[245] "But, venerable sir, in what way is a bhikkhu fit to be called 'skilled in the possible and the impossible (ṭhānāṭhāna)'?"
"Here, Ānanda, a bhikkhu understands: 'It is impossible, there is no occasion, that a person accomplished in view (diṭṭhisampanna) could regard any formation (saṅkhāra) as permanent — there is no such possibility.' And he understands: 'It is indeed possible that an ordinary person (puthujjana) might regard some formation as permanent — such a possibility exists.'
He understands: 'It is impossible, there is no occasion, that a person accomplished in view could regard any formation as pleasant — there is no such possibility.' And he understands: 'It is indeed possible that an ordinary person might regard some formation as pleasant — such a possibility exists.'
He understands: 'It is impossible, there is no occasion, that a person accomplished in view could regard anything (dhamma) as self — there is no such possibility.' And he understands: 'It is indeed possible that an ordinary person might regard something as self — such a possibility exists.'
He understands: 'It is impossible, there is no occasion, that a person accomplished in view could deprive his mother of life — there is no such possibility.' And he understands: 'It is indeed possible that an ordinary person might deprive his mother of life — such a possibility exists.'
He understands: 'It is impossible, there is no occasion, that a person accomplished in view could deprive his father of life — there is no such possibility.' And he understands: 'It is indeed possible that an ordinary person might deprive his father of life … might deprive an arahant of life — such a possibility exists.'
He understands: 'It is impossible, there is no occasion, that a person accomplished in view could, with a mind of hatred, shed the blood of a Tathāgata — there is no such possibility.' And he understands: 'It is indeed possible that an ordinary person might, with a mind of hatred, shed the blood of a Tathāgata — such a possibility exists.'
He understands: 'It is impossible, there is no occasion, that a person accomplished in view could cause a schism in the Saṅgha — there is no such possibility.' And he understands: 'It is indeed possible that an ordinary person might cause a schism in the Saṅgha — such a possibility exists.'
He understands: 'It is impossible, there is no occasion, that a person accomplished in view could acknowledge another teacher — there is no such possibility.' And he understands: 'It is indeed possible that an ordinary person might acknowledge another teacher — such a possibility exists.'
He understands: 'It is impossible, there is no occasion, that two arahants who are fully awakened Buddhas (sammāsambuddha) could arise in one world-system (lokadhātu), neither before nor after one another — there is no such possibility.' And he understands: 'It is indeed possible that one arahant, a fully awakened Buddha, might arise in one world-system — such a possibility exists.'
He understands: 'It is impossible, there is no occasion, that two wheel-turning monarchs (cakkavatti) could arise in one world-system, neither before nor after one another — there is no such possibility.' And he understands: 'It is indeed possible that one wheel-turning monarch might arise in one world-system — such a possibility exists.'
He understands: 'It is impossible, there is no occasion, that a woman could be an arahant, a fully awakened Buddha — there is no such possibility.' And he understands: 'It is indeed possible that a man might be an arahant, a fully awakened Buddha — such a possibility exists.'
He understands: 'It is impossible, there is no occasion, that a woman could be a wheel-turning monarch — there is no such possibility.' And he understands: 'It is indeed possible that a man might be a wheel-turning monarch — such a possibility exists.'
He understands: 'It is impossible, there is no occasion, that a woman could exercise the office of Sakka … exercise the office of Māra … exercise the office of Brahmā — there is no such possibility.' And he understands: 'It is indeed possible that a man might exercise the office of Sakka … exercise the office of Māra … exercise the office of Brahmā — such a possibility exists.'
He understands: 'It is impossible, there is no occasion, that a desirable, pleasing, agreeable result (vipāka) could be produced from bodily misconduct — there is no such possibility.' And he understands: 'It is indeed possible that an undesirable, displeasing, disagreeable result might be produced from bodily misconduct — such a possibility exists.'
He understands: 'It is impossible, there is no occasion, that from verbal misconduct … that from mental misconduct a desirable, pleasing, agreeable result could be produced — there is no such possibility.' And he understands: 'It is indeed possible that from verbal misconduct … that from mental misconduct an undesirable, displeasing, disagreeable result might be produced — such a possibility exists.'
He understands: 'It is impossible, there is no occasion, that an undesirable, displeasing, disagreeable result could be produced from bodily good conduct — there is no such possibility.' And he understands: 'It is indeed possible that a desirable, pleasing, agreeable result might be produced from bodily good conduct — such a possibility exists.'
He understands: 'It is impossible, there is no occasion, that from verbal good conduct … that from mental good conduct an undesirable, displeasing, disagreeable result could be produced — there is no such possibility.' And he understands: 'It is indeed possible that from verbal good conduct … that from mental good conduct a desirable, pleasing, agreeable result might be produced — such a possibility exists.'
He understands: 'It is impossible, there is no occasion, that one endowed with bodily misconduct could, on that account, with that as condition, at the breaking up of the body, after death, be reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world — there is no such possibility.' And he understands: 'It is indeed possible that one endowed with bodily misconduct might, on that account, with that as condition, at the breaking up of the body, after death, be reborn in a state of deprivation, a bad destination, a place of ruin, hell — such a possibility exists.'
He understands: 'It is impossible, there is no occasion, that one endowed with verbal misconduct could, on that account, with that as condition, at the breaking up of the body, after death, be reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world — there is no such possibility.' And he understands: 'It is indeed possible that one endowed with verbal misconduct … that one endowed with mental misconduct might, on that account, with that as condition, at the breaking up of the body, after death, be reborn in a state of deprivation, a bad destination, a place of ruin, hell — such a possibility exists.'
He understands: 'It is impossible, there is no occasion, that one endowed with bodily good conduct could, on that account, with that as condition, at the breaking up of the body, after death, be reborn in a state of deprivation, a bad destination, a place of ruin, hell — there is no such possibility.' And he understands: 'It is indeed possible that one endowed with bodily good conduct might, on that account, with that as condition, at the breaking up of the body, after death, be reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world — such a possibility exists.'
He understands: 'It is impossible, there is no occasion, that one endowed with verbal good conduct … that one endowed with mental good conduct could, on that account, with that as condition, at the breaking up of the body, after death, be reborn in a state of deprivation, a bad destination, a place of ruin, hell — there is no such possibility.' And he understands: 'It is indeed possible that one endowed with verbal good conduct … that one endowed with mental good conduct might, on that account, with that as condition, at the breaking up of the body, after death, be reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world — such a possibility exists.'
It is in this way, Ānanda, that a bhikkhu is fit to be called 'skilled in the possible and the impossible.'"
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.