The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha - Bhikkhu Nanamoli [263]
10. “Suppose, Udāyin, a royal tusker elephant with tusks as long as chariot-poles, full-grown in stature, high-bred and accustomed to battle, were tethered by stout leather thongs, but by simply twisting his body a little he could break and burst the thongs and then go where he likes. Now suppose someone said: ‘The stout leather thongs by which this royal tusker elephant is tethered…are for him a strong, stout, tough, unrotting tether and a thick yoke.’ Would he be speaking rightly?”
“No, venerable sir. The stout leather thongs by which that royal tusker elephant is tethered, which by simply twisting his body a little he could break and burst and then go where he likes, are for him a feeble, weak, rotting, coreless tether.”
“So too, Udāyin, there are certain clansmen here who, when told by me ‘Abandon this’…abandon that and do not show discourtesy towards me or towards those bhikkhus desirous of training. Having abandoned it, they live at ease, unruffled, subsisting on others’ gifts, with mind [as aloof] as a wild deer’s. For them that thing becomes a feeble, weak, rotting, coreless tether.
11. “Suppose, Udāyin, there were a poor, penniless, destitute man, and he had one dilapidated hovel open to the crows, not the best kind, and one dilapidated wicker bedstead, not the best kind, [451] and some grain and pumpkin seeds in a pot, not the best kind, and one hag of a wife, not the best kind. He might see a bhikkhu in a monastery park sitting in the shade of a tree, his hands and feet well washed after he had eaten a delicious meal, devoting himself to the higher mind. He might think: ‘How pleasant the recluse’s state is! How healthy the recluse’s state is! If only I could shave off my hair and beard, put on the yellow robe, and go forth from the home life into homelessness!’ But being unable to abandon his one dilapidated hovel open to the crows, not the best kind, and his one dilapidated wicker bedstead, not the best kind, and his grain and pumpkin seeds in a pot, not the best kind, and his hag of a wife, not the best kind, he is unable to shave off his hair and beard, put on the yellow robe, and go forth from the home life into homelessness. Now suppose someone said: ‘The tethers by which that man is tethered so that he cannot abandon his one dilapidated hovel…and his hag of a wife, not the best kind, and shave off his hair and beard, put on the yellow robe, and go forth from the home life into homelessness—for him those are a feeble, weak, rotting, coreless tether.’ Would he be speaking rightly?”
“No, venerable sir. The tethers by which that man is tethered so that he cannot abandon his one dilapidated hovel…and his hag of a wife, not the best kind, and shave off his hair and beard, put on the yellow robe, and go forth from the home life into homelessness—for him those are a strong, stout, tough, unrotting tether and a thick yoke.”
“So too, Udāyin, there are certain misguided men here who, when told by me ‘Abandon this’…do not abandon that and they show discourtesy towards me as well as towards those bhikkhus desirous of training. For them that thing becomes a strong, stout, tough, unrotting tether and a thick yoke.
12. “Suppose, Udāyin, there were a rich householder or a householder’s son, [452] with great wealth and property, with a vast number of gold ingots, a vast number of granaries, a vast number of fields, a vast amount of land, a vast number of wives, and a vast number of men and women slaves. He might see a bhikkhu in a monastery park sitting in the shade of a tree, his hands and feet well washed after he had eaten a delicious meal, devoting himself to the higher mind. He might think: ‘How pleasant the recluse’s state is! How healthy the recluse’s state is! If only