Truly, Cunda, if you’re sinking down in the mud you can’t pull out someone else who is also sinking down in the mud. But if you’re not sinking down in the mud you can pull out someone else who is sinking down in the mud. Truly, if you’re not tamed, trained, and extinguished you can’t tame, train, and extinguish someone else. But if you’re tamed, trained, and extinguished you can tame, train, and extinguish someone else.

In the same way, a cruel individual extinguishes it by not being cruel. An individual who kills extinguishes it by not killing. …

An individual who is attached to their own views, holding them tight, and refusing to let go, extinguishes it by not being attached to their own views, not holding them tight, but letting them go easily.

So, Cunda, I’ve taught the expositions by way of self-effacement, giving rise to thought, the way around, going up, and extinguishing. Out of compassion, I’ve done what a teacher should do who wants what’s best for their disciples. Here are these roots of trees, and here are these empty huts. Practice absorption, Cunda! Don’t be negligent! Don’t regret it later! This is my instruction.”

That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, Venerable Mahācunda was happy with what the Buddha said.

Forty-four items have been stated,
organized into five sections.
“Effacement” is the name of this discourse,
which is deep as the ocean.