“Mendicants, suppose someone were to say: “Yo hi, bhikkhave, evaṁ vadeyya: ‘Without truly comprehending the noble truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path, I will completely make an end of suffering.’ ‘ahaṁ dukkhaṁ ariyasaccaṁ yathābhūtaṁ anabhisamecca …pe… dukkhanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ ariyasaccaṁ yathābhūtaṁ anabhisamecca sammā dukkhassantaṁ karissāmī’ti—That is not possible. netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

It’s as if someone were to say: Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, yo evaṁ vadeyya: ‘Before the lower story of a bungalow is built, I will hoist up the upper story.’ ‘ahaṁ kūṭāgārassa heṭṭhimaṁ gharaṁ akaritvā uparimaṁ gharaṁ āropessāmī’ti—That is not possible. netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati; In the same way, suppose someone were to say: evameva kho, bhikkhave, yo evaṁ vadeyya: ‘Without truly comprehending the noble truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path, I will completely make an end of suffering.’ ‘ahaṁ dukkhaṁ ariyasaccaṁ yathābhūtaṁ anabhisamecca …pe… dukkhanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ ariyasaccaṁ yathābhūtaṁ anabhisamecca sammā dukkhassantaṁ karissāmī’ti—That is not possible. netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

But suppose someone were to say: Yo ca kho, bhikkhave, evaṁ vadeyya: ‘After truly comprehending the noble truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path, I will completely make an end of suffering.’ ‘ahaṁ dukkhaṁ ariyasaccaṁ yathābhūtaṁ abhisamecca …pe… dukkhanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ ariyasaccaṁ yathābhūtaṁ abhisamecca sammā dukkhassantaṁ karissāmī’ti—That is possible. ṭhānametaṁ vijjati.

It’s as if someone were to say: Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, yo evaṁ vadeyya: ‘After the lower story of a bungalow is built, I will hoist up the upper story.’ ‘ahaṁ kūṭāgārassa heṭṭhimaṁ gharaṁ karitvā uparimaṁ gharaṁ āropessāmī’ti—That is possible. ṭhānametaṁ vijjati; In the same way, suppose someone were to say: evameva kho, bhikkhave, yo evaṁ vadeyya: ‘After truly comprehending the noble truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path, I will completely make an end of suffering.’ ‘ahaṁ dukkhaṁ ariyasaccaṁ yathābhūtaṁ abhisamecca …pe… dukkhanirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ ariyasaccaṁ yathābhūtaṁ abhisamecca sammā dukkhassantaṁ karissāmī’ti—That is possible. ṭhānametaṁ vijjati.

That’s why you should practice meditation …” Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yogo karaṇīyo …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yogo karaṇīyo”ti.

Catutthaṁ.