The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha
Page 20
15. “Again, with sensual pleasures as the cause, sensual pleasures as the source, sensual pleasures as the basis, the cause being simply sensual pleasures, people indulge in misconduct of body, speech, and mind. Having done so, on the dissolution of the body, after death, they reappear in states of deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, even in hell. Now this is a danger in the case of sensual pleasures, a mass of suffering in the life to come,202 having sensual pleasures as its cause, sensual pleasures as its source, sensual pleasures as its basis, the cause being simply sensual pleasures.
16. (iii) “And what, bhikkhus, is the escape in the case of sensual pleasures? It is the removal of desire and lust, the abandonment of desire and lust for sensual pleasures.203 This is the escape in the case of sensual pleasures.
17. “That those recluses and brahmins who do not understand as it actually is the gratification as gratification, the danger as danger, and the escape as escape in the case of sensual pleasures, can either themselves fully understand sensual pleasures or instruct another so that he can fully understand sensual pleasures—that is impossible. That those recluses and brahmins who understand as it actually is [88] the gratification as gratification, the danger as danger, and the escape as escape in the case of sensual pleasures, can either themselves fully understand sensual pleasures or instruct another so that he can fully understand sensual pleasures—that is possible.
(MATERIAL FORM)
18. (i) “And what, bhikkhus, is the gratification in the case of material form? Suppose there were a girl of the noble class or the brahmin class or of householder stock, in her fifteenth or sixteenth year, neither too tall nor too short, neither too thin nor too fat, neither too dark nor too fair. Is her beauty and loveliness then at its height?”—“Yes, venerable sir.”—“Now the pleasure and joy that arise in dependence on that beauty and loveliness are the gratification in the case of material form.
19. (ii) “And what, bhikkhus, is the danger in the case of material form? Later on one might see that same woman here at eighty, ninety, or a hundred years, aged, as crooked as a roof bracket, doubled up, supported by a walking stick, tottering, frail, her youth gone, her teeth broken, grey-haired, scanty-haired, bald, wrinkled, with limbs all blotchy. What do you think, bhikkhus? Has her former beauty and loveliness vanished and the danger become evident?”—“Yes, venerable sir.”—“Bhikkhus, this is a danger in the case of material form.
20. “Again, one might see that same woman afflicted, suffering, and gravely ill, lying fouled in her own urine and excrement, lifted up by some and set down by others. What do you think, bhikkhus? Has her former beauty and loveliness vanished and the danger become evident?”—“Yes, venerable sir.”—“Bhikkhus, this too is a danger in the case of material form.
21. “Again, one might see that same woman as a corpse thrown aside in a charnel ground, one, two, or three days dead, bloated, livid, and oozing matter. What do you think, bhikkhus? Has her former beauty and loveliness vanished and the danger become evident?”—“Yes, venerable sir.”—“Bhikkhus, this too is a danger in the case of material form.
22–29. “Again, one might see that same woman as a corpse thrown aside in a charnel ground, being devoured by crows, hawks, vultures, dogs, jackals, or various kinds of worms… [89]...a skeleton with flesh and blood, held together with sinews...a fleshless skeleton smeared with blood, held together with sinews…a skeleton without flesh and blood, held together with sinews…disconnected bones scattered in all directions—here a hand-bone, there a foot-bone, here a thigh-bone, there a rib-bone, here a hip-bone, there a back-bone, here the skull…bones bleached white, the colour of shells…bones heaped up…bones more than a year old, rotted and crumbled to dust. What do you think, bhikkhus? Has her former beauty and loveliness vanished and the danger become evident?”—“Yes, venerable sir.”—“Bhikkhus, this too is a danger in the case of material form.
30. (iii) “And what, bhikkhus, is the escape in the case of material form? It is the removal of desire and lust, the abandonment of desire and lust for material form. This is the escape in the case of material form.
31. “That those recluses and brahmins who do not understand as it actually is the gratification as gratification, the danger as danger, and the escape as escape in the case of material form, can either themselves fully understand material form or instruct another so that he can fully understand material form—that is impossible. That those recluses and brahmins who understand as it actually is the gratification as gratification, the danger as danger, and the escape as escape in the case of material form, can either themselves fully understand material form or instruct another so that he can fully understand material form—that is possible.
(FEELINGS)
32. (i) “And what, bhikkhus, is the gratification in the case of feelings? Here, bhikkhus, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by applied and sustained thought, with rapture and pleasure born of seclusion. 204 On such an occasion he does not choose for his own affliction, or for another’s affliction, or for the affliction of both. [90] On that occasion he feels only feeling that is free from affliction. The highest gratification in the case of feelings is freedom from affliction, I say.
33–35. “Again, with the stilling of applied and sustained thought, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the second jhāna…With the fading away as well of rapture…he enters upon and abides in the third jhāna…With the abandoning of pleasure and pain he enters upon and abides in the fourth jhāna…On such an occasion he does not choose for his own affliction, or for another’s affliction, or for the affliction of both. On that occasion he feels only feeling that is free from affliction. The highest gratification in the case of feelings is freedom from affliction, I say.
36. (ii) “And what, bhikkhus, is the danger in the case of feelings? Feelings are impermanent, suffering, and subject to change. This is the danger in the case of feelings.
37. (iii) “And what, bhikkhus, is the escape in the case of feelings? It is the removal of desire and lust, the abandonment of desire and lust for feelings. This is the escape in the case of feelings.
38. “That those recluses and brahmins who do not understand as it actually is the gratification as gratification, the danger as danger, and the escape as escape in the case of feelings, can either themselves fully understand feelings or instruct another so that he can fully understand feelings—that is impossible. That those recluses and brahmins who understand as it actually is the gratification as gratification, the danger as danger, and the escape as escape in the case of feelings, can either themselves fully understand feelings or instruct another so that he can fully understand feelings—that is possible.”
That is what the Blessed One said. The bhikkhus were satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One’s words.
Cūḷadukkhakkhandha Sutta
The Shorter Discourse
on the Mass of Suffering
[91] 1. THUS HAVE I HEARD. On one occasion the Blessed One was living in the Sakyan country at Kapilavatthu in Nigrodha’s Park.
2. Then Mahānāma the Sakyan205 went to the Blessed One, and after paying homage to him, he sat down at one side and said: “Venerable sir, I have long understood the Dhamma taught by the Blessed One thus: ‘Greed is an imperfection that defiles the mind, hate is an imperfection that defiles the mind, delusion is an imperfection that defiles the mind.’ Yet while I understand the Dhamma taught by the Blessed One thus, at times states of greed, hate, and delusion invade my mind and remain. I have wondered, venerable sir, what state is still unabandoned by me internally, owing to which at times these states of greed, hate, and delusion invade my mind and remain.”206
3. “Mahānāma, there is still a state unabandoned by you internally, owing to which at times states of greed, hate, and delusion invade your mind and remain; for were that state already abandoned by you internally you would not be living t
he home life, you would not be enjoying sensual pleasures.207 It is because that state is unabandoned by you internally that you are living the home life and enjoying sensual pleasures.
4. “Even though a noble disciple has seen clearly as it actually is with proper wisdom that sensual pleasures provide little gratification, much suffering and despair, and that the danger in them is still more, as long as he still does not attain to the rapture and pleasure that are apart from sensual pleasures, apart from unwholesome states, or to something more peaceful than that, he may still be attracted to sensual pleasures.208 But when a noble disciple has seen clearly as it actually is with proper wisdom that sensual pleasures provide little gratification, much suffering and despair, and that the danger in them is still more, and he attains to the rapture and pleasure that are apart from sensual pleasures, apart from unwholesome states, or to something more peaceful than that, then he is no longer attracted to sensual pleasures. [92]
5. “Before my enlightenment, while I was still only an unenlightened Bodhisatta, I too clearly saw as it actually is with proper wisdom how sensual pleasures provide little gratification, much suffering, and much despair, and how great is the danger in them, but as long as I still did not attain to the rapture and pleasure that are apart from sensual pleasures, apart from unwholesome states, or to something more peaceful than that, I recognised that I still could be attracted to sensual pleasures. But when I clearly saw as it actually is with proper wisdom how sensual pleasures provide little gratification, much suffering, and much despair, and how great is the danger in them, and I attained to the rapture and pleasure that are apart from sensual pleasures, apart from unwholesome states, or to something more peaceful than that, I recognised that I was no longer attracted to sensual pleasures.
6–14. “And what is the gratification in the case of sensual pleasures? Mahānāma, there are these five cords of sensual pleasure...(as Sutta 13, §§7–15)...Now this is a danger in the case of sensual pleasures, a mass of suffering in the life to come, having sensual pleasures as its cause, sensual pleasures as its source, sensual pleasures as its basis, the cause being simply sensual pleasures.
15. “Now, Mahānāma, on one occasion I was living at Rājagaha on the mountain Vulture Peak. On that occasion a number of Nigaṇṭhas living on the Black Rock on the slopes of Isigili were practising continuous standing, rejecting seats, and were experiencing painful, racking, piercing feelings due to exertion.209
16. “Then, when it was evening, I rose from meditation and went to the Nigaṇṭhas there. I asked them: ‘Friends, why do you practise continuous standing, rejecting seats, and experience painful, racking, piercing feelings due to exertion?’
17. “When this was said, they replied: ‘Friend, the Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta is omniscient and all-seeing and claims to have complete knowledge and vision thus: “Whether I am walking or standing or asleep or awake, [93] knowledge and vision are continuously and uninterruptedly present to me.” He says thus: “Nigaṇṭhas, you have done evil actions in the past; exhaust them with the performance of piercing austerities. And when you are here and now restrained in body, speech, and mind, that is doing no evil actions for the future. So by annihilating with asceticism past actions and by doing no fresh actions, there will be no consequence in the future. With no consequence in the future, there is the destruction of action. With the destruction of action, there is the destruction of suffering. With the destruction of suffering, there is the destruction of feeling. With the destruction of feeling, all suffering will be exhausted.” This is [the doctrine] we approve of and accept, and we are satisfied with it.’
18. “When this was said, I told them: ‘But, friends, do you know that you existed in the past, and that it is not the case that you did not exist?’—‘No, friend.’—‘But, friends, do you know that you did evil actions in the past and did not abstain from them?’—‘No, friend.’—‘But, friends, do you know that you did such and such evil actions?’—‘No, friend.’—‘But, friends, do you know that so much suffering has already been exhausted, or that so much suffering has still to be exhausted, or that when so much suffering has been exhausted all suffering will have been exhausted?’—‘No, friend.’—‘But, friends, do you know what the abandoning of unwholesome states is and what the cultivation of wholesome states is here and now?’—‘No, friend.’
19. “‘So, friends, it seems that you do not know that you existed in the past and that it is not the case that you did not exist; or that you did evil actions in the past and did not abstain from them; or that you did such and such evil actions; or that so much suffering has already been exhausted, or that so much suffering has still to be exhausted, or that when so much suffering has been exhausted all suffering will have been exhausted; or what the abandoning of unwholesome states is and what the cultivation of wholesome states is here and now. That being so, those who are murderers, bloody-handed evil-doers in the world, when they are reborn among human beings, go forth into homelessness as Nigaṇṭhas.’210
20. “‘Friend Gotama, pleasure is not to be gained through pleasure; pleasure is to be gained through pain. [94] For were pleasure to be gained through pleasure, then King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha would gain pleasure, since he abides in greater pleasure than the venerable Gotama.’
“‘Surely the venerable Nigaṇṭhas have uttered those words rashly and without reflection. Rather it is I who ought to be asked: “Who abides in greater pleasure, King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha or the venerable Gotama?”’
“‘Surely, friend Gotama, we uttered those words rashly and without reflection. But let that be. Now we ask the venerable Gotama: Who abides in greater pleasure, King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha or the venerable Gotama?’
21. “‘Then, friends, I shall ask you a question in return. Answer it as you like. What do you think, friends? Can King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha abide without moving his body or uttering a word, experiencing exclusively pleasure for seven days and nights?’—‘No, friend.’—‘Can King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha abide without moving his body or uttering a word, experiencing exclusively pleasure for six, five, four, three, or two days and nights?…for one day and night?’—‘No, friend.’
22. “‘But, friends, I can abide without moving my body or uttering a word, experiencing exclusively pleasure for one day and night…for two, three, four, five, and six days and nights…for seven days and nights.211 What do you think, friends? That being so, who dwells in greater pleasure, King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha or I?’
“‘That being so, [95] the venerable Gotama abides in greater pleasure than King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha.’”
That is what the Blessed One said. Mahānāma the Sakyan was satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One’s words.
Anumāna Sutta
Inference
1. THUS HAVE I HEARD. On one occasion the venerable Mahā Moggallāna was living in the Bhagga country at Suṁsumāragira in the Bhesakalā Grove, the Deer Park. There he addressed the bhikkhus thus: “Friends, bhikkhus.”—“Friend,” they replied. The venerable Mahā Moggallāna said this:
2. “Friends, though a bhikkhu asks thus: ‘Let the venerable ones admonish me,212 I need to be admonished by the venerable ones,’ yet if he is difficult to admonish and possesses qualities that make him difficult to admonish, if he is impatient and does not take instruction rightly, then his companions in the holy life think that he should not be admonished or instructed, they think of him as a person not to be trusted.
3. “What qualities make him difficult to admonish?
(1) Here a bhikkhu has evil wishes and is dominated by evil wishes;213 this is a quality that makes him difficult to admonish.
(2) Again, a bhikkhu lauds himself and disparages others; this is a quality that makes him difficult to admonish.
(3) Again, a bhikkhu is angry and is overcome by anger; this is a quality…
(4) Again, a bhikkhu is angry, and resentful because of anger…
(5) Agai
n, a bhikkhu is angry, and stubborn because of anger…
(6) Again, a bhikkhu is angry, and he utters words bordering on anger…
(7) Again, a bhikkhu is reproved, and he resists the reprover…