of unpleasantness, there is destruction of feelings. With the destruction of feelings all unpleasantness finishes.

Friends, Nigan.tas, if you knew, we were in the past, and not otherwise. We did demerit in the past and not otherwise. We did this and other demerit in the past. This much unpleasantness is finished, this much has to be finished and when this much unpleasantness is finished all unpleasantness finishes. If you knew how to dispel demerit and accumulate merit here and now, it is suitable that the venerable Nigan.tas should say. Whatever this person feels, whether pleasant, unpleasant or neither unpleasant nor pleasant, feelings, all those are the results of earlier actions. These earlier actions, are finished off with austerities, new are not done, thus there is no accumulation for the future. Without a future accumulation, there is destruction of actions. With the destruction of actions, there is destruction of unpleasantness. With the destruction of unpleasantness, there is destruction of feelings. With the destruction of feelings all unpleasantness finishes.

‘Friends, Nigan.tas, it is like a man shot with a poisoned arrow, feels sharp unpleasant feelings, on account of the shot arrow. His friends, co-associates and blood relations call a surgeon to attend on him. The surgeon probes into his open wound with an instrument. On account of that probing, he feels sharp unpleasant feelings. He removes the arrow probing into the wound. On account of removing the arrow, he feels sharp unpleasant feelings. The surgeon administers burning charcoal on the wound as counter medicine. On account of administering burning charcoal on the open wound he feels sharp unpleasant feelings. In the meantime his wound heals, he becomes well, independent and goes where he wishes. Then it occurs to him. I was shot with a poisoned arrow and felt sharp unpleasant feelings on account of it. My friends, co-associates and blood relations called a surgeon to attend on me. He probed into my open wound with an instrument. On account of that probing I felt sharp unpleasant feelings. Probing he removed the arrow, on account of removing the arrow, I felt sharp unpleasant feelings. Then he administered burning charcoal as counter medicine on my wound. On account of that I felt sharp unpleasant feelings. Now my wound is healed, I’m well, independent and go where I wish. Friends, Nigan.tas, if you knew, we were in the past, and not otherwise. We did demerit in the past and not otherwise. We did this and other demerit in the past. This much unpleasantness is finished, this much has to be finished and when this much unpleasantness is finished all unpleasantness finishes. If you knew how to dispel demerit and accumulate merit here and now, it is suitable that the venerable Nigan.tas should say. Whatever this person feels, whether pleasant, unpleasant or neither unpleasant nor pleasant, feelings, all those are the results of earlier actions. These earlier actions, are finished off with austerities, new are not done, thus there is no accumulation for the future. Without a future accumulation, there is destruction of actions. With the destruction of actions, there is destruction of unpleasantness. With the destruction of unpleasantness, there is destruction of feelings. With the destruction of feelings all unpleasantness finishes Friends, Nigan.tas, since you do not know, whether you were, or were not, in the past. Whether you did or did not do demerit in the past. You do not know what and what demerit you did in the past and how much unpleasantness, is finished, how much has to be finished and when, how much of it is finished, all unpleasantness finishes. You do not know to dispel demerit and accumulate merit here and now. When that is so it is not suitable that the venerable Nigan.tas should say. Whatever this person feels, whether pleasant, unpleasant or neither unpleasant nor pleasant, feelings, all those are the results of earlier actions. These earlier actions, are finished off with austerities, new are not done, thus there is no accumulation for the future. Without a future accumulation, there is destruction of actions. With the destruction of actions, there is destruction of unpleasantness. With the destruction of unpleasantness, there is destruction of feelings. With the destruction of feelings all unpleasantness finishes.

When this was said, the Nigan.tas said to me.’Friend, Nigan.tanaataputta acknowledges he has knowledge and vision of everything, whether walking, standing, sleeping or awake constantly established. He says thus. Nigan.tas, you have demerit done in the past, finish that with these difficult austerities. Be restrained in body, words and mind, so that no demerit is done for the future These earlier actions, are finished off with austerities, new are not done, thus there is no accumulation for the future. Without a future accumulation, there is destruction of actions. With the destruction of actions, there is destruction of unpleasantness. With the destruction of unpleasantness, there is destruction of feelings. With the destruction of feelings all unpleasantness finishes. We like these words, and are pleased with these words.

When this was said, I said to those Nigan.tas. ‘Friends, Nigan.tas, these five are with twofold results, here and now. What are the five? Faith, liking, hearsay, careful thinking and forbearance with view, are with twofold results here and now. In which teacher did the venerable Nigan.tas’ place faith in the past? What was their liking? What was their hearsay? How was their careful thinking? With what view did they forbear? Bhikkhus, when I said that, the Nigan.tas had no rightful thing to say. Then again, I said thus to the Nigan.tas. ‘Friends, Nigan.tas, when do you feel acute severe pain, is it when you pursue difficult exertions or when you do not pursue difficult exertions?’

‘Friend, Gotama, when we pursue difficult exertions, we feel acute severe pain. When we do not pursue difficult exertions, we do not feel acute severe pain.’

‘So then Nigan.tas, when you pursue difficult exertions, you feel acute, severe pain and when you do not pursue difficult exertions, you do not feel acute severe pain. When this is so, is it suitable that the Nigan.tas explain it, as whatever this person feels, whether pleasant, unpleasant or neither unpleasant nor pleasant, feelings, all those are the results of earlier actions. These earlier actions, are finished off with austerities, new are not pursued, thus there is no accumulation for the future. Without a future accumulation, there is destruction of actions. With the destruction of actions, there is destruction of unpleasantness. With the destruction of unpleasantness, there is destruction of feelings. With the destruction of feelings all unpleasantness finishes. If the venerable Nigan.tas feel severe acute pain, at the time they pursue difficult exertions and at the time they do not pursue difficult exertions, it is suitable that the venerable Nigan.tas explain it, as whatever this person feels, whether pleasant, unpleasant or neither unpleasant nor pleasant, feelings, all those are the results of earlier actions. These earlier actions, are finished off with austerities, new are not pursued, thus there is no accumulation for the future. Without a future accumulation, there is destruction of actions. With the destruction of actions, there is destruction of unpleasantness. With the destruction of unpleasantness, there is destruction of feelings. With the destruction of feelings all unpleasantness finishes Nigan.tas, when you pursue difficult exertions, you feel acute, severe pain and when you do not pursue difficult exertions, you do not feel acute severe pain. You, yourself pursue these difficult exertions and work them out owing to ignorance and delusion. Even when this was pointed out the Nigan.tas had nothing to say rightfully.

Bhikkhus, again I asked the Nigan.tas. ‘Nigan.tas, actions with feelings here and now, could they be made actions with feelings hereafter by some method, or exertion?’