“As to those seers and men,” said Venerable Puṇṇaka, “and aristocrats and brahmins here in the world who have performed so many different <j>sacrifices to the gods: being diligent in the technique of sacrifice, have they crossed over rebirth and old age, good fellow? I ask you, Blessed One; please tell me this.”

“Hoping, invoking, praying, and worshiping,” replied the Buddha, “they pray for pleasure derived from profit. Devoted to sacrifice, besotted by rebirth, they’ve not crossed over rebirth and old age, <j>I declare.”

“If those devoted to sacrifice,” said Venerable Puṇṇaka, “have not, by sacrificing, <j>crossed over rebirth and old age, who then in the world of gods and humans has crossed over rebirth and old age, good fellow? I ask you, Blessed One; please tell me this.”

“Having appraised the world high and low,” replied the Buddha, “there is nothing in the world that disturbs them. Peaceful, unclouded, untroubled, <j>with no need for hope—they’ve crossed over rebirth and old age, I declare.”

Anthology of Discourses 5.5 The Questions of Mettagū