The Longer Discourse on the Mass of Suffering · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral
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⚠ Glossing did not finish. The original text is shown below.
Ko ca, bhikkhave, kāmānaṁ ādīnavo? Idha, bhikkhave, kulaputto yena sippaṭṭhānena jīvikaṁ kappeti— yadi muddāya yadi gaṇanāya yadi saṅkhānena yadi kasiyā yadi vaṇijjāya yadi gorakkhena yadi issatthena yadi rājaporisena yadi sippaññatarena— sītassa purakkhato uṇhassa purakkhato ḍaṁsamakasavātātapasarīsapasamphassehi rissamāno khuppipāsāya mīyamāno; ayampi, bhikkhave, kāmānaṁ ādīnavo sandiṭṭhiko, dukkhakkhandho kāmahetu kāmanidānaṁ kāmādhikaraṇaṁ kāmānameva hetu.
And what is the drawback of sensual pleasures? It’s when a gentleman earns a living by means such as arithmetic, accounting, calculating, farming, trade, raising cattle, archery, government service, or one of the professions. But they must face cold and heat, being hurt by the touch of flies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and reptiles, and risking death from hunger and thirst. This is a drawback of sensual pleasures apparent in the present life, a mass of suffering caused by sensual pleasures.
Tassa ce, bhikkhave, kulaputtassa evaṁ uṭṭhahato ghaṭato vāyamato te bhogā nābhinipphajjanti. So socati kilamati paridevati urattāḷiṁ kandati, sammohaṁ āpajjati: ‘moghaṁ vata me uṭṭhānaṁ, aphalo vata me vāyāmo’ti. Ayampi, bhikkhave, kāmānaṁ ādīnavo sandiṭṭhiko dukkhakkhandho kāmahetu kāmanidānaṁ kāmādhikaraṇaṁ kāmānameva hetu.
That gentleman might try hard, strive, and make an effort, but fail to accrue riches. If this happens, they sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion, saying: ‘Oh, my hard work is wasted. My efforts are fruitless!’ This too is a drawback of sensual pleasures apparent in the present life, a mass of suffering caused by sensual pleasures.
Tassa ce, bhikkhave, kulaputtassa evaṁ uṭṭhahato ghaṭato vāyamato te bhogā abhinipphajjanti. So tesaṁ bhogānaṁ ārakkhādhikaraṇaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti: ‘kinti me bhoge neva rājāno hareyyuṁ, na corā hareyyuṁ, na aggi daheyya, na udakaṁ vaheyya, na appiyā dāyādā hareyyun’ti. Tassa evaṁ ārakkhato gopayato te bhoge rājāno vā haranti, corā vā haranti, aggi vā dahati, udakaṁ vā vahati, appiyā vā dāyādā haranti. So socati kilamati paridevati urattāḷiṁ kandati, sammohaṁ āpajjati: ‘yampi me ahosi tampi no natthī’ti. Ayampi, bhikkhave, kāmānaṁ ādīnavo sandiṭṭhiko, dukkhakkhandho kāmahetu kāmanidānaṁ kāmādhikaraṇaṁ kāmānameva hetu.
That gentleman might try hard, strive, and make an effort, and succeed in accruing riches. But they experience pain and sadness when they try to protect it, thinking: ‘How can I prevent my wealth from being taken by rulers or bandits, consumed by fire, swept away by flood, or taken by unloved heirs?’ And even though they protect it and ward it, rulers or bandits take it, or fire consumes it, or flood sweeps it away, or unloved heirs take it. They sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion: ‘What once was mine is gone.’ This too is a drawback of sensual pleasures apparent in the present life, a mass of suffering caused by sensual pleasures.
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, kāmahetu kāmanidānaṁ kāmādhikaraṇaṁ kāmānameva hetu rājānopi rājūhi vivadanti, khattiyāpi khattiyehi vivadanti, brāhmaṇāpi brāhmaṇehi vivadanti, gahapatīpi gahapatīhi vivadanti, mātāpi puttena vivadati, puttopi mātarā vivadati, pitāpi puttena vivadati, puttopi pitarā vivadati, bhātāpi bhātarā vivadati, bhātāpi bhaginiyā vivadati, bhaginīpi bhātarā vivadati, sahāyopi sahāyena vivadati. Te tattha kalahaviggahavivādāpannā aññamaññaṁ pāṇīhipi upakkamanti, leḍḍūhipi upakkamanti, daṇḍehipi upakkamanti, satthehipi upakkamanti. Te tattha maraṇampi nigacchanti, maraṇamattampi dukkhaṁ. Ayampi, bhikkhave, kāmānaṁ ādīnavo sandiṭṭhiko, dukkhakkhandho kāmahetu kāmanidānaṁ kāmādhikaraṇaṁ kāmānameva hetu.
Furthermore, for the sake of sensual pleasures kings fight with kings, aristocrats fight with aristocrats, brahmins fight with brahmins, and householders fight with householders. A mother fights with her child, child with mother, father with child, and child with father. Brother fights with brother, brother with sister, sister with brother, and friend fights with friend. Once they’ve started quarreling, arguing, and disputing, they attack each other with fists, stones, rods, and swords, resulting in death and deadly pain. This too is a drawback of sensual pleasures apparent in the present life, a mass of suffering caused by sensual pleasures.
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, kāmahetu kāmanidānaṁ kāmādhikaraṇaṁ kāmānameva hetu asicammaṁ gahetvā, dhanukalāpaṁ sannayhitvā, ubhatobyūḷhaṁ saṅgāmaṁ pakkhandanti usūsupi khippamānesu, sattīsupi khippamānāsu, asīsupi vijjotalantesu. Te tattha usūhipi vijjhanti, sattiyāpi vijjhanti, asināpi sīsaṁ chindanti. Te tattha maraṇampi nigacchanti, maraṇamattampi dukkhaṁ. Ayampi, bhikkhave, kāmānaṁ ādīnavo sandiṭṭhiko, dukkhakkhandho kāmahetu kāmanidānaṁ kāmādhikaraṇaṁ kāmānameva hetu.
Furthermore, for the sake of sensual pleasures they don their sword and shield, fasten their bow and arrows, and plunge into a battle massed on both sides, with arrows and spears flying and swords flashing. There they are struck with arrows and spears, and their heads are chopped off, resulting in death and deadly pain. This too is a drawback of sensual pleasures apparent in the present life, a mass of suffering caused by sensual pleasures.
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, kāmahetu kāmanidānaṁ kāmādhikaraṇaṁ kāmānameva hetu asicammaṁ gahetvā, dhanukalāpaṁ sannayhitvā, addāvalepanā upakāriyo pakkhandanti usūsupi khippamānesu, sattīsupi khippamānāsu, asīsupi vijjotalantesu. Te tattha usūhipi vijjhanti, sattiyāpi vijjhanti, chakaṇakāyapi osiñcanti, abhivaggenapi omaddanti, asināpi sīsaṁ chindanti. Te tattha maraṇampi nigacchanti, maraṇamattampi dukkhaṁ. Ayampi, bhikkhave, kāmānaṁ ādīnavo sandiṭṭhiko, dukkhakkhandho kāmahetu kāmanidānaṁ kāmādhikaraṇaṁ kāmānameva hetu.
Furthermore, for the sake of sensual pleasures they don their sword and shield, fasten their bow and arrows, and charge wetly plastered bastions, with arrows and spears flying and swords flashing. There they are struck with arrows and spears, splashed with dung, crushed by a superior force, and their heads are chopped off, resulting in death and deadly pain. This too is a drawback of sensual pleasures apparent in the present life, a mass of suffering caused by sensual pleasures.
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, kāmahetu kāmanidānaṁ kāmādhikaraṇaṁ kāmānameva hetu sandhimpi chindanti, nillopampi haranti, ekāgārikampi karonti, paripanthepi tiṭṭhanti, paradārampi gacchanti. Tamenaṁ rājāno gahetvā vividhā kammakāraṇā kārenti— kasāhipi tāḷenti, vettehipi tāḷenti, aḍḍhadaṇḍakehipi tāḷenti; hatthampi chindanti, pādampi chindanti, hatthapādampi chindanti, kaṇṇampi chindanti, nāsampi chindanti, kaṇṇanāsampi chindanti; bilaṅgathālikampi karonti, saṅkhamuṇḍikampi karonti, rāhumukhampi karonti, jotimālikampi karonti, hatthapajjotikampi karonti, erakavattikampi karonti, cīrakavāsikampi karonti, eṇeyyakampi karonti, baḷisamaṁsikampi karonti, kahāpaṇikampi karonti, khārāpatacchikampi karonti, palighaparivattikampi karonti, palālapīṭhakampi karonti, tattenapi telena osiñcanti, sunakhehipi khādāpenti, jīvantampi sūle uttāsenti, asināpi sīsaṁ chindanti. Te tattha maraṇampi nigacchanti, maraṇamattampi dukkhaṁ. Ayampi, bhikkhave, kāmānaṁ ādīnavo sandiṭṭhiko, dukkhakkhandho kāmahetu kāmanidānaṁ kāmādhikaraṇaṁ kāmānameva hetu.
Furthermore, for the sake of sensual pleasures they break into houses, plunder wealth, steal from isolated buildings, commit highway robbery, and commit adultery. The rulers would arrest them and subject them to various punishments— whipping, caning, and clubbing; cutting off hands or feet, or both; cutting off ears or nose, or both; the ‘porridge pot’, the ‘shell-shave’, the ‘Rāhu’s mouth’, the ‘garland of fire’, the ‘burning hand’, the ‘bulrush twist’, the ‘bark dress’, the ‘antelope’, the ‘meat hook’, the ‘coins’, the ‘caustic pickle’, the ‘twisting bar’, the ‘straw mat’; being splashed with hot oil, being fed to the hounds, being impaled alive, and being beheaded. These result in death and deadly pain. This too is a drawback of sensual pleasures apparent in the present life, a mass of suffering caused by sensual pleasures.
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