I have heard that:
On one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Savatthi in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's monastery. Then Ven. Ananda went to the Blessed One and on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One:
-"What is the purpose of skillful virtues? What is their reward?"

Tôi nghe như vầy:
Một thời Thế Tôn ở Savatthi,vườn ông Cấp Cô độc. Rồi Tôn giả Ànanda đi đến Thế Tôn, sau khi đến đảnh lễ Thế Tôn rồi ngồi xuống một bên. Ngồi xuống một bên, Tôn giả Ànanda bạch Thế Tôn :
-"Bạch Thế Tôn, các thiện giới có ý nghĩa gì, có lợi ích gì ?"

Skillful virtues have freedom from remorse as their purpose, Ananda, and freedom from remorse as their reward.

Có ý nghĩa không hối tiếc, có lợi ích không hối tiếc.

And what is the purpose of freedom from remorse? What is its reward?

Nhưng bạch Thế Tôn, không hối tiếc có ý nghĩa gì ? Có lợi ích gì ?

Freedom from remorse has joy as its purpose, joy as its reward.

Này Ànanda, không hối tiếc có ý nghĩa hân hoan, có lợi ích hân hoan.

And what is the purpose of joy? What is its reward?

Bạch Thế Tôn, nhưng hân hoan có ý nghĩa gì, có lợi ích gì ?

Joy has rapture as its purpose, rapture as its reward.

Này Ànanda, hân hoan có ý nghĩa hoan hỷ, có lợi ích hoan hỷ.

And what is the purpose of rapture? What is its reward?

Nhưng bạch Thế Tôn, hoan hỷ có ý nghĩa gì, có lợi ích gì ?

Rapture has serenity as its purpose, serenity as its reward.

Nhưng Ànanda, hoan hỷ có ý nghĩa khinh an, có lợi ích khinh an.

And what is the purpose of serenity? What is its reward?

Nhưng bạch Thế Tôn, khinh an có ý nghĩa gì, có lợi ích gì ?

Serenity has pleasure as its purpose, pleasure as its reward.

Này Ànanda, khinh an có ý nghĩa an lạc, có lợi ích an lạc.

And what is the purpose of pleasure? What is its reward?

Nhưng bạch Thế Tôn, an lạc có ý nghĩa gì, có lợi ích gì ?

Pleasure has concentration as its purpose, concentration as its reward.

Này Ànanda, an lạc có ý nghĩa định, có lợi ích định.

And what is the purpose of concentration? What is its reward?

Nhưng bạch Thế Tôn, định có ý nghĩa gì ? Có lợi ích gì ?

Concentration has knowledge & vision of things as they actually are as its purpose, knowledge & vision of things as they actually are as its reward

Này Ànanda, định có ý nghĩa như thật tri kiến, có lợi ích như thật tri kiến.

And what is the purpose of knowledge & vision of things as they actually are? What is its reward?

Nhưng bạch Thế Tôn, như thật tri kiến có ý nghĩa gì, có lợi ích gì ?

Knowledge & vision of things as they actually are has disenchantment as its purpose, disenchantment as its reward.

Này Ànanda, như thật tri kiến có ý nghĩa nhàm chán, có lợi ích nhàm chán.

And what is the purpose of disenchantment? What is its reward?

Nhưng bạch Thế Tôn, nhàm chán có ý nghĩa gì, có lợi ý gì ?

Disenchantment has dispassion as its purpose, dispassion as its reward.

Này Ànanda, nhàm chán có ý nghĩa ly tham, có lợi ích ly tham.

And what is the purpose of dispassion? What is its reward?

Nhưng bạch Thế Tôn, ly tham có ý nghĩa gì, có lợi ích gì ?

Dispassion has knowledge & vision of release as its purpose, knowledge & vision of release as its reward.

Này Ànanda ly tham có ý nghĩa giải thoát tri kiến, có lợi ích giải thoát tri kiến.

Thus in this way, Ananda, skillful virtues have freedom from remorse as their purpose, freedom from remorse as their reward.
Freedom from remorse has joy as its purpose, joy as its reward.
Joy has rapture as its purpose, rapture as its reward.
Rapture has serenity as its purpose, serenity as its reward.
Serenity has pleasure as its purpose, pleasure as its reward.
Pleasure has concentration as its purpose, concentration as its reward.
Concentration has knowledge & vision of things as they actually are as its purpose, knowledge & vision of things as they actually are as its reward.
Knowledge & vision of things as they actually are has disenchantment as its purpose, disenchantment as its reward.
Disenchantment has dispassion as its purpose, dispassion as its reward.
Dispassion has knowledge & vision of release as its purpose, knowledge & vision of release as its reward.

Như vậy, này Ànanda, các thiện giới có ý nghĩa không hối tiếc, có lợi ích không hối tiếc.

Không hối tiếc có ý nghĩa hân hoan, có lợi ích hân hoan.
Hân hoan có ý nghĩa hoan hỷ, có lợi ích hoan hỷ.
Hoan hỷ có ý nghĩa khinh an, có lợi ích khinh an.

Khinh an có ý nghĩa an lạc, có lợi ích an lạc.

An lạc có ý nghĩa định, có lợi ích định.

Định có ý nghĩa gì như thật tri kiến, có lợi ích như thật tri kiến.

Như thật tri kiến có ý nghĩa nhàm chán, có lợi ích nhàm chán.

Nhàm chán có ý nghĩa ly tham, có lợi ích ly tham.

Ly tham có ý nghĩa giải thoát tri kiến, có lợi ích giải thoát tri kiến.

In this way, Ananda, skillful virtues lead step-by-step to the consummation of arahantship.

Như vậy, này Ànanda, các thiện giới thứ lớp dẫn đến tối thượng.