“Householder, you may wonder how the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of karma. Householder, the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the four types of adopted karmic actions. What are these four? They are the karma experienced in this life, the karma experienced in the next life, the karma experienced in subsequent lives, and the karma that is not experienced. To know, see, perceive, realize, understand, and be learned about this is called knowing karma, and that is what the Thus-Gone One correctly understands. When the Thus-Gone One is asked about this he can respond for an eon, up to an inexpressible number of inexpressible eons, and so forth, until … he will enjoy this temple with its sandalwood courtyard.

“Householder, you may wonder how the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of the origin as related to knowledge of karma. Householder, the Thus-Gone One correctly understands those causes and conditions that accomplish knowledge of the origin as related to knowledge of karma. The Thus-Gone One has a correct understanding, whether he considers impermanence, and so forth, up until … whether he considers opposition. When the Thus-Gone One is asked about the knowledge of the origin as related to knowledge of karma, he can respond for an eon, and so forth, up until … he will enjoy this temple with its sandalwood courtyard.

“Householder, you may wonder how the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of cessation as related to knowledge of karma. Householder, the Thus-Gone One correctly understands it in this way. He accomplished the welfare of an immeasurable number of beings and refrained from harming them. He illuminated them and cleared away their darkness. He has freed innumerable beings from suffering and established them in happiness. That is the knowledge of cessation as related to knowledge of karma. Moreover, he knows it to be primordially unborn. Householder, this is how the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of cessation as related to knowledge of karma. When the Thus-Gone One is asked about the knowledge of cessation as related to knowledge of karma, he can respond for an eon, up to an inexpressible number of inexpressible eons, since his eloquence is inexhaustible. Therefore, he will enjoy this temple with its sandalwood courtyard.

“Householder, you may wonder how the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of the path that leads to cessation as related to knowledge of karma. Householder, the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of cessation by which he knows, understands, and actualizes the knowledge of karma. Whether he contemplates insipidity, or whether he contemplates shortcomings, or whether he contemplates deliverance, the Thus-Gone One correctly understands. Householder, in this way the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of the path that leads to cessation as related to knowledge of karma. When the Thus-Gone One is asked about the knowledge of the path that leads to cessation as related to knowledge of karma, he can respond for an eon, and so forth, up until an inexpressible number of inexpressible eons, since his eloquence is inexhaustible. Therefore, he will enjoy this temple with its sandalwood courtyard.

“Householder, you may wonder how the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of adopted actions. Householder, the Thus-Gone One correctly understands four types of adopted karmic actions. What are these four? They are the adopted karmic actions where present suffering ripens into future suffering, where present happiness ripens into future suffering, where present suffering ripens into future happiness, and where present happiness ripens into future happiness.

“What is the adopted karmic action where present suffering ripens into future suffering? It is an adopted karmic action that is scorned by wise mendicants and brahmins. It is to adopt the ten unvirtuous courses of action, which are adopted out of fierce desire, anger, and delusion, such that the suffering of poverty is also adopted. It is something that the wise must scorn in terms of this life, and not wish for in a future ripening. This adopted karmic action entails suffering in the present and also as it ripens in the future.

“What is the adopted karmic action where present happiness ripens into future suffering? It is to adopt the ten unvirtuous courses of action due to fierce desire, anger, and delusion, or because of an Almighty. In this life it may be classified as pleasant, and childish beings will praise it. However, the wise will scorn it as in the future it brings unwanted consequences and turns into suffering. This adopted karmic action that is praised by childish beings and scorned by the wise is pleasant in the present but painful in the future.

“What is the adopted karmic action where present suffering ripens into future happiness? It is to adopt the ten virtuous courses of action while still being immersed in the experience of actions due to involvement with fierce desire, anger, and delusion. For example, while overcome by the experience of poverty, one still adopts a proper outlook. The learned ones will embrace this situation, enduring suffering and what is unpleasant, while adopting all that is virtuous, including the noble Dharma. This is the adopted karmic action where present suffering ripens into future happiness.

“What is the adopted karmic action where present happiness ripens into future happiness? It is to adopt a proper mindset based on having few desires, little anger, and little delusion, combined with a bright intelligence. One adopts the path of the ten virtues and enjoys perfect circumstances, yet one is not under the influence of an Almighty, or haughtiness, but one is grounded in virtue. Already in this life one will be happy and experience pleasant circumstances, while being praised by the learned. In the future as well one’s experience will be desirable, beautiful, and pleasant. This is the adopted karmic action where one is happy in this life and the future ripening is pleasant as well.

“To know, see, perceive, realize, understand, and be skillful about this is called knowing adopted actions, and that is what the Thus-Gone One correctly understands. When the Thus-Gone One is asked about the knowledge of adopted actions, he can respond for an eon, and so forth, up until an inexpressible number of inexpressible eons, since his eloquence is inexhaustible. Therefore, he will enjoy this temple with its sandalwood courtyard.

“Householder, you may wonder how the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of the origin as related to knowledge of adopted actions. Householder, the Thus-Gone One correctly understands those causes and conditions that accomplish knowledge of the origin as related to knowledge of adopted actions. The Thus-Gone One has a correct understanding, whether he considers impermanence, and so forth, up until … whether he considers opposition. When the Thus-Gone One is asked about the knowledge of the origin as related to knowledge of adopted actions, he can respond for an eon, and so forth, up until an inexpressible number of inexpressible eons, since his eloquence is inexhaustible. Therefore, he will enjoy this temple with its sandalwood courtyard.

“Householder, you may wonder how the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of cessation as related to knowledge of adopted actions. Householder, the Thus-Gone One correctly understands it in this way. He accomplished the welfare of an immeasurable number of beings and refrained from harming them. He illuminated them and cleared away their darkness. He has freed innumerable beings from suffering and established them in happiness. That is the knowledge of cessation as related to knowledge of adopted actions. Moreover, he knows it to be primordially unborn. Householder, this is how the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of cessation as related to knowledge of adopted actions. When the Thus-Gone One is asked about the knowledge of cessation as related to knowledge of adopted actions, he can respond for an eon, and so forth, up until an inexpressible number of inexpressible eons, since his eloquence is inexhaustible. Therefore, he will enjoy this temple with its sandalwood courtyard.

“Householder, you may wonder how the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of the path that leads to cessation as related to knowledge of adopted actions. Householder, the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of cessation by which he knows, understands, and actualizes the knowledge of adopted actions. Whether he contemplates insipidity, or whether he contemplates shortcomings, or whether he contemplates deliverance, the Thus-Gone One correctly understands. When the Thus-Gone One is asked about the knowledge of the path that leads to cessation as related to knowledge of adopted actions, he can respond for an eon, and so forth, up until an inexpressible number of inexpressible eons, since his eloquence is inexhaustible. Therefore, he will enjoy this temple with its sandalwood courtyard.

“Householder, you may wonder how the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of abodes. Householder, the Thus-Gone One correctly understands them in this way: ‘This action will ripen among the beings in hell. This action will ripen among the beings in the animal realm. This action will ripen in the realm of the Lord of Death. This action will ripen in the demigod realm. This action will ripen in the realm of humans. This action will ripen in the Heaven of the Four Great Kings. This action will ripen in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. This action will ripen in the Heaven Free from Strife. This action will ripen in the Heaven of Joy. This action will ripen in the Heaven of Delighting in Emanations. This action will ripen in the Heaven of Making Use of Others’ Emanations. This action will ripen in the Abode of Brahmā. These actions will ripen in the Brahmā Realm, the Heaven of the High Priests of Brahmā, and the Heaven of Great Brahmā, respectively. These actions will ripen in the Heaven of Light, the Heaven of Limited Light, the Heaven of Limitless Light, and the Luminous Heaven, respectively. These actions will ripen in the Heaven of Virtue, the Heaven of Limited Virtue, the Heaven of Limitless Virtue, and the Heaven of Perfected Virtue, respectively. These actions will ripen in the Greater Heaven, the Heaven of Lesser Greatness, the Heaven of Limitless Greatness, and the Heaven of Great Fruition, respectively. These actions will ripen in the Unlofty Heaven, the Heaven of No Hardship, the Sublime Heaven, the Gorgeous Heaven, and the Highest Heaven, respectively. This action will ripen in the abode of no notion. These actions will ripen in the abodes of the sphere of limitless space, the sphere of limitless consciousness, the sphere of nothing whatsoever, and the sphere of neither notion nor no notion, respectively. This action will ripen within the abodes of saṃsāra. This action will ripen in the abode of those who enter nirvāṇa.’ Householder, this is how the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of abodes. When the Thus-Gone One is asked about the knowledge of abodes, he can respond for an eon, and so forth, up until…. Therefore, he will enjoy this temple with its sandalwood courtyard.

“Householder, you may wonder how the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of the origin as related to knowledge of abodes. Householder, the Thus-Gone One correctly understands those causes and conditions that accomplish knowledge of the origin as related to knowledge of abodes. The Thus-Gone One has a correct understanding, whether he considers impermanence, and so forth, up until … whether he considers opposition. When the Thus-Gone One is asked about the knowledge of the origin as related to knowledge of abodes, he can respond for an eon, and so forth, up until … he will enjoy this temple with its sandalwood courtyard.

“Householder, you may wonder how the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of cessation as related to knowledge of abodes. Householder, the Thus-Gone One correctly understands it in this way. He accomplished the welfare of an immeasurable number of beings and refrained from harming them. He illuminated them and cleared away their darkness. He has freed innumerable beings from suffering and established them in happiness. That is the knowledge of cessation as related to knowledge of abodes. Moreover, he knows it to be primordially unborn. Householder, this is how the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of cessation as related to knowledge of abodes. When the Thus-Gone One is asked about the knowledge of cessation as related to knowledge of abodes, he can respond for an eon, and so forth, up until…. Therefore, he will enjoy this temple with its sandalwood courtyard.

“Householder, you may wonder how the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of the path that leads to cessation as related to knowledge of abodes. Householder, the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of cessation by which he knows, understands, and actualizes the knowledge of abodes. Whether he contemplates insipidity, or whether he contemplates shortcomings, or whether he contemplates deliverance, the Thus-Gone One correctly understands. When the Thus-Gone One is asked about the knowledge of the path that leads to cessation as related to knowledge of abodes, he can respond for an eon, and so forth, up until…. Therefore, he will enjoy this temple with its sandalwood courtyard.

“Householder, you may wonder how the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of causes. Householder, the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the causes, conditions, and reasons that actualize the ripening of karma for beings to be born in hell. Likewise, the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the causes, conditions, and reasons that actualize the ripening of karma for beings to be born in the animal realm, the realm of the Lord of Death, the demigod realm, the human realm, the Heaven of the Four Great Kings, the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, the Heaven Free from Strife, the Heaven of Joy, the Heaven of Delighting in Emanations, the Heaven of Making Use of Others’ Emanations, the Brahmā Realm, the Heaven of the High Priests of Brahmā, the Heaven of the Retinue of Brahmā, the Heaven of Great Brahmā, the Heaven of Light, the Heaven of Limited Light, the Heaven of Limitless Light, and the Luminous Heaven, the Heaven of Virtue, the Heaven of Limited Virtue, the Heaven of Limitless Virtue, and the Heaven of Perfected Virtue, the Greater Heaven, the Heaven of Lesser Greatness, the Heaven of Limitless Greatness, and the Heaven of Great Fruition, the Unlofty Heaven, the Heaven of No Hardship, the Sublime Heaven, the Gorgeous Heaven, and the Highest Heaven, and the abode of beings without notions, respectively. The Thus-Gone One correctly understands the causes, conditions, and reasons that actualize the ripening of karma. Householder, this is how the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of causes. When the Thus-Gone One is asked about the knowledge of causes, he can respond for an eon, and so forth, up until…. Therefore, he will enjoy this temple with its sandalwood courtyard.

“Householder, you may wonder how the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of the origin as related to knowledge of the causes of beings. Householder, the Thus-Gone One correctly understands those causes and conditions that accomplish knowledge of the origin as related to knowledge of causes. The Thus-Gone One has a correct understanding, whether he considers impermanence, and so forth, up until … whether he considers opposition. When the Thus-Gone One is asked about the knowledge of the origin as related to knowledge of causes, he can respond for an eon, and so forth, up until … he will enjoy this temple with its sandalwood courtyard.

“Householder, you may wonder how the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of cessation as related to knowledge of causes. Householder, the Thus-Gone One correctly understands it in this way. He accomplished the welfare of an immeasurable number of beings and refrained from harming them. He illuminated them and cleared away their darkness. He has freed innumerable beings from suffering and established them in happiness. That is the knowledge of cessation as related to knowledge of causes. Moreover, he knows it to be primordially unborn. Householder, this is how the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of cessation as related to knowledge of causes. When the Thus-Gone One is asked about the knowledge of cessation as related to knowledge of causes, he can respond for an inexpressible number of inexpressible eons, and so forth, up until…. Therefore, he will enjoy this temple with its sandalwood courtyard.

“Householder, you may wonder how the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of the path that leads to cessation as related to knowledge of causes. Householder, the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of cessation by which he knows, understands, and actualizes the knowledge of the path that leads to cessation as related to knowledge of causes. This is so whether he contemplates insipidity, or whether he contemplates shortcomings, or whether he contemplates deliverance. Householder, this is how the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of the path that leads to cessation as related to knowledge of causes. Householder, when the Thus-Gone One is asked about the knowledge of the path that leads to cessation as related to knowledge of causes, he can respond for an eon, and so forth, up until an inexpressible number of inexpressible eons, since his eloquence is inexhaustible. Therefore, he will enjoy this temple with its sandalwood courtyard.

“Householder, you may wonder how the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of ripening. Householder, this is how the Thus-Gone One correctly understands: ‘This ripening of karma will unfold among the beings in hell. This ripening of karma will unfold in the animal realm. This ripening of karma will unfold in the realm of the Lord of Death, and so forth, up until…. This ripening of karma will unfold in the sphere of neither notion nor no notion.’ The Thus-Gone One also correctly understands: ‘Such ripening of karma will not unfold. That karma has no creator. That ripening of karma will not be experienced.’ Householder, this is how the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of ripening. When the Thus-Gone One is asked about the knowledge of ripening, he can respond for an eon, and so forth, up until an inexpressible number of inexpressible eons, since his eloquence is inexhaustible. Therefore, he will enjoy this temple with its sandalwood courtyard.

“Householder, you may wonder how the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of the origin as related to knowledge of ripening. Householder, the Thus-Gone One correctly understands it in this way. The Thus-Gone One correctly understands that knowledge of the origin as related to knowledge of ripening is acquired from accumulating roots of virtue in the presence of limitless blessed buddhas. Householder, moreover, the Thus-Gone One correctly understands those causes and conditions that accomplish knowledge of the origin as related to knowledge of ripening. The Thus-Gone One has a correct understanding, whether he considers impermanence, and so forth, up until … whether he considers opposition. When the Thus-Gone One is asked about the knowledge of the origin as related to knowledge of ripening, he can respond for an eon, and so forth, up until an inexpressible number of inexpressible eons, since his eloquence is inexhaustible. Therefore, he will enjoy this temple with its sandalwood courtyard.

“Householder, you may wonder how the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of cessation as related to knowledge of ripening. Householder, the Thus-Gone One correctly understands it in this way. He accomplished the welfare of an immeasurable number of beings and refrained from harming them. He illuminated them and cleared away their darkness. He has freed innumerable beings from suffering and established them in happiness. That is the knowledge of cessation as related to knowledge of ripening. Moreover, he knows it to be primordially unborn. Householder, this is how the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of cessation as related to knowledge of ripening. When the Thus-Gone One is asked about the knowledge of cessation as related to knowledge of ripening, he can respond for an eon, and so forth, up until an inexpressible number of inexpressible eons, since his eloquence is inexhaustible. Therefore, he will enjoy this temple with its sandalwood courtyard.

“Householder, you may wonder how the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of the path that leads to cessation as related to knowledge of ripening. Householder, the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of cessation by which he knows, understands, and actualizes the knowledge of ripening. This is so whether he contemplates insipidity, or whether he contemplates shortcomings, or whether he contemplates deliverance. Householder, this is how the Thus-Gone One correctly understands the knowledge of the path that leads to cessation as related to knowledge of ripening. When the Thus-Gone One is asked about the knowledge of the path that leads to cessation as related to knowledge of ripening, he can respond for an eon, and so forth, up until an inexpressible number of inexpressible eons, since his eloquence is inexhaustible. Therefore, he will enjoy this temple with its sandalwood courtyard.