The Buddha advises Venerable Upāli on how to discern what is the Teacher’s Instruction by seeing if it leads to these seven things.
Atha kho āyasmā upāli yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā upāli bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Then the venerable Upāli approached the Blessed One; having approached, he paid homage to the Blessed One and sat to one side. Seated to one side, the venerable Upāli said to the Blessed One:
“Sādhu me, bhante, bhagavā saṅkhittena dhammaṁ desetu, yamahaṁ bhagavato dhammaṁ sutvā eko vūpakaṭṭho appamatto ātāpī pahitatto vihareyyan”ti.
“It would be good for me, venerable sir, if the Blessed One would teach the |Dhamma::teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [dhamma]| briefly, such that having heard the Blessed One’s Dhamma, I might dwell alone, withdrawn, |diligent::doing one’s work or duty well, with alertness, carefulness and care [appamatta]|, |resolute::determined, intent [pahitatta]|, and |with continuous effort::ardent, zealous, with energy, with application; lit. burning [ātāpī]|.”
“Ye kho tvaṁ, upāli, dhamme jāneyyāsi: ‘ime dhammā na ekantanibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṁvattantī’ti; ekaṁsena, upāli, dhāreyyāsi: ‘neso dhammo neso vinayo netaṁ satthusāsanan’ti.
“Upāli, those things of which you may know: ‘These things do not lead to |complete disenchantment::absolute dispassion, total disinterest [ekantanibbidā]|, to |fading of desire::dispassion, detachment [virāga]|, to |cessation::ending, termination [nirodha]|, to |tranquility::calmness, serenity, stillness, peace [upasama]|, to |direct knowledge::experiential understanding [abhiññāya]|, to |full awakening::perfect understanding, enlightenment [sambodha]|, to |Nibbāna::complete cooling, letting go of everything, deathless, freedom from calamity, the non-disintegrating; lit. blowing away [nibbāna]|’; you should |definitively::absolutely, certainly; lit. one point-ness [ekaṁsena]| bear in mind: ‘This is not the Dhamma, this is not the |Vinaya::code of monastic discipline rules, training [vinaya]|, this is not the Teacher’s instruction.’
Ye ca kho tvaṁ, upāli, dhamme jāneyyāsi: ‘ime dhammā ekantanibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṁvattantī’ti; ekaṁsena, upāli, dhāreyyāsi: ‘eso dhammo eso vinayo etaṁ satthusāsanan’”ti.
But, Upāli, those things of which you may know: ‘These things lead to complete disenchantment, to fading of desire, to cessation, to tranquility, to direct knowledge, to full awakening, to Nibbāna’; you should definitively bear in mind: ‘This is the Dhamma, this is the Vinaya, this is the |Teacher’s instruction::lit. message of the teacher [satthusāsana]|.’”
Then the venerable Upāli approached the Blessed One; having approached, he paid homage to the Blessed One and sat to one side. Seated to one side, the venerable Upāli said to the Blessed One:
“It would be good for me, venerable sir, if the Blessed One would teach the |Dhamma::teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [dhamma]| briefly, such that having heard the Blessed One’s Dhamma, I might dwell alone, withdrawn, |diligent::doing one’s work or duty well, with alertness, carefulness and care [appamatta]|, |resolute::determined, intent [pahitatta]|, and |with continuous effort::ardent, zealous, with energy, with application; lit. burning [ātāpī]|.”
“Upāli, those things of which you may know: ‘These things do not lead to |complete disenchantment::absolute dispassion, total disinterest [ekantanibbidā]|, to |fading of desire::dispassion, detachment [virāga]|, to |cessation::ending, termination [nirodha]|, to |tranquility::calmness, serenity, stillness, peace [upasama]|, to |direct knowledge::experiential understanding [abhiññāya]|, to |full awakening::perfect understanding, enlightenment [sambodha]|, to |Nibbāna::complete cooling, letting go of everything, deathless, freedom from calamity, the non-disintegrating; lit. blowing away [nibbāna]|’; you should |definitively::absolutely, certainly; lit. one point-ness [ekaṁsena]| bear in mind: ‘This is not the Dhamma, this is not the |Vinaya::code of monastic discipline rules, training [vinaya]|, this is not the Teacher’s instruction.’
But, Upāli, those things of which you may know: ‘These things lead to complete disenchantment, to fading of desire, to cessation, to tranquility, to direct knowledge, to full awakening, to Nibbāna’; you should definitively bear in mind: ‘This is the Dhamma, this is the Vinaya, this is the |Teacher’s instruction::lit. message of the teacher [satthusāsana]|.’”
Atha kho āyasmā upāli yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā upāli bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“Sādhu me, bhante, bhagavā saṅkhittena dhammaṁ desetu, yamahaṁ bhagavato dhammaṁ sutvā eko vūpakaṭṭho appamatto ātāpī pahitatto vihareyyan”ti.
“Ye kho tvaṁ, upāli, dhamme jāneyyāsi: ‘ime dhammā na ekantanibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṁvattantī’ti; ekaṁsena, upāli, dhāreyyāsi: ‘neso dhammo neso vinayo netaṁ satthusāsanan’ti.
Ye ca kho tvaṁ, upāli, dhamme jāneyyāsi: ‘ime dhammā ekantanibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṁvattantī’ti; ekaṁsena, upāli, dhāreyyāsi: ‘eso dhammo eso vinayo etaṁ satthusāsanan’”ti.