Nadīsutta
“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, gaṅgā nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā. Atha mahājanakāyo āgaccheyya kuddālapiṭakaṁ ādāya: ‘mayaṁ imaṁ gaṅgaṁ nadiṁ pacchāninnaṁ karissāma pacchāpoṇaṁ pacchāpabbhāran’ti. Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, api nu so mahājanakāyo gaṅgaṁ nadiṁ pacchāninnaṁ kareyya pacchāpoṇaṁ pacchāpabbhāran”ti? “No hetaṁ, bhante”. “Taṁ kissa hetu”? “Gaṅgā, bhante, nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā. Sā na sukarā pacchāninnaṁ kātuṁ pacchāpoṇaṁ pacchāpabbhāraṁ. Yāvadeva pana so mahājanakāyo kilamathassa vighātassa bhāgī assā”ti. “Evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhuṁ ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāventaṁ ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkarontaṁ rājāno vā rājamahāmattā vā mittā vā amaccā vā ñātī vā ñātisālohitā vā bhogehi abhihaṭṭhuṁ pavāreyyuṁ: ‘ehambho purisa, kiṁ te ime kāsāvā anudahanti, kiṁ muṇḍo kapālamanusaṁcarasi. Ehi, hīnāyāvattitvā bhoge ca bhuñjassu, puññāni ca karohī’ti. So vata, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāvento ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkaronto sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattissatīti—netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. Taṁ kissa hetu? Yañhi taṁ, bhikkhave, cittaṁ dīgharattaṁ vivekaninnaṁ vivekapoṇaṁ vivekapabbhāraṁ taṁ vata hīnāyāvattissatīti—netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāveti ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkaroti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sammādiṭṭhiṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ …pe… sammāsamādhiṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ … evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāveti, ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkarotī”ti. (Yadapi balakaraṇīyaṁ, tadapi vitthāretabbaṁ.)
A River
“Mendicants, suppose that, although the Ganges River slants, slopes, and inclines to the east, a large crowd were to come along with a spade and basket, saying: ‘We’ll make this Ganges River slant, slope, and incline to the west!’ What do you think, mendicants? Would they succeed?” “No, sir. Why is that? The Ganges River slants, slopes, and inclines to the east. It’s not easy to make it slant, slope, and incline to the west. That large crowd will eventually get weary and frustrated.” “In the same way, while a mendicant develops and cultivates the noble eightfold path, if rulers or their chief ministers, friends or colleagues, relatives or kin should invite them to accept wealth, saying: ‘Please, my man, why let these ocher robes torment you? Why follow the practice of shaving your head and carrying an alms bowl? Come, return to a lesser life, enjoy wealth, and make merit!’ It is quite impossible for a mendicant who develops and cultivates the noble eightfold path to resign the training and return to a lesser life. Why is that? Because for a long time that mendicant’s mind has slanted, sloped, and inclined to seclusion. So it’s impossible for them to return to a lesser life. And how does a mendicant develop the noble eightfold path? It’s when a mendicant develops right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion, which rely on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripen as letting go. That’s how a mendicant develops and cultivates the noble eightfold path.”