The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha - Bhikkhu Nanamoli [472]
4. “Let Master Aggivessana teach me the Dhamma as he has heard it and mastered it. Perhaps I can understand the meaning of his words.”
“I shall teach you the Dhamma, prince, as I have heard it and mastered it. If you can understand the meaning of my words, that will be good. But if you cannot understand the meaning, then leave it at that and do not question me about it further.”
“Let Master Aggivessana teach me the Dhamma as he has heard it and mastered it. If I can understand the meaning of his words, that will be good. If I cannot understand the meaning, then I will leave it at that and I will not question him about it further.”
5. Then the novice Aciravata taught Prince Jayasena the Dhamma as he had heard it and mastered it. After he had spoken, Prince Jayasena remarked: “It is impossible, Master Aggivessana, it cannot happen that a bhikkhu who abides diligent, ardent, and resolute can achieve unification of mind.” Then, having declared to the novice Aciravata that this was impossible and could not happen, Prince Jayasena rose from his seat and departed.
6. Soon after Prince Jayasena had left, the novice Aciravata went to the Blessed One. After paying homage to the Blessed One, he sat down at one side and reported to the Blessed One his entire conversation with Prince Jayasena. When he had finished, the Blessed One said to him:
7. “Aggivessana, how is it possible that Prince Jayasena, living in the midst of sensual pleasures, enjoying sensual pleasures, being devoured by thoughts of sensual pleasures, being consumed by the fever of sensual pleasures, bent on the search for sensual pleasures, [130] could know, see, or realise that which must be known through renunciation, seen through renunciation, attained through renunciation, realised through renunciation? That is impossible.
8. “Suppose,1175 Aggivessana, there were two tamable elephants, horses, or oxen that were well tamed and well disciplined, and two tamable elephants, horses, or oxen that were untamed and undisciplined. What do you think, Aggivessana? Would the two tamable elephants, horses, or oxen that were well tamed and well disciplined, being tamed, acquire the behaviour of the tamed, would they arrive at the grade of the tamed?”—“Yes, venerable sir.”—“But would the two tamable elephants, horses, or oxen that were untamed and undisciplined, being untamed, acquire the behaviour of the tamed, would they arrive at the grade of the tamed, like the two tamable elephants, horses, or oxen that were well tamed and well disciplined?”—“No, venerable sir.”—“So too, Aggivessana, it is impossible that Prince Jayasena, living in the midst of sensual pleasures,…could know, see, or realise that which must be known through renunciation, seen through renunciation, attained through renunciation, realised through renunciation.
9. “Suppose, Aggivessana, there were a high mountain not far from a village or town, and two friends would leave the village or town and approach the mountain hand in hand. Having reached it, one friend would remain below at the foot of the mountain while the other would climb to the top. Then the friend who remained below at the foot of the mountain would say to the friend who stood on the top: ‘Well, friend, what do you see, standing on top of the mountain?’ And the other replied: ‘Standing on top of the mountain, friend, I see lovely parks, lovely groves, lovely meadows, and lovely ponds.’ Then the first friend would say: ‘It is impossible, [131] friend, it cannot happen that while standing on top of the mountain you should see lovely parks, lovely groves, lovely meadows, and lovely ponds.’
“Then the other friend would come down to the foot of the mountain, take his friend by the arm, and make him climb to the top of the mountain. After giving him a few moments to catch his breath, he would ask: ‘Well, friend, standing on top of the mountain, what do you see?’ And his friend