The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha - Bhikkhu Nanamoli [478]
15. “Suppose a man needing oil, seeking oil, wandering in search of oil, were to heap up sesamum flour in a tub, sprinkle it all over with water, and press it. Then, if he made an aspiration and acted thus, he would be able to procure oil; if he made no aspiration and acted thus, he would still be able to procure oil; if he both made an aspiration and made no aspiration and acted thus, he would still be able to procure oil; if he neither made an aspiration nor made no aspiration and acted thus, he would still be able to procure oil. Why is that? Because that [way of acting] is a proper method for procuring oil. So too, whatever recluses and brahmins have right view [143]…they are still able to procure fruit. Why is that? Because that [right path] is a proper method for procuring fruit.
16. “Suppose a man needing milk, seeking milk, wandering in search of milk, were to pull a recently-calved cow by her udder. Then, if he made an aspiration…if he made no aspiration…if he both made an aspiration and made no aspiration…if he neither made an aspiration nor made no aspiration and acted thus, he would still be able to procure milk. Why is that? Because that [way of acting] is a proper method for procuring milk. So too, whatever recluses and brahmins have right view…they are still able to procure fruit. Why is that? Because that [right path] is a proper method for procuring fruit.
17. “Suppose a man needing butter, seeking butter, wandering in search of butter, were to pour curd into a churn and churn it with a churning-stick. Then, if he made an aspiration…if he made no aspiration…if he both made an aspiration and made no aspiration…if he neither made an aspiration nor made no aspiration and acted thus, he would still be able to procure butter. Why is that? Because that [way of acting] is a proper method for procuring butter. So too, whatever recluses and brahmins have right view…they are still able to procure fruit. Why is that? Because that [right path] is a proper method for procuring fruit.
18. “Suppose a man needing fire, seeking fire, wandering in search of fire, were to take an upper fire-stick and rub a dry sapless piece of wood with it. Then, if he made an aspiration…[144] if he made no aspiration…if he both made an aspiration and made no aspiration…if he neither made an aspiration nor made no aspiration and acted thus, he would still be able to procure fire. Why is that? Because that [way of acting] is a proper method for procuring fire. So too, whatever recluses and brahmins have right view…they are still able to procure fruit. Why is that? Because that [right path] is a proper method for procuring fruit.
19. “Bhūmija, if these four similes had occurred to you [with reference] to Prince Jayasena, he would have spontaneously acquired confidence in you, and being confident, would have shown his confidence to you.”
“Venerable sir, how could these four similes have occurred to me [with reference] to Prince Jayasena as they occur to the Blessed One, since they are spontaneous and have never been heard before?”
That is what the Blessed One said. The venerable Bhūmija was satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One’s words.
Anuruddha Sutta
Anuruddha
1. THUS HAVE I HEARD. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at S̄vatth in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park.
2. Then the carpenter Pañcakanga addressed a certain man thus: “Come, good man, go to the venerable Anuruddha, [145] pay homage in my name with your head