Linked Discourses 12.46

1. Householders

A Certain Brahmin

At Sāvatthī.

Then a certain brahmin went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him.

When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to the Buddha:

“Worthy Gotama, are he who does the deed and he who experiences the result one and the same?”

“‘He who does the deed and he who experiences the result are one and the same’: this is one extreme, brahmin.”

“Then is he who does the deed one and he who experiences the result another?”

“‘He who does the deed is one and he who experiences the result is another’: this is the second extreme.

Avoiding these two extremes, the Realized One teaches by the middle way:

‘Ignorance is a requirement for choices.

Choices are a requirement for consciousness. …

That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.

When ignorance fades away and ceases with nothing left over, choices cease.

When choices cease …

That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.’”

When he said this, the brahmin said to the Buddha,

“Excellent, worthy Gotama! Excellent! …

From this day forth, may the worthy Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”