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15. The Chapter on Impossibilities 1. The First Section 268. This is impossible, monks, there is no opportunity for a person endowed with right view to regard any formation as permanent. That is not possible. But this is possible, monks, for an ordinary person to regard any formation as permanent. That is possible. 269. This is impossible, monks, there is no opportunity for a person endowed with right view to regard any formation as pleasant. That is not possible. But this is possible, monks, for an ordinary person to regard any formation as pleasant. That is possible. 270. This is impossible, monks, there is no opportunity for a person endowed with right view to regard any phenomenon as self. That is not possible. But this is possible, monks, for an ordinary person to regard any phenomenon as self. That is possible. 271. This is impossible, monks, there is no opportunity for a person endowed with right view to deprive their mother of life. That is not possible. But this is possible, monks, for an ordinary person to deprive their mother of life. That is possible. 272. This is impossible, monks, there is no opportunity for a person endowed with right view to deprive their father of life. That is not possible. But this is possible, monks, for an ordinary person to deprive their father of life. That is possible. 273. This is impossible, monks, there is no opportunity for a person endowed with right view to deprive an Arahant of life. That is not possible. But this is possible, monks, for an ordinary person to deprive an Arahant of life. That is possible. 274. This is impossible, monks, there is no opportunity for a person endowed with right view to maliciously shed the blood of a Tathāgata. That is not possible. But this is possible, mo Monks, it is possible that an ordinary person, with a malicious mind towards the Tathāgata, might cause his blood to flow. This is possible. 275. It is impossible, monks, it is not possible that a person accomplished in right view would cause a schism in the Sangha. That is not possible. But it is possible, monks, that an ordinary person would cause a schism in the Sangha. This is possible. 276. It is impossible, monks, it is not possible that a person accomplished in right view would declare another teacher. That is not possible. But it is possible, monks, that an ordinary person would declare another teacher. This is possible. 277. It is impossible, monks, it is not possible that in one world-system two Arahants, Fully Self-Awakened Ones, would arise simultaneously, not one before the other. That is not possible. But it is possible, monks, that in one world-system only one Arahant, Fully Self-Awakened One, would arise. This is possible. First Chapter. 2. Second Chapter 278. It is impossible, monks, it is not possible that in one world-system two Wheel-turning Monarchs would arise simultaneously, not one before the other. That is not possible. But it is possible, monks, that in one world-system only one Wheel-turning Monarch would arise. This is possible. 279. It is impossible, monks, it is not possible that a woman would be an Arahant, a Fully Self-Awakened One. That is not possible. But it is possible, monks, that a man would be an Arahant, a Fully Self-Awakened One. This is possible. 280. It is impossible, monks, it is not possible that a woman would be a Wheel-turning Monarch. That is not possible. But it is possible, monks, that a man would be a Wheel-turning Monarch. This is possible. 281-283. It is impossible, monks, it is not possible that a woman would become Sakka... ...or become Māra... ...or become Brahmā. He would do that. This is not possible. But this is possible, monks, that a person would become a Sakka... ...would become a Māra... ...would become a Brahmā. This is possible. This is impossible, monks, there is no opportunity, that a pleasant, desirable, agreeable result would arise from misconduct in body. This is not possible. But this is possible, monks, that an unpleasant, undesirable, disagreeable result would arise from misconduct in body. This is possible. This is impossible, monks, there is no opportunity, that a pleasant, desirable, agreeable result would arise from misconduct in speech... ...from misconduct in mind. This is not possible. But this is possible, monks, that an unpleasant, undesirable, disagreeable result would arise from misconduct in mind. This is possible. This is impossible, monks, there is no opportunity, that an unpleasant, undesirable, disagreeable result would arise from good conduct in body. This is not possible. But this is possible, monks, that a pleasant, desirable, agreeable result would arise from good conduct in body. This is possible. This is impossible, monks, there is no opportunity, that an unpleasant, undesirable, disagreeable result would arise from good conduct in speech... ...from good conduct in mind. This is not possible. But this is possible, monks, that a pleasant, desirable, agreeable result would arise from good conduct in mind. This is possible. This is impossible, monks, there is no opportunity, that one endowed with misconduct in body, due to that, because of that, with the breaking up of the body, after death, would reappear in a good destination, a heavenly world. This is not possible. But this is possible, monks, that one endowed with misconduct in body, due to that, because of that, with the breaking up of the body, after death, would reappear in a state of woe, a bad destination, a lower world, hell. This is possible. is born. This is impossible, monks, there is no occasion, that one endowed with misconduct in speech, and so on, and one endowed with misconduct in mind, from that cause, from that condition, with the breaking up of the body, after death, would arise in a good destination, a heavenly world. This is not possible. But this is possible, monks, that one endowed with misconduct in mind, from that cause, from that condition, with the breaking up of the body, after death, would arise in a state of deprivation, a bad destination, a lower world, hell. This is possible. This is impossible, monks, there is no occasion, that one endowed with good conduct in body, from that cause, from that condition, with the breaking up of the body, after death, would arise in a state of deprivation, a bad destination, a lower world, hell. This is not possible. But this is possible, monks, that one endowed with good conduct in body, from that cause, from that condition, with the breaking up of the body, after death, would arise in a good destination, a heavenly world. This is possible. This is impossible, monks, there is no occasion, that one endowed with good conduct in speech, and so on, and one endowed with good conduct in mind, from that cause, from that condition, with the breaking up of the body, after death, would arise in a state of deprivation, a bad destination, a lower world, hell. This is not possible. But this is possible, monks, that one endowed with good conduct in mind, from that cause, from that condition, with the breaking up of the body, after death, would arise in a good destination, a heavenly world. This is possible. The Third Chapter. The Fifteenth Discourse on Impossibilities.