“Bhante nāgasena, ayaṃ bhūmibhāgo aṭṭha manta­dosavi­vajjito, ahañca loke paramo mantisahāyo, guyha­ma­nurak­khī cāhaṃ yāvāhaṃ jīvissāmi tāva guyha­ma­nurak­khis­sāmi, aṭṭhahi ca me kāraṇehi buddhi pariṇāmaṃ gatā, dullabho etarahi mādiso antevāsī, sammā paṭipanne antevāsike ye ācariyānaṃ pañcavīsati ācariyaguṇā, tehi guṇehi ācariyena sammā paṭi­pajji­tabbaṃ. Katame pañcavīsati guṇā?

Idha, bhante nāgasena, ācariyena antevāsimhi satataṃ samitaṃ ārakkhā upaṭṭhapetabbā, asevanasevanā jānitabbā, ­pamat­tāp­pamattā jānitabbā, seyyāvakāso jānitabbo, gelaññaṃ jānitabbaṃ, bhojanassa laddhāladdhaṃ jānitabbaṃ, viseso jānitabbo, pattagataṃ saṃ­vibha­ji­tab­baṃ, assāsitabbo ‘mā bhāyi, attho te abhikkamatī’ti, ‘iminā puggalena paṭicaratī’ti paṭicāro jānitabbo, gāme paṭicāro jānitabbo, vihāre paṭicāro jānitabbo, na tena hāso davo kātabbo, tena saha ālāpo kātabbo, chiddaṃ disvā adhivāsetabbaṃ, sakkaccakārinā bhavitabbaṃ, akhaṇḍakārinā bhavitabbaṃ, arahassakārinā bhavitabbaṃ, nirava­sesa­kārinā bhavitabbaṃ, ‘janemimaṃ sippesū’ti janakacittaṃ upaṭ­ṭhapetab­baṃ, ‘kathaṃ ayaṃ na parihāyeyyā’ti vaḍḍhicittaṃ upaṭ­ṭhapetab­baṃ, ‘balavaṃ imaṃ karomi sikkhābalenā’ti cittaṃ upaṭ­ṭhapetab­baṃ, mettacittaṃ upaṭ­ṭhapetab­baṃ, āpadāsu na vijahitabbaṃ, karaṇīye nappa­majji­tab­baṃ, khalite dhammena paggahetabboti. Ime kho, bhante, pañcavīsati ācariyassa ācariyaguṇā, tehi guṇehi mayi sammā paṭipajjassu, saṃsayo me, bhante, uppanno, atthi meṇḍakapañhā jinabhāsitā, anāgate addhāne tattha viggaho uppajjissati, anāgate ca addhāne dullabhā bhavissanti tumhādisā buddhimanto, tesu me pañhesu cakkhuṃ dehi paravādānaṃ niggahāyā”ti.