ud.6.3 Udana

The Discourse about Reflecting

Thus I heard: At one time the Gracious One was dwelling near Sāvatthī, in Jeta’s Wood, at Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Then at that time the Gracious One was sitting reflecting on his own abandonment of countless bad, unwholesome things, and how through development countless wholesome things had come to fulfilment.

Then the Gracious One, having understood the significance of it, on that occasion uttered this exalted utterance:

“Before it was, then it wasn’t; before it wasn’t, then it was;
It was not, and it will not be, and at present it is not found.”

- Translator: Bhikkhu Ānandajoti

- Editor: Bhikkhu Sujato

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The Buddha’s Reviewing

So I have heard.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.
Now at that time the Buddha was sitting reviewing his own giving up of many bad, unskillful qualities, and the many skillful qualities he had fully developed.
Then, knowing the many bad, unskillful qualities that he had given up and the many skillful qualities he had fully developed, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:
“What was before then was not;
what before was not then was.
It never was, nor will it be,
nor is it found today.”