This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, as I have heard:
“Bhikkhus, even if a bhikkhu were to grab the corner of my robe and follow right behind me, step by step, but is with |intense craving::is greedy, covetous, with yearning, desiring, mentally obsessed [abhijjhālu]| for |sensual pleasures::sense desires, wishing, wanting, delighting in [kāma]|, |with intense lust::with strong desire [tibbasārāga]|, |with a malicious mind::evil-minded, hateful [byāpannacitta]|, |harboring ill will::having harmful intentions [paduṭṭhamanasaṅkappa]|, is |muddle-minded::forgetful, not mindful [muṭṭhassatī]|, |lacking clear awareness::inattentive [asampajāna]|, |distracted::with scattered attention, not collected, not well-composed [asamāhita]|, |with a wandering mind::with runaway thoughts, mentally out of control [vibbhantacitta]|, and |with unrestrained faculties::with uncontrolled senses bases, having a vulgar mind [pākatindriya]|; still, he is far from me and I am far from him. Why is that? Because that bhikkhu does not see the |Dhamma::teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [dhamma]|. Not seeing the Dhamma, he does not see me.
Conversely, bhikkhus, even if a bhikkhu were dwelling a hundred |yojanas::yojana is a unit of distance used in ancient India, ranging from 3.5 to 15 km [yojana]| away, but yet is free from craving for sensual pleasures, without intense lust, with a kind mind, |with no evil designs::with no bad purpose in mind [appaduṭṭhamanasaṅkappa]|, who |attends mindfully::is with presence of mind [upaṭṭhitassatī]|, |fully aware::with attentiveness, with clear and full comprehension, intentional, purposeful [sampajāna]|, |collected::composed, settled [samāhita]|, |with a unified mind::with a collected mind [ekaggacitta]|, and with restrained faculties; still, he is near to me and I am near to him. Why is that? Because that bhikkhu sees the Dhamma; and seeing the Dhamma, he sees me.”
The Blessed One spoke on this matter. In this regard, it is said:
“Even if one follows right behind,
but is |full of desires::with longing and yearning for many things, greediness [mahiccha]| and |distressed::afflicted or frustrated with [vighātavant]|;
As the |impulse-chaser::driven by restlessness [ejānuga]| from the |unshaken::unperturbed, unmoved [aneja]|;
the |burning::not cooled [anibbuta]| from the |quenched::liberated from mental defilements [nibbuta]|;
the |greedy::desirous [giddha]| from the |greedless::free from craving [vītagedha]|—
see how truly far apart they are.
The |wise one::astute, intelligent, learned, skilled [paṇḍita]|—who has directly realized the |Dhamma::the ultimate truth that the Buddha’s teachings point to [dhamma]|,
and |fully understood::completely comprehended [aññāya]| it;
Like a sheltered lake,
calm and unshaken, he |settles completely::is fully stilled [vūpasammati]|.
The unshaken with the unshaken,
the quenched with the quenched;
the greedless with the greedless—
see how truly near they are.”
This matter too was spoken by the Blessed One, as I have heard.