Regret (AN6.15)

Numbered Discourses 6.15

2. Warm-hearted

Regret

There Sāriputta addressed the mendicants:

“As a mendicant makes their bed, so they must lie in it, and die tormented by regrets.

And how do they die tormented by regrets?

Take a mendicant who relishes work, talk, sleep, company, closeness, and proliferation. They love these things and like to relish them.

A mendicant who makes their bed like this must lie in it, and die tormented by regrets.

This is called

a mendicant who enjoys substantial reality, who hasn’t given up substantial reality to rightly make an end of suffering.

As a mendicant makes their bed, so they must lie in it, and die free of regrets.

And how do they die free of regrets?

Take a mendicant who doesn’t relish work, talk, sleep, company, closeness, and proliferation. They don’t love these things or like to relish them.

A mendicant who makes their bed like this must lie in it, and die free of regrets.

This is called

a mendicant who delights in extinguishment, who has given up substantial reality to rightly make an end of suffering.

A beast who likes to proliferate,

enjoying proliferation,

fails to win extinguishment,

the supreme sanctuary from the yoke.

But one who gives up proliferation,

enjoying the state of non-proliferation,

wins extinguishment,

the supreme sanctuary from the yoke.”