14. “ BEING RELIGIOUS AND FOLLOWING DHARMA HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH DOGMA THAT THE WORLD IS ETERNAL. FOR WHETHER THE WORLD IS ETERNAL OR OTHERWISE, BIRHT, OLD AGE, DEATH, SORROW, PAIN, MISERY, GRIEF AND DESPAIR EXIST. I AM CONCERNED WITH THE EXTINCTION OF THESE.”
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17. “ THERE ARE 2 EXTREMES, MONKS, WHICH ARE TO BE AVOIDED. WHAT ARE THESE 2 EXTREMES? A LIFE GIVEN TO PLEASURES, DEDICATED TO PLEASURES AND LUSTS – THIS IS DEGRADING, SENSUAL, VULGAR, UNWORTHY AND USELESS. AND A LIFE GIVEN TO SELF-TORTURE – THIS IS PAINFUL, UNWORTHY, AND USELESS. BY AVOIDING THESE 2 EXTREMES, MONKS, I HAVE GAINED THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE MIDDLE PATH, WHICH LEADS TO INSIGHT, WHICH LEADS TO WISDOM, WHICH PRODUCES CALM, KNOWLEDGE, ENLIGHTENMENT AND NIRVANA.”