The Buddha teaches that one could be far from him despite being physically close, and one could be near to him despite being physically far. When one sees the Dhamma, one sees the Buddha.
Vuttañhetaṁ bhagavatā vuttamarahatāti me sutaṁ:
This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, as I have heard:
“Saṅghāṭikaṇṇe cepi, bhikkhave, bhikkhu gahetvā piṭṭhito piṭṭhito anubandho assa pāde pādaṁ nikkhipanto, so ca hoti abhijjhālu kāmesu tibbasārāgo byāpannacitto paduṭṭhamanasaṅkappo muṭṭhassati asampajāno asamāhito vibbhantacitto pākatindriyo; atha kho so ārakāva mayhaṁ, ahañca tassa. Taṁ kissa hetu? Dhammañhi so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu na passati. Dhammaṁ apassanto na maṁ passati.
“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.
Yojanasate cepi so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu vihareyya. So ca hoti anabhijjhālu kāmesu na tibbasārāgo abyāpannacitto apaduṭṭhamanasaṅkappo upaṭṭhitassati sampajāno samāhito ekaggacitto saṁvutindriyo; atha kho so santikeva mayhaṁ, ahañca tassa. Taṁ kissa hetu? Dhammañhi so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu passati; dhammaṁ passanto maṁ passatī”ti.
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 one-pointed mind; with an integrated, well-composed, concentrated 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.”
Etamatthaṁ bhagavā avoca. Tatthetaṁ iti vuccati:
The Blessed One spoke on this matter. In this regard, it is said:
“Anubandhopi ce assa,
mahiccho ca vighātavā;
Ejānugo anejassa,
nibbutassa anibbuto;
Giddho so vītagedhassa,
passa yāvañca ārakā.
“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.
Yo ca dhammamabhiññāya,
dhammamaññāya paṇḍito;
Rahadova nivāte ca,
anejo vūpasammati.
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 |subsides completely::is fully stilled [vūpasammati]|.
Anejo so anejassa,
nibbutassa ca nibbuto;
Agiddho vītagedhassa,
passa yāvañca santike”ti.
The unshaken with the unshaken,
the quenched with the quenched;
the greedless with the greedless—
see how truly near they are.”
Ayampi attho vutto bhagavatā, iti me sutanti.
This matter too was spoken by the Blessed One, as I have heard.
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 one-pointed mind; with an integrated, well-composed, concentrated 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 |subsides 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.
Vuttañhetaṁ bhagavatā vuttamarahatāti me sutaṁ:
“Saṅghāṭikaṇṇe cepi, bhikkhave, bhikkhu gahetvā piṭṭhito piṭṭhito anubandho assa pāde pādaṁ nikkhipanto, so ca hoti abhijjhālu kāmesu tibbasārāgo byāpannacitto paduṭṭhamanasaṅkappo muṭṭhassati asampajāno asamāhito vibbhantacitto pākatindriyo; atha kho so ārakāva mayhaṁ, ahañca tassa. Taṁ kissa hetu? Dhammañhi so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu na passati. Dhammaṁ apassanto na maṁ passati.
Yojanasate cepi so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu vihareyya. So ca hoti anabhijjhālu kāmesu na tibbasārāgo abyāpannacitto apaduṭṭhamanasaṅkappo upaṭṭhitassati sampajāno samāhito ekaggacitto saṁvutindriyo; atha kho so santikeva mayhaṁ, ahañca tassa. Taṁ kissa hetu? Dhammañhi so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu passati; dhammaṁ passanto maṁ passatī”ti.
Etamatthaṁ bhagavā avoca. Tatthetaṁ iti vuccati:
“Anubandhopi ce assa,
mahiccho ca vighātavā;
Ejānugo anejassa,
nibbutassa anibbuto;
Giddho so vītagedhassa,
passa yāvañca ārakā.
Yo ca dhammamabhiññāya,
dhammamaññāya paṇḍito;
Rahadova nivāte ca,
anejo vūpasammati.
Anejo so anejassa,
nibbutassa ca nibbuto;
Agiddho vītagedhassa,
passa yāvañca santike”ti.
Ayampi attho vutto bhagavatā, iti me sutanti.