[454] On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Bārāṇasī, in the Deer Park at Isipatana. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: "Bhikkhus." "Venerable sir," those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this:
"Bhikkhus, once in the past there was a king named Pacetana. Then, bhikkhus, King Pacetana addressed his chariot-maker: 'Good chariot-maker, six months from now there will be a battle. Can you, good chariot-maker, make me a new pair of wheels?' 'I can, sire,' the chariot-maker, bhikkhus, replied to King Pacetana. Then, bhikkhus, in six months less six nights the chariot-maker finished one wheel. Then, bhikkhus, King Pacetana addressed the chariot-maker: 'Good chariot-maker, six days from now there will be a battle. Is the new pair of wheels finished?' 'Sire, in these six months less six nights one wheel has been finished.' 'But can you, good chariot-maker, finish the second wheel in these six days?' 'I can, sire,' the chariot-maker, bhikkhus, replied to King Pacetana. Then, bhikkhus, having finished the second wheel in six days, the chariot-maker took the new pair of wheels and approached King Pacetana; having approached, he said this to King Pacetana: 'Sire, this new pair of wheels of yours is finished.'
'Good chariot-maker, between this wheel of yours that was finished in six months less six nights and this wheel that was finished 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 your majesty behold the difference.'
"Then, bhikkhus, the chariot-maker set rolling the wheel that had been finished in six days. Having been set rolling, it rolled as far as the impetus (abhisaṅkhāra) of its setting in motion carried it, then wobbled around and fell to the ground. But the wheel that had been finished in six months less six nights he set rolling; having been set rolling, it rolled as far as the impetus of its setting in motion carried it, and then stood still as if fixed upon an axle.
'What now, good chariot-maker, is the cause, what is the reason, why this wheel that was finished in six days, having been set rolling, rolled as far as the impetus of its setting in motion carried it, then wobbled around and fell to the ground? And what, good chariot-maker, is the cause, what is the reason, why this wheel that was finished in six months less six nights, having been set rolling, rolled as far as the impetus of its setting in motion carried it, and then stood still as if fixed upon an axle?'
'Sire, as for the wheel that was finished in six days: its rim is crooked, faulty, and defective; its spokes too are crooked, faulty, and defective; its hub too is crooked, faulty, and defective. Because of the crookedness, faultiness, and defectiveness of its rim, because of the crookedness, faultiness, and defectiveness of its spokes, and because of the crookedness, faultiness, and defectiveness of its hub, having been set rolling, it rolled as far as the impetus of its setting in motion carried it, then wobbled around and fell to the ground. But, sire, as for the wheel that was finished in six months less six nights: its rim is without crookedness, without fault, without defect; its spokes too are without crookedness, without fault, without defect; its hub too is without crookedness, without fault, without defect. Because of the freedom from crookedness, fault, and defect of its rim, because of the freedom from crookedness, fault, and defect of its spokes, and because of the freedom from crookedness, fault, and defect of its hub, having been set rolling, it rolled as far as the impetus of its setting in motion carried it, and then stood still as if fixed upon an axle.'
"It may be, bhikkhus, that you think: 'Surely on that occasion someone else was that chariot-maker.' But, bhikkhus, it should not be seen thus. On that occasion I myself was that chariot-maker. Then, bhikkhus, I was skilled in the crookedness of wood, the faults of wood, the defects of wood. But now, bhikkhus, I am the Arahant, the Fully Self-Enlightened One, skilled in the crookedness of body, the faults of body, the defects of body; skilled in the crookedness of speech, the faults of speech, the defects of speech; skilled in the crookedness of mind, the faults of mind, the defects of mind.
"Bhikkhus, any bhikkhu or bhikkhunī whatsoever in whom crookedness of body has not been abandoned, nor fault of body, nor defect of body; in whom crookedness of speech has not been abandoned, nor fault of speech, nor defect of speech; in whom crookedness of mind has not been abandoned, nor fault of mind, nor defect of mind—such, bhikkhus, have fallen away from this Dhamma and Discipline, just like the wheel that was finished in six days. Bhikkhus, any bhikkhu or bhikkhunī whatsoever in whom crookedness of body has been abandoned, and fault of body, and defect of body; in whom crookedness of speech has been abandoned, and fault of speech, and defect of speech; in whom crookedness of mind has been abandoned, and fault of mind, and defect of mind—such, bhikkhus, stand firmly established in this Dhamma and Discipline, just like the wheel that was finished in six months less six nights.
"Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train thus: 'We will abandon crookedness of body, fault of body, defect of body; we will abandon crookedness of speech, fault of speech, defect of speech; we will abandon crookedness of mind, fault of mind, defect of mind.' Thus, bhikkhus, should you train."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.