1At Sāvatthī. Then a certain bhikkhu approached the Blessed One … and said to him:

"Venerable sir, it would be good if the Blessed One would teach me the Dhamma in brief … ."

"Bhikkhu, in seeking delight one is bound by Māra; by not seeking delight one is freed from the Evil One."

"Understood, Blessed One! Understood, Fortunate One!"

2"In what way, bhikkhu, do you understand in detail the meaning of what was stated by me in brief?"

"In seeking delight in form, venerable sir, one is bound by Māra; by not seeking delight in it one is freed from the Evil One. In seeking delight in feeling … in perception … in volitional formations … in consciousness one is bound by Māra; by not seeking delight in it one is freed from the Evil One. sn.iii.76

"It is in such a way, venerable sir, that I understand in detail the meaning of what was stated by the Blessed One in brief."

3"Good, good, bhikkhu! It is good that you understand in detail the meaning of what was stated by me in brief. In seeking delight in form, bhikkhu, one is bound by Māra … as above in full … by not seeking delight in it one is freed from the Evil One. It is in such a way that the meaning of what was stated by me in brief should be understood in detail."

… And that bhikkhu became one of the arahants.

1Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Atha kho aññataro bhikkhu … pe … ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

"sādhu me, bhante, bhagavā saṅkhittena … pe … pahitatto vihareyyan"ti.

"Abhinandamāno kho, bhikkhu, baddho mārassa; anabhinandamāno mutto pāpimato"ti.

"Aññātaṁ, bhagavā, aññātaṁ, sugatā"ti.

2"Yathā kathaṁ pana tvaṁ, bhikkhu, mayā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāsī"ti?

"Rūpaṁ kho, bhante, abhinandamāno baddho mārassa; anabhinandamāno mutto pāpimato. vedanāṁ … saññaṁ … saṅkhāre … viññāṇaṁ abhinandamāno baddho mārassa; anabhinandamāno mutto pāpimato.

Imassa khvāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa evaṁ vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāmī"ti.

3"Sādhu sādhu, bhikkhu. Sādhu kho tvaṁ, bhikkhu, mayā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa vitthārena atthaṁ ājānāsi. Rūpaṁ kho, bhikkhu, abhinandamāno baddho mārassa; anabhinandamāno mutto pāpimato. vedanāṁ … saññaṁ … saṅkhāre … viññāṇaṁ abhinandamāno baddho mārassa; anabhinandamāno mutto pāpimato. Imassa kho, bhikkhu, mayā saṅkhittena bhāsitassa evaṁ vitthārena attho daṭṭhabbo"ti … pe …

… aññataro ca pana so bhikkhu arahataṁ ahosīti.

Tatiyaṁ.