[179] "Udāyi, suppose there were a poor man, having nothing of his own, not well-to-do. He might have a single little hut, dilapidated and falling apart, open to the crows, not of the finest sort; a single couch, dilapidated and falling apart, not of the finest sort; a single pot's store of seed grain, not of the finest sort; and a single wife, not of the finest sort. He might see a bhikkhu in a monastery park, his hands and feet well washed, having eaten a delightful meal, sitting in the cool shade, devoted to the higher mind (adhicitta). It might occur to him thus: 'Pleasant indeed, sirs, is the life of an ascetic! Healthy indeed, sirs, is the life of an ascetic! Oh, that I might shave off my hair and beard, clothe myself in the ochre robes, and go forth from the household life into homelessness!' But he would not be able to give up that single little hut, dilapidated and falling apart, open to the crows, not of the finest sort; to give up that single couch, dilapidated and falling apart, not of the finest sort; to give up that single pot's store of seed grain, not of the finest sort; and to give up that single wife, not of the finest sort, in order to shave off his hair and beard, clothe himself in the ochre robes, and go forth from the household life into homelessness. Udāyi, if anyone should say: 'The bonds by which that man is bound, such that he is not able to give up that single little hut, dilapidated and falling apart, open to the crows, not of the finest sort; to give up that single couch, dilapidated and falling apart, not of the finest sort; to give up that single pot's store of seed grain, not of the finest sort; and to give up that single wife, not of the finest sort, in order to shave off his hair and beard, clothe himself in the ochre robes, and go forth from the household life into homelessness — that bond for him is a feeble bond, a weak bond, a rotten bond, a bond without substance' — would he, Udāyi, speaking thus, be speaking rightly?"
"No indeed, venerable sir. The bonds, venerable sir, by which that man is bound, such that he is not able to give up that single little hut, dilapidated and falling apart, open to the crows, not of the finest sort; to give up that single couch, dilapidated and falling apart, not of the finest sort; to give up that single pot's store of seed grain, not of the finest sort; and to give up that single wife, not of the finest sort, in order to shave off his hair and beard, clothe himself in the ochre robes, and go forth from the household life into homelessness — that for him is a strong bond, a firm bond, a stout bond, a bond that has not rotted, a thick log."
"Even so, Udāyi, certain foolish men here, when told by me, 'Give this up,' say thus: 'What, for the sake of such a trifling, insignificant matter as this? This ascetic is far too exacting!' They do not give that thing up, and they harbor resentment toward me; and for those bhikkhus who desire the training, Udāyi, that becomes a strong bond, a firm bond, a stout bond, a bond that has not rotted, a thick log."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.