By breaking ignorance with knowledge, by the ending of defilements, they’re sorrowless, unstressed: why bother a renunciate?

Energetic, resolute, always staunchly vigorous, aspiring to extinguishment: why bother a renunciate?”

Linked Discourses 9.3 1. In the Woods With Kassapagotta

At one time Venerable Kassapagotta was staying in the land of the Kosalans in a certain forest grove. Now at that time Venerable Kassapagotta, having withdrawn for his day’s meditation, tried to advise a nimrod. Then the deity haunting that forest approached Kassapagotta wanting to stir him up, and recited these verses:

“A nimrod wandering the rugged hills is unintelligent, unthinking. It’s a waste of time to advise him, mendicant; he strikes me as a dullard.

He listens without understanding, looks without seeing. Though the teaching is spoken, the fool doesn’t get it.

Even if you lit ten lamps and brought them to him, Kassapa, he wouldn’t see anything, for he has no eyes to see.”

Impelled by that deity, Venerable Kassapagotta was struck with a sense of urgency.

Linked Discourses 9.4 1. In the Woods Several Mendicants Set Out Wandering