[327] "Well then, chieftain (rājañña), I shall give you a simile; for by means of a simile some sensible people here in the world understand the meaning of what is said. Once in the past, chieftain, the people of a certain country emigrated. Then one friend addressed the other friend: 'Come, friend, let us go to that country; perhaps we may obtain some wealth there.' 'So be it, friend,' the second friend consented to the first. They went to that country and came to a certain village street; there they saw much sunn hemp lying abandoned. Seeing it, the one friend addressed the other: 'Friend, here is much sunn hemp lying abandoned. Well then, friend, you bind up a load of hemp, and I too shall bind up a load of hemp; both of us, taking a load of hemp, will go on.' 'So be it, friend,' the second friend consented to the first, and bound up a load of hemp.
Both of them, taking their loads of hemp, came to another village street; there they saw much hemp thread lying abandoned. Seeing it, the one friend addressed the other: 'Friend, that for the sake of which we wanted the hemp—here is much hemp thread lying abandoned. Well then, friend, you discard your load of hemp, and I shall discard my load of hemp; both of us, taking a load of hemp thread, will go on.' 'Friend, this load of hemp has been carried by me from afar, and it is well bound up; it is enough for me—you understand.' Then that [first] friend discarded his load of hemp and took up a load of hemp thread.
They came to another village street; there they saw much hemp cloth lying abandoned. Seeing it, the one friend addressed the other: 'Friend, that for the sake of which we wanted the hemp or the hemp thread—here is much hemp cloth lying abandoned. Well then, friend, you discard your load of hemp, and I shall discard my load of hemp thread; both of us, taking a load of hemp cloth, will go on.' 'Friend, this load of hemp has been carried by me from afar, and it is well bound up; it is enough for me—you understand.' Then that friend discarded his load of hemp thread and took up a load of hemp cloth.
They came to another village street; there they saw much flax lying abandoned. Having seen that, [they saw] much linen thread lying abandoned; having seen that, much linen cloth lying abandoned; having seen that, much cotton lying abandoned; having seen that, much cotton thread lying abandoned; having seen that, much cotton cloth lying abandoned; having seen that, much iron lying abandoned; having seen that, much copper lying abandoned; having seen that, much tin lying abandoned; having seen that, much lead lying abandoned; having seen that, much silver lying abandoned; having seen that, much gold lying abandoned. Seeing it, the one friend addressed the other: 'Friend, that for the sake of which we wanted the hemp, or the hemp thread, or the hemp cloth, or the flax, or the linen thread, or the linen cloth, or the cotton, or the cotton thread, or the cotton cloth, or the iron, or the copper, or the tin, or the lead, or the silver—here is much gold lying abandoned. Well then, friend, you discard your load of hemp, and I shall discard my load of silver; both of us, taking a load of gold, will go on.' 'Friend, this load of hemp has been carried by me from afar, and it is well bound up; it is enough for me—you understand.' Then that friend discarded his load of silver and took up a load of gold.
They came each to his own village. There, as for the friend who came taking the load of hemp: neither his mother and father were pleased, nor were his wife and children pleased, nor were his friends and colleagues pleased; nor did he obtain pleasure and joy on that account. But as for the friend who came taking the load of gold: his mother and father were pleased, his wife and children too were pleased, his friends and colleagues too were pleased; and he obtained pleasure and joy on that account.
In just the same way, chieftain, you appear to me, I think, like the carrier of the load of hemp. Relinquish, chieftain, that evil view (pāpaka diṭṭhigata)! Relinquish, chieftain, that evil view! Let it not be for your harm and suffering for a long time."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.