A Certain BrahminAññatarabrāhmaṇasutta

At Sāvatthī.Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.

Then a certain brahmin went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him.Atha kho aññataro brāhmaṇo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to the Buddha:Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“Worthy Gotama, are he who does the deed and he who experiences the result one and the same?”“Kiṁ nu kho, bho gotama, so karoti so paṭisaṁvedayatī”ti?

“‘He who does the deed and he who experiences the result are one and the same’: this is one extreme, brahmin.”“‘So karoti so paṭisaṁvedayatī’ti kho, brāhmaṇa, ayameko anto”.

“Then is he who does the deed one and he who experiences the result another?”“Kiṁ pana, bho gotama, añño karoti, añño paṭisaṁvedayatī”ti?

“‘He who does the deed is one and he who experiences the result is another’: this is the second extreme.“‘Añño karoti, añño paṭisaṁvedayatī’ti kho, brāhmaṇa, ayaṁ dutiyo anto.

Avoiding these two extremes, the Realized One teaches by the middle way:Ete te, brāhmaṇa, ubho ante anupagamma majjhena tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti: ‘Ignorance is a requirement for choices.‘avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā;

Choices are a requirement for consciousness. …saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṁ …pe… That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti. When ignorance fades away and ceases no residue left behind, choices cease.Avijjāya tveva asesavirāganirodhā saṅkhāranirodho; When choices cease …saṅkhāranirodhā …pe… That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.’”evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hotī’”ti.

When he said this, the brahmin said to the Buddha,Evaṁ vutte, so brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “Excellent, worthy Gotama! Excellent! …“abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama, abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama …pe… From this day forth, may the worthy Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.