5.
The Discourse on Sacetana
15. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Bārāṇasī in the Deer Park at Isipatana. There the Blessed One addressed the monks - "Monks." "Venerable sir," those monks assented to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this -
"Once upon a time, monks, there was a king named Sacetana. Then, monks, King Sacetana addressed the chariot-maker - 'From now, my dear chariot-maker, after the elapse of six months there will be a battle for me. Will you be able, my dear chariot-maker, to make a new pair of wheels for me?' 'I am able, Sire,' the chariot-maker assented to King Sacetana. Then, monks, the chariot-maker in six months less six days completed one wheel. Then, monks, King Sacetana addressed the chariot-maker - 'From now, my dear chariot-maker, after the elapse of six days there will be a battle for me; is the new pair of wheels completed?' 'In these six months less six days, Sire, one wheel has been completed.' 'But will you be able, my dear chariot-maker, to complete the second wheel in these six days?' 'I am able, Sire,' the chariot-maker, having completed the second wheel in six days, taking the new pair of wheels, approached King Sacetana; having approached, he said this to King Sacetana - 'This new pair of wheels for you, Sire, is completed.' 'This wheel of yours, my dear chariot-maker, which was completed in six months less six days, and this wheel of yours which was completed in six days - what is the difference between them? I do not see any difference between them.' 'There is a difference between them, Sire. Let the Sire see the difference.'
"Then, monks, the chariot-maker rolled that wheel which was completed in six days. That, being rolled, having gone as far as the momentum of the effort, having spun around, fell to the ground. But that wheel which was completed in six months less six days, he rolled. That, being rolled, having gone as far as the momentum of the effort, stood, methinks, as if fixed on its axle.
"'What now, my dear chariot-maker, is the cause, what is the condition, that this wheel which was completed in six days, being rolled, having gone as far as the momentum of the effort, having spun around, fell to the ground? But what, my dear chariot-maker, is the cause, what is the condition, that this wheel which was completed in six months less six days, being rolled, having gone as far as the momentum of the effort, stood, methinks, as if fixed on its axle?' 'This wheel, Sire, which was completed in six days - its rim is with crookedness, with faults, with corruption; its spokes too are with crookedness, with faults, with corruption; its hub too is with crookedness, with faults, with corruption. That, because of the rim's crookedness, faultiness, and corruption, because of the spokes' crookedness, faultiness, and corruption, because of the hub's crookedness, faultiness, and corruption, being rolled, having gone as far as the momentum of the effort, having spun around, fell to the ground. But that wheel, Sire, which was completed in six months less six days - its rim is without crookedness, without faults, without corruption; its spokes too are without crookedness, without faults, without corruption; its hub too is without crookedness, without faults, without corruption. That, because of the rim's freedom from crookedness, freedom from faults, and freedom from corruption, because of the spokes' freedom from crookedness, freedom from faults, and freedom from corruption, because of the hub's freedom from crookedness, freedom from faults, and freedom from corruption, being rolled, having gone as far as the momentum of the effort, stood, methinks, as if fixed on its axle.'"
"Now, monks, you might think thus - 'Surely another was that chariot-maker at that time!' But this, monks, should not be seen thus. I was that chariot-maker at that time. At that time, monks, I was skilled regarding the crookedness of wood, the faults of wood, the corruption of wood. But now, monks, I am the Worthy One, the One Enlightened by himself, skilled regarding bodily crookedness, bodily faults, bodily corruption, skilled regarding verbal crookedness, verbal faults, verbal corruption, skilled regarding mental crookedness, mental faults, mental corruption. For whoever, monks, whether monk or nun, whose bodily crookedness has not been abandoned, bodily fault, bodily corruption, whose verbal crookedness has not been abandoned, verbal fault, verbal corruption, whose mental crookedness has not been abandoned, mental fault, mental corruption, thus they have fallen from this Teaching and discipline, just as that wheel completed in six days.
For whoever, monks, whether monk or nun, whose bodily crookedness has been abandoned, bodily fault, bodily corruption, whose verbal crookedness has been abandoned, verbal fault, verbal corruption, whose mental crookedness has been abandoned, mental fault, mental corruption, thus they are established in this Teaching and discipline, just as that wheel completed in six months less six days.
"Therefore, monks, you should train thus - 'We will abandon bodily crookedness, bodily fault, bodily corruption, we will abandon verbal crookedness, verbal fault, verbal corruption, we will abandon mental crookedness, mental fault, mental corruption.' Thus indeed, monks, should you train." The fifth.