The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha - Bhikkhu Nanamoli [293]
“But, Māgandiya, when you heard earlier wanderers who were teachers and teachers of teachers saying this, what is that health, what is that Nibbāna?”
When this was said, the wanderer Māgandiya rubbed his own limbs with his hands and said: “This is that health, Master Gotama, this is that Nibbāna; for I am now healthy and happy and nothing afflicts me.”744
20. “Māgandiya, suppose there was a man born blind who could not see dark and light forms, who could not see blue, yellow, red, or pink forms, who could not see what was even and uneven, who could not see the stars or the sun and moon. He might hear a man with good eyesight saying: ‘Good indeed, sirs, is a white cloth, beautiful, spotless, and clean!’ and he would go in search of a white cloth. Then a man would cheat him with a dirty soiled garment thus: ‘Good man, here is a white cloth for you, beautiful, spotless, and clean.’ And he would accept it and put it on, and being satisfied with it, he would utter words of satisfaction thus: ‘Good indeed, sirs, is a white cloth, beautiful, spotless, and clean!’ What do you think, Māgandiya? When that man born blind accepted that dirty soiled garment, put it on, and being satisfied with it, uttered words of satisfaction thus: ‘Good indeed, sirs, is a white cloth, beautiful, spotless, and clean!’—did he do so knowing and seeing, or out of faith in the man with good eyesight?”
“Venerable sir, he would have done so unknowing and unseeing, [510] out of faith in the man with good eyesight.”
21. “So too, Māgandiya, the wanderers of other sects are blind and visionless. They do not know health, they do not see Nibbāna, yet they utter this stanza thus:
‘The greatest of all gains is health,
Nibbāna is the greatest bliss.’
This stanza was uttered by the earlier Accomplished Ones, Fully Enlightened Ones, thus:
‘The greatest of all gains is health,
Nibbāna is the greatest bliss,
The eightfold path is the best of paths
For it leads to safety, to the Deathless.’
Now it has gradually become current among ordinary people.745 And although this body, Māgandiya, is a disease, a tumour, a dart, a calamity, and an affliction, referring to this body you say: ‘This is that health, Master Gotama, this is that Nibbāna.’ You do not have that noble vision, Māgandiya, by means of which you might know health and see Nibbāna.”
22. “I have confidence in Master Gotama thus: ‘Master Gotama is capable of teaching me the Dhamma in such a way that I can come to know health and to see Nibbāna.’”
“Māgandiya, suppose there was a man born blind who could not see dark and light forms…or the sun and moon. Then his friends and companions, his kinsmen and relatives, would bring a physician to treat him. The physician would make a medicine for him, yet by means of that medicine the man’s vision would not arise or be purified. What do you think, Māgandiya, would that doctor reap weariness and disappointment?”—“Yes, Master Gotama.”—“So too, Māgandiya, if I were to teach you the Dhamma thus: ‘This is that health, this is that Nibbāna,’ you might not know health or see Nibbāna, and that would be wearisome and troublesome for me.” [511]
23. “I have confidence in Master Gotama thus: ‘Master Gotama is capable of teaching me the Dhamma in such a way that I can come to know health and to see Nibbāna.’”
“Māgandiya, suppose there was a man born blind who could not see dark and light forms…or the sun and moon. He might hear a man with good eyesight saying: ‘Good indeed, sirs, is a white cloth, beautiful, spotless, and clean!’ and he would go in search of a white cloth. Then a man would cheat him with a dirty soiled garment thus: ‘Good man, here is a white cloth for you, beautiful, spotless, and clean.’ And he would accept it and put it on. Then his friends and companions, his kinsmen and relatives, would bring a physician to treat him. The physician would make medicine—emetics and purgatives, ointments and counter-ointments and nasal treatment—and by means of that medicine the man’s vision would arise and be purified.