At one time the Blessed One was staying near Varanasi in the Deer Park at Isipatana. There he spoke to the monks: “Monks!”
“Yes, Bhante,” the monks replied.
The Blessed One said: “Once, monks, there was a king named Pacetana. One day King Pacetana said to his chariot maker, ‘My good chariot maker, in six months time from now there will be a battle. Can you make me a new pair of chariot wheels?’
“‘Yes, your majesty, I can,’ the chariot maker replied to the king.
“Then, six days before the six months was over, the chariot maker finished one wheel. King Pacetana said to him, ‘In six days time from now the battle will take place. Will the pair of chariot wheels be finished?’
“‘Your majesty, in these six months, minus six days, I have finished one wheel.’
“‘But can you finish the second wheel in these six days?’
“‘Yes, your majesty, I can,’ the chariot maker replied to the king.
“Then, after finishing the second wheel in six days, the chariot maker took the pair of wheels to the king and, when he arrived, said to him, ‘Here is your new pair of chariot wheels all finished, your majesty.’
“‘And what is the difference between your wheel that took almost six months to finish, and your wheel that took six days to finish? I don’t see any difference between them at all.’
“‘There is a difference between them, your majesty. Look at the difference.’ Then the chariot maker took the chariot wheel finished in six days and set it rolling. Going as far as its momentum carried it, it spun around and around and fell to the ground. But then he took the chariot wheel finished in almost six months, and set it rolling. Going as far as its momentum carried it, it stood still as if fixed on an axle.
“‘Now what is the reason, my good chariot maker, what is the cause, why is it that the chariot wheel finished in six days, when set rolling, goes as far as its momentum carries it and then, spinning around and around, falls to the ground? And what is the reason, what is the cause, why is it that the chariot wheel that took almost six months to finish, when set rolling, goes as far as its momentum carries it and then stands still as if fixed on an axle?’
“‘Your majesty, for the wheel finished in six days, its rim is crooked, with faults & flaws. Its spokes are crooked, with faults & flaws. Its hub is crooked, with faults & flaws. Because its rim, spokes, and hub are crooked, with faults & flaws, when set rolling it goes as far as its momentum carries it and then, spinning around and around, falls to the ground. But as for the wheel finished in almost six months, its rim is not crooked, with no faults or flaws. Its spokes are not crooked, with no faults or flaws. Its hub is not crooked, with no faults or flaws. Because its rim, its spokes, and its hub are not crooked, with no faults or flaws, when set rolling it goes as far as its momentum carries it and then stands still as if fixed on an axle.’
“Now, monks, you might think that I am telling a story about a different person, but it should not be seen that way. I myself was the chariot maker at that time. I was skilled in dealing with the crookedness, the faults, the flaws of wood. Now I am a worthy one, rightly self-awakened, skilled in dealing with the crookedness, faults, & flaws of physical action; skilled in dealing with the crookedness, faults, & flaws of action of speech; skilled in dealing with the crookedness, faults, & flaws of actions of the mind.
“If any monk or nun has not given up the crookedness, faults, & flaws of bodily action; has not given up the crookedness, faults, & flaws of verbal action; has not given up the crookedness, faults, & flaws of mental action, then they have fallen away from this Dhamma & Discipline, just like the wheel finished in six days. But for any monk or nun who has given up the crookedness, faults, & flaws of physical action; has given up the crookedness, faults, & flaws of actions of speech; and has given up the crookedness, faults, & flaws of actions of the mind, they are standing straight and strong in this Dhamma & Discipline, just like the wheel finished in almost six months.