“Bhikkhus, there are these three kinds of patients found existing in the world. What three? (1) Here, one patient will not recover from his illness whether or not he gets suitable food, suitable medicine, an.i.121 and a competent attendant. (2) Another patient will recover from his illness whether or not he gets suitable food, suitable medicine, and a competent attendant. (3) Still another patient will recover from his illness only if he gets suitable food, not if he fails to get it; only if he gets suitable medicine, not if he fails to get it; and only if he gets a competent attendant, not if he fails to get one.
“Food and medicine and a competent attendant are prescribed particularly for the sake of the patient who will recover from his illness only if he gets suitable food, not if he fails to get it; only if he gets suitable medicine, not if he fails to get it; and only if he gets a competent attendant, not if he fails to get one. But because of this patient, the other patients should also be served. These are the three kinds of patients found existing in the world.
“So too, bhikkhus, there are these three kinds of persons similar to patients found existing in the world. What three? (1) Here, some person will not enter upon the fixed course consisting in rightness in wholesome qualities whether or not he gets to see the Tathāgata and whether or not he gets to hear the Dhamma and discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata. (2) Then another person will enter upon the fixed course consisting in rightness in wholesome qualities whether or not he gets to see the Tathāgata and whether or not he gets to hear the Dhamma and discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata. (3) And still another person will enter upon the fixed course consisting in rightness in wholesome qualities only if he gets to see the Tathāgata, not if he fails to see him; only if he gets to hear the Dhamma and discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata, not if he fails to hear it. an.i.122
“The teaching of the Dhamma is prescribed particularly for the sake of the person who will enter upon the fixed course consisting in rightness in wholesome qualities only if he gets to see the Tathāgata, not if he fails to see him; only if he gets to hear the Dhamma and discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata, not if he fails to hear it. But because of this person, the Dhamma should also be taught to the others. These are the three kinds of persons similar to patients found existing in the world.”