Sutta Nipata 5.4: Punnakamanavapuccha

‘To him who is without desire, who has seen the root (of sin),’—so said the venerable Punnaka,—‘I have come supplicatingly with a question: on account of what did the Isis and men, Khattiyas and Brahmanas, offer sacrifices to the gods abundantly in this world? (about this) I ask thee, O Bhagavat, tell me this.’

‘All these Isis and men, Khattiyas and Brahmanas,—O Punnaka,’ so said Bhagavat,—‘who offered sacrifices to the gods abundantly in this world, offered sacrifices, O Punnaka, after reaching old age, wishing for their present condition.’

‘All these Isis and men, Khattiyas and Brahmanas,’—so said the venerable Punnaka,—‘who offered sacrifices to the gods abundantly in this world, did they, O Bhagavat, indefatigable in the way of offering, cross over both birth and old age, O venerable man? I ask thee, O Bhagavat, tell me this.’

‘They wished for, praised, desired, abandoned (sensual pleasures),—O Punnaka,’ so said Bhagavat,—‘they desired sensual pleasures on account of what they reached by them; they, devoted to offering, dyed with the passions of existence, did not cross over birth and old age, so I say.’

‘If they, devoted to offering,’—so said the venerable Punnaka,—‘did not by offering cross over birth and old age, O venerable man, who then in the world of gods and men crossed over birth and old age, O venerable man, I ask thee, O Bhagavat, tell me this?’

‘Having considered everything in the world,—O Punnaka,’ so said Bhagavat,—‘he who is not defeated anywhere in the world, who is calm without the smoke of passions, free from woe, free from desire, he crossed over birth and old age, so I say.’