The Impediments Chapter10. Be Without Impediments “The Blessed One said, ‘Live devoted to and delighting in that which is without impediments.’1 What is it that is without impediments?”
“The four fruits of the path and nibbāna are without impediments.” “But, Nāgasena, if that is so why do the monks concern themselves with learning the Buddha’s discourses and with building repairs and offerings to the Order?” “Those monks who do these things need to free their minds from impediments before they can attain the four fruits but those who are pure by nature have done such preparatory work in former births and can easily attain the fruits without such preparations. Just as in some areas a farmer can successfully grow crops without a fence, but elsewhere he must first build a fence or a wall before he can grow a
crop; or as one with supernormal powers can easily pick the fruits at the top of a tall tree, but others have to construct a ladder first. Likewise, learning, enquiry, and other works are like a ladder and are helpful to those monks to reach the fruits of the four attainments. So long as there is need of discipleship when even those like Venerable Sāriputta find it impossible to attain Arahantship without a
teacher so there will be a use for recitation of the scriptures and thus will those disciples become free from obstructions and attain Arahantship.” 11. The Lay Arahant“You say that if a layman attains Arahantship he must either enter the Order that very day or die and
attain parinibbāna.2 Yet if he is unable to find a robe and bowl and preceptor then that exalted condition of Arahantship is a waste for destruction of life is involved in it.” “The fault does not lie with Arahantship but with the state of a layman because it is too weak to
support Arahantship. Just as, O king, although food protects the life of beings it will take away the life of one whose digestion is weak — so too, if a layman attains Arahantship he must, because of the weakness of that condition, enter the Order that very day or die.” 12. The Offences of Arahants“You say that an Arahant cannot be of confused mindfulness.3 Can he then commit any offence?” “He can O king, as regards the size of his hut, by acting as a go-between, eating at the wrong time,
eating what is not offered or in thinking he has not been invited when he has.” “But you say that those who fall into an offence do so either from ignorance or disrespect. If an Arahant can fall into an offence and there is no disrespect in an Arahant then is there confusion of mindfulness?” “No there is no confusion of mindfulness in an Arahant. There are two kinds of offence. There are those things that are blameworthy in the eyes of the world such as killing, stealing, etc., and there are those things that are only blameworthy for a monk such as eating at the wrong time, damaging trees and plants or playing in the water, and many other things of a similar kind. These things, O king, are not
wrong in the eyes of the world but they are wrong for a monk. An Arahant is incapable of transgressing the former type of precept but he may break the other kind because he doesn’t know everything. He may not know the time of day or the name and clan of some woman but every Arahant knows about freedom from suffering.” 13. What is Not Found in the World“There are many different things found in the world, Nāgasena, but tell me what is not to be found in the world.” “There are three things, O king, that are not to be found in the world: anything, either conscious or unconscious, that does not decay and perish, that formation (sankhāra) or conditioned thing that is
permanent, and in the ultimate sense there is no such thing as a being.” 14. The Uncaused“Nāgasena, there are things in the world that have come into existence through kamma, others are the
result of a cause, and others are produced by season. Tell me, is there anything that does not fall into either of these three categories?”
“There are two such things, O king; space and nibbāna.” “Do not, Venerable Nāgasena, corrupt the words of the Conqueror, or answer a question without knowing what you are saying!”
“What have I said, O king, that you speak to me thus?” “Venerable sir, it is right what you say about space but with hundreds of reasons did the Blessed One proclaim to his disciples the way to the realisation of nibbāna and yet you say that nibbāna is not the result of any cause.”
“It is true, O king, that in many ways did the Blessed One point out a way to the realisation of nibbāna, but he did not point out a cause for the arising of nibbāna.” “Here, Nāgasena, we go from darkness to greater darkness; from uncertainty to utter confusion. If there is a father of a child we would expect to find a father of the father. Just so, if there is a cause
for the realisation of nibbāna we would expect to find a cause for its arising.”
“Nibbāna, O king, is unconstructed, therefore no cause has been pointed out for its production. It cannot be said of nibbāna that it has arisen or can arise; that it is past, present, or future; or cognizable by the eye, ear, nose, tongue, or body.” “Then, Nāgasena, nibbāna is a condition that does not exist!”
“Nibbāna does exist, O king, and can be cognized by the mind. A noble disciple whose mind is pure, lofty, sincere, unobstructed and free from craving can attain nibbāna.” “Then explain by means of similes what nibbāna is.”
“Is there such a thing as the wind?” “Yes there is.”
“Then explain by means of similes what the wind is.” “It is not possible to explain what the wind is by means of similes but it exists all the same.”
“Just so, O king, nibbāna exists but it is impossible to describe.” 15. Modes of Production
“What is it that is kamma-born, what cause-born, and what season-born? What is it that is none of these?” “All beings, O king are kamma-born. Fire, and all things growing out of seeds are cause-born. The earth,
water and wind are season-born. Space and nibbāna exist independently of kamma, cause, and season. Of nibbāna, O king, it cannot be said that it is perceptible by the five senses, but it is perceptible by the mind. The disciple whose mind is pure, and free from obstructions can perceive nibbāna” 16. Demons“Are there such things as yakkhas (demons) in the world?”
“Yes, O king, there are.” “Then why aren’t the remains of dead yakkhas seen?”
“Their remains are to be seen in the form of insects, such as maggots, ants, moths, snakes, scorpions, centipedes, and other wild creatures.” “Who else, Nāgasena, could have solved this puzzle except one as wise as you!” 17. Laying Down of Rules for Monks“Those who are famous doctors are able to prescribe suitable medicine for a disease before the disease
has arisen even though they are not Omniscient. Why then, did the Tathāgata not lay down the rules for monks before the occasion arose but only when an offence had been committed and a great hue and cry was heard.” “The Tathāgata, O king, knew beforehand that all one hundred and fifty4 rules would have to be laid down but he thought, ‘If I lay down all of these rules at once there will be those who will not enter the Order for fear of the many regulations to be observed, therefore I will lay down the rules as the need arises.’”5 18. The Heat of the Sun“Why is the heat of the sun sometimes fierce and sometimes not?”
“Obscured by four things, O king, the sun does not shine fiercely; by storm clouds, by mist, by dust clouds, or by the moon.”6 “It is remarkable, Nāgasena, that the glorious sun, mighty though it is, could be obscured; how much
more then, other beings!” 19. The Winter Sun“Why is the sun more fierce in winter than in summer?”
“In the winter the sky is clear so the sun shines fiercely but in the summer dust rises up and clouds
accumulate in the sky so the heat of the sun is reduced.” In this chapter there are ten questions | 
