“Mendicants, suppose that, although the Ganges river slants, slopes, and inclines to the east, “Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, gaṅgā nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā. a large crowd were to come along with a spade and basket, saying: Atha mahājanakāyo āgaccheyya kuddālapiṭakaṁ ādāya: ‘We’ll make this Ganges river slant, slope, and incline to the west!’ ‘mayaṁ imaṁ gaṅgaṁ nadiṁ pacchāninnaṁ karissāma pacchāpoṇaṁ pacchāpabbhāran’ti.

What do you think, mendicants? Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, Would they succeed?” api nu so mahājanakāyo gaṅgaṁ nadiṁ pacchāninnaṁ kareyya pacchāpoṇaṁ pacchāpabbhāran”ti?

“No, sir. “No hetaṁ, bhante”. Why is that? “Taṁ kissa hetu”? The Ganges river slants, slopes, and inclines to the east. “Gaṅgā, bhante, nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā. It’s not easy to make it slant, slope, and incline to the west. Sā na sukarā pacchāninnaṁ kātuṁ pacchāpoṇaṁ pacchāpabbhāraṁ. That large crowd will eventually get weary and frustrated.” Yāvadeva pana so mahājanakāyo kilamathassa vighātassa bhāgī assā”ti.

“In the same way, while a mendicant develops and cultivates the noble eightfold path, if rulers or their chief ministers, friends or colleagues, relatives or kin should invite them to accept wealth, saying: “Evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhuṁ ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāventaṁ ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkarontaṁ rājāno vā rājamahāmattā vā mittā vā amaccā vā ñātī vā ñātisālohitā vā bhogehi abhihaṭṭhuṁ pavāreyyuṁ: ‘Please, worthy man, why let these ocher robes torment you? ‘ehambho purisa, kiṁ te ime kāsāvā anudahanti, Why follow the practice of shaving your head and carrying an alms bowl? kiṁ muṇḍo kapālamanusaṁcarasi. Come, return to a lesser life, enjoy wealth, and make merit!’ Ehi, hīnāyāvattitvā bhoge ca bhuñjassu, puññāni ca karohī’ti. It is quite impossible for a mendicant who develops and cultivates the noble eightfold path to resign the training and return to a lesser life. So vata, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāvento ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkaronto sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattissatīti—netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. Why is that? Taṁ kissa hetu? Because for a long time that mendicant’s mind has slanted, sloped, and inclined to seclusion. So it’s impossible for them to return to a lesser life. Yañhi taṁ, bhikkhave, cittaṁ dīgharattaṁ vivekaninnaṁ vivekapoṇaṁ vivekapabbhāraṁ taṁ vata hīnāyāvattissatīti—netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

And how does a mendicant develop the noble eightfold path? Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāveti ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkaroti? It’s when a mendicant develops right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion, which rely on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripen as letting go. Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sammādiṭṭhiṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ …pe… sammāsamādhiṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ … That’s how a mendicant develops and cultivates the noble eightfold path.” evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāveti, ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkarotī”ti.

(Yadapi balakaraṇīyaṁ, tadapi vitthāretabbaṁ.)

Dvādasamaṁ.

Balakaraṇīyavaggo chaṭṭho.

Tassuddānaṁ

Balaṁ bījañca nāgo ca, rukkho kumbhena sūkiyā; Ākāsena ca dve meghā, nāvā āgantukā nadīti.