The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha - Bhikkhu Nanamoli [395]
13. “‘So it seems, friend Nigaṇṭhas, that when there is intense exertion…you feel painful, racking, piercing feelings due to intense exertion; but when there is no intense exertion…you do not feel any painful, racking, piercing feelings due to intense exertion. That being so, it is not fitting for the venerable Nigaṇṭhas to declare:925 “Whatever this person feels, whether pleasure or pain or neither-pain-nor-pleasure, all that is caused by what was done in the past. So by annihilating with asceticism past actions and by doing no fresh actions, there will be no consequence in the future. With no consequence…all suffering will be exhausted.”
14. “‘If, friend Nigaṇṭhas, when there was intense exertion, intense striving, then painful, racking, piercing feelings due to intense exertion were present, and when there was no intense exertion, no intense striving, then painful, racking, piercing feelings due to intense exertion were still present; that being so, it would be fitting for the venerable Nigaṇṭhas to declare: “Whatever this person feels…all suffering will be exhausted.”
15. “‘But since, friend Nigaṇṭhas, when there is intense exertion, intense striving, then you feel painful, racking, piercing feelings due to intense exertion, but when there is no intense exertion, no intense striving, then you do not feel painful, racking, piercing feelings due to intense exertion, you are therefore feeling only the painful, racking, piercing feelings of your self-imposed exertion, and it is through ignorance, unknowing, and delusion [220] that you mistakenly hold: “Whatever this person feels…all suffering will be exhausted.”’ Speaking thus, bhikkhus, I did not see any legitimate defence of their position by the Nigaṇṭhas.
16. “Again, bhikkhus, I said to the Nigaṇṭhas: ‘What do you think, friend Nigaṇṭhas? Is it possible that an action [whose result] is to be experienced here and now926 can, through exertion and striving, become one [whose result] is to be experienced in the next life?’—‘No, friend.’—‘But is it possible that an action [whose result] is to be experienced in the next life can, through exertion and striving, become one [whose result] is to be experienced here and now?’—‘No, friend.’
17. “‘What do you think, friend Nigaṇṭhas? Is it possible that an action [whose result] is to be experienced as pleasant can, through exertion and striving, become one [whose result] is to be experienced as painful?’—‘No, friend.’—‘But is it possible that an action [whose result] is to be experienced as painful can, through exertion and striving, become one [whose result] is to be experienced as pleasant?’—‘No, friend.’
18. “‘What do you think, friend Nigaṇṭhas? Is it possible that an action [whose result] is to be experienced in a matured [personality] can, by exertion and striving, become one [whose result] is to be experienced in an unmatured [personality]?’927—‘No, friend.’—‘But is it possible that an action [whose result] is to be experienced in an unmatured [personality] can, by exertion and striving, become one [whose result] is to be experienced in a matured personality?’—‘No, friend.’
19. “‘What do you think, friend Nigaṇṭhas? [221] Is it possible that an action [whose result] is to be much experienced can, through exertion and striving, become one [whose result] is to be little experienced?’—‘No, friend.’—‘But is it possible that an action [whose result] is to be little experienced can, through exertion and striving, become one [whose result] is to be much experienced?’—‘No, friend.’
20. “‘What do you think, friend Nigaṇṭhas? Is it possible that an action [whose result] is to be experienced can, through exertion and striving, become one [whose result] is not to be experienced? ’928—‘No, friend.’—‘But is it possible that an action [whose result] is not to be experienced can, through exertion and striving, become one [whose result] is to be experienced?’—‘No, friend.’
21. “‘So it seems, friend Nigaṇṭhas, that it is impossible that an action [whose result] is to be