The Buddha explains to Sutavā, the wanderer, that an arahant is incapable of transgressing in nine ways.
Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati gijjhakūṭe pabbate. Atha kho sutavā paribbājako yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho sutavā paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha on Vulture Peak mountain. Then Sutavā, the wanderer, approached the Blessed One; having approached, he exchanged greetings with the Blessed One. After the exchange of courteous and polite conversation, he sat down to one side. After conversing, he sat down to one side and said to the Blessed One:
“Ekamidāhaṁ, bhante, samayaṁ bhagavā idheva rājagahe viharāmi giribbaje. Tatra me, bhante, bhagavato sammukhā sutaṁ sammukhā paṭiggahitaṁ: ‘yo so, sutavā, bhikkhu arahaṁ khīṇāsavo vusitavā katakaraṇīyo ohitabhāro anuppattasadattho parikkhīṇabhavasaṁyojano sammadaññāvimutto, abhabbo so pañca ṭhānāni ajjhācarituṁ— abhabbo khīṇāsavo bhikkhu sañcicca pāṇaṁ jīvitā voropetuṁ, abhabbo khīṇāsavo bhikkhu adinnaṁ theyyasaṅkhātaṁ ādātuṁ, abhabbo khīṇāsavo bhikkhu methunaṁ dhammaṁ paṭisevituṁ, abhabbo khīṇāsavo bhikkhu sampajānamusā bhāsituṁ, abhabbo khīṇāsavo bhikkhu sannidhikārakaṁ kāme paribhuñjituṁ seyyathāpi pubbe agāriyabhūto’ti. Kacci metaṁ, bhante, bhagavato sussutaṁ suggahitaṁ sumanasikataṁ sūpadhāritan”ti?
“Venerable sir, one time, while dwelling here in Rājagaha at the mountain cave, I directly heard and learned from the Blessed One: ‘He who, Sutavā, is a bhikkhu who is an arahant, whose defilements are destroyed, who has fulfilled the spiritual life, who has done what had to be done, having put down the burden, who has achieved the highest goal, |who has exhausted the fetter of existence::who has worn away the bonds of continued conditional existence, i.e. the karmically conditioned mode of being that leads to future rebirth [parikkhīṇabhavasaṃyojana]|, and who is liberated through complete comprehension, he is incapable of transgressing in five ways — incapable of intentionally taking the life of a living being, incapable of taking what is not given, incapable of engaging in sexual intercourse, incapable to knowingly speak falsely, and incapable to use stored up goods as he did before, when he was a householder. Is it true, venerable sir, that this was well heard, well learned, well attended to, and well retained by me?”
“Taggha te etaṁ, sutavā, sussutaṁ suggahitaṁ sumanasikataṁ sūpadhāritaṁ. Pubbe cāhaṁ, sutavā, etarahi ca evaṁ vadāmi: ‘yo so bhikkhu arahaṁ khīṇāsavo vusitavā katakaraṇīyo ohitabhāro anuppattasadattho parikkhīṇabhavasaṁyojano sammadaññāvimutto, abhabbo so nava ṭhānāni ajjhācarituṁ— abhabbo khīṇāsavo bhikkhu sañcicca pāṇaṁ jīvitā voropetuṁ, abhabbo khīṇāsavo bhikkhu adinnaṁ theyyasaṅkhātaṁ ādātuṁ, abhabbo khīṇāsavo bhikkhu methunaṁ dhammaṁ paṭisevituṁ, abhabbo khīṇāsavo bhikkhu sampajānamusā bhāsituṁ, abhabbo khīṇāsavo bhikkhu sannidhikārakaṁ kāme paribhuñjituṁ seyyathāpi pubbe agāriyabhūto, abhabbo khīṇāsavo bhikkhu chandāgatiṁ gantuṁ, abhabbo khīṇāsavo bhikkhu dosāgatiṁ gantuṁ, abhabbo khīṇāsavo bhikkhu mohāgatiṁ gantuṁ, abhabbo khīṇāsavo bhikkhu bhayāgatiṁ gantuṁ’. Pubbe cāhaṁ, sutavā, etarahi ca evaṁ vadāmi: ‘yo so bhikkhu arahaṁ khīṇāsavo vusitavā katakaraṇīyo ohitabhāro anuppattasadattho parikkhīṇabhavasaṁyojano sammadaññāvimutto, abhabbo so imāni nava ṭhānāni ajjhācaritun’”ti.
“Indeed, Sutavā, this was well heard, well learned, well attended to, and well retained by you. Before and now, I declare: ‘A bhikkhu who is an arahant, whose defilements are destroyed, who has fulfilled the spiritual life, who has done what had to be done, having put down the burden, who has achieved the highest goal, who has exhausted the fetter of existence, and who is liberated through complete comprehension, is incapable of transgressing in nine ways — incapable of intentionally take the life of a living being, incapable of taking what is not given, incapable of engaging in sexual intercourse, incapable to knowingly speak falsely, incapable to use stored-up goods as he did before, when he was a householder, incapable to act out of |impulse::based on desire|, incapable to act out of |aversion::based on ill will|, incapable to act out of |delusion::tendency of the mind to not closely examine and verify|, and incapable to act out of fear.’ Before and now, I declare: ‘He who is a bhikkhu who is an arahant, whose defilements are destroyed, who has fulfilled the spiritual life, who has done what had to be done, having put down the burden, who has achieved the highest goal, who has exhausted the fetter of existence, and who is liberated through complete comprehension is incapable of transgressing in these nine ways.’”
At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha on Vulture Peak mountain. Then Sutavā, the wanderer, approached the Blessed One; having approached, he exchanged greetings with the Blessed One. After the exchange of courteous and polite conversation, he sat down to one side. After conversing, he sat down to one side and said to the Blessed One:
“Venerable sir, one time, while dwelling here in Rājagaha at the mountain cave, I directly heard and learned from the Blessed One: ‘He who, Sutavā, is a bhikkhu who is an arahant, whose defilements are destroyed, who has fulfilled the spiritual life, who has done what had to be done, having put down the burden, who has achieved the highest goal, |who has exhausted the fetter of existence::who has worn away the bonds of continued conditional existence, i.e. the karmically conditioned mode of being that leads to future rebirth [parikkhīṇabhavasaṃyojana]|, and who is liberated through complete comprehension, he is incapable of transgressing in five ways — incapable of intentionally taking the life of a living being, incapable of taking what is not given, incapable of engaging in sexual intercourse, incapable to knowingly speak falsely, and incapable to use stored up goods as he did before, when he was a householder. Is it true, venerable sir, that this was well heard, well learned, well attended to, and well retained by me?”
“Indeed, Sutavā, this was well heard, well learned, well attended to, and well retained by you. Before and now, I declare: ‘A bhikkhu who is an arahant, whose defilements are destroyed, who has fulfilled the spiritual life, who has done what had to be done, having put down the burden, who has achieved the highest goal, who has exhausted the fetter of existence, and who is liberated through complete comprehension, is incapable of transgressing in nine ways — incapable of intentionally take the life of a living being, incapable of taking what is not given, incapable of engaging in sexual intercourse, incapable to knowingly speak falsely, incapable to use stored-up goods as he did before, when he was a householder, incapable to act out of |impulse::based on desire|, incapable to act out of |aversion::based on ill will|, incapable to act out of |delusion::tendency of the mind to not closely examine and verify|, and incapable to act out of fear.’ Before and now, I declare: ‘He who is a bhikkhu who is an arahant, whose defilements are destroyed, who has fulfilled the spiritual life, who has done what had to be done, having put down the burden, who has achieved the highest goal, who has exhausted the fetter of existence, and who is liberated through complete comprehension is incapable of transgressing in these nine ways.’”
Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati gijjhakūṭe pabbate. Atha kho sutavā paribbājako yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho sutavā paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“Ekamidāhaṁ, bhante, samayaṁ bhagavā idheva rājagahe viharāmi giribbaje. Tatra me, bhante, bhagavato sammukhā sutaṁ sammukhā paṭiggahitaṁ: ‘yo so, sutavā, bhikkhu arahaṁ khīṇāsavo vusitavā katakaraṇīyo ohitabhāro anuppattasadattho parikkhīṇabhavasaṁyojano sammadaññāvimutto, abhabbo so pañca ṭhānāni ajjhācarituṁ— abhabbo khīṇāsavo bhikkhu sañcicca pāṇaṁ jīvitā voropetuṁ, abhabbo khīṇāsavo bhikkhu adinnaṁ theyyasaṅkhātaṁ ādātuṁ, abhabbo khīṇāsavo bhikkhu methunaṁ dhammaṁ paṭisevituṁ, abhabbo khīṇāsavo bhikkhu sampajānamusā bhāsituṁ, abhabbo khīṇāsavo bhikkhu sannidhikārakaṁ kāme paribhuñjituṁ seyyathāpi pubbe agāriyabhūto’ti. Kacci metaṁ, bhante, bhagavato sussutaṁ suggahitaṁ sumanasikataṁ sūpadhāritan”ti?
“Taggha te etaṁ, sutavā, sussutaṁ suggahitaṁ sumanasikataṁ sūpadhāritaṁ. Pubbe cāhaṁ, sutavā, etarahi ca evaṁ vadāmi: ‘yo so bhikkhu arahaṁ khīṇāsavo vusitavā katakaraṇīyo ohitabhāro anuppattasadattho parikkhīṇabhavasaṁyojano sammadaññāvimutto, abhabbo so nava ṭhānāni ajjhācarituṁ— abhabbo khīṇāsavo bhikkhu sañcicca pāṇaṁ jīvitā voropetuṁ, abhabbo khīṇāsavo bhikkhu adinnaṁ theyyasaṅkhātaṁ ādātuṁ, abhabbo khīṇāsavo bhikkhu methunaṁ dhammaṁ paṭisevituṁ, abhabbo khīṇāsavo bhikkhu sampajānamusā bhāsituṁ, abhabbo khīṇāsavo bhikkhu sannidhikārakaṁ kāme paribhuñjituṁ seyyathāpi pubbe agāriyabhūto, abhabbo khīṇāsavo bhikkhu chandāgatiṁ gantuṁ, abhabbo khīṇāsavo bhikkhu dosāgatiṁ gantuṁ, abhabbo khīṇāsavo bhikkhu mohāgatiṁ gantuṁ, abhabbo khīṇāsavo bhikkhu bhayāgatiṁ gantuṁ’. Pubbe cāhaṁ, sutavā, etarahi ca evaṁ vadāmi: ‘yo so bhikkhu arahaṁ khīṇāsavo vusitavā katakaraṇīyo ohitabhāro anuppattasadattho parikkhīṇabhavasaṁyojano sammadaññāvimutto, abhabbo so imāni nava ṭhānāni ajjhācaritun’”ti.