[37] **They are hard to release, and there is no release by another** (te duppamuñcā na hi aññamokkhā): either those bases of gratification in existence (bhavasātavatthu) are hard to be freed from, or beings are hard to free from them.
How are those bases of gratification in existence hard to be freed from? Pleasant feeling (vedanā) is hard to be freed from; a desirable object is hard to be freed from; youth is hard to be freed from; health is hard to be freed from; life is hard to be freed from; gain is hard to be freed from; fame is hard to be freed from; praise is hard to be freed from; happiness is hard to be freed from; agreeable forms are hard to be freed from; agreeable sounds, odours, tastes, and tangibles are hard to be freed from; the accomplishment of the eye is hard to be freed from; the accomplishment of the ear, the accomplishment of the nose, the accomplishment of the tongue, the accomplishment of the body, the accomplishment of the mind is hard to be freed from — hard to be freed from, hard to be released from, hard to be loosed from, hard to be fully loosed from, hard to crush, hard to penetrate through, hard to cross, hard to cross over, hard to surmount, hard to pass beyond. Thus those bases of gratification in existence are hard to be freed from.
How are beings hard to free from them? Beings are hard to free from pleasant feeling, hard to free from the desirable object, hard to free from youth, hard to free from health, hard to free from life, hard to free from gain, hard to free from fame, hard to free from praise, hard to free from happiness, hard to free from agreeable forms, hard to free from agreeable sounds, odours, tastes, and tangibles, hard to free from the accomplishment of the eye, hard to free from the accomplishment of the ear, the accomplishment of the nose, the accomplishment of the tongue, the accomplishment of the body, the accomplishment of the mind — hard to free, hard to release, hard to lift out, hard to draw out fully, hard to raise up, hard to make rise up fully. Thus beings are hard to free from them. Hence, "they are hard to release."
**There is no release by another**: they, being themselves sunk in the mire, are unable to pull out another who is sunk in the mire. For this was said by the Blessed One: "That one, Cunda, who is himself sunk in the mire will pull out another who is sunk in the mire — this is impossible. That one, Cunda, who is himself untamed, undisciplined, not fully quenched will tame another, discipline him, and cause him to become fully quenched — this is impossible." Thus there is no release by another. Or else: there is no one else who can free them; if they were to be freed, they would be freed by their own vigour, their own strength, their own energy, their own exertion, their own manly vigour, their own manly strength, their own manly energy, their own manly exertion, themselves practising the right practice, the conforming practice, the unopposed practice, the practice consonant with the goal, the practice in accordance with the Dhamma. Thus too there is no release by another. For this was said by the Blessed One:
"I shall not be able to release anyone in the world
who is beset by doubt, Dhotaka;
but directly knowing the supreme Dhamma,
you will thus cross this flood."
Thus too there is no release by another. For this was said by the Blessed One:
"By oneself is evil done;
by oneself is one defiled.
By oneself is evil left undone;
by oneself alone is one purified.
Purity and impurity are matters of oneself;
no one can purify another."
Thus too there is no release by another. For this was said by the Blessed One: "Just so, brahmin, Nibbāna stands, the path leading to Nibbāna stands, and I stand as the one who encourages; and yet, though my disciples are thus advised by me and thus instructed, some attain Nibbāna, the ultimate goal, while some do not attain it. What can I do about that, brahmin? The Tathāgata, brahmin, is one who points out the path. The Buddha declares the path; practising by themselves, they would be released." Thus too there is no release by another. Hence, "they are hard to release, and there is no release by another."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.