Cūḷadukkhakkhandhasutta

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Majjhima Nikāya 14

Cūḷadukkhakkhandhasutta

The Shorter Discourse on the Mass of Suffering · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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of thatTassa ifce, Mahānāmamahānāma, clan·sonkulaputtassa thusevaṁ arisinguṭṭhahato strivingghaṭato endeavoringvāyamato thosete richesbhogā do not accruenābhinipphajjanti,
heso sorrowssocati wearieskilamati lamentsparidevati beating the breasturattāḷiṁ crieskandati confusionsammohaṁ falls intoāpajjati wasted‘moghaṁ indeedvata myme hard workuṭṭhānaṁ, without·fruitaphalo indeedvata myme effortsvāyāmo’ti.
this tooAyampi, Mahānāmamahānāma, of sensual pleasureskāmānaṁ drawbackādīnavo apparent in the present lifesandiṭṭhiko suffering·massdukkhakkhandho sensual pleasures·caused bykāmahetu sensual pleasures·originkāmanidānaṁ conditioned by sensual pleasureskāmādhikaraṇaṁ just of sensual pleasureskāmānameva causehetu.

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.

of thatTassa ifce, Mahānāmamahānāma, family·sonkulaputtassa thusevaṁ strivinguṭṭhahato endeavoringghaṭato exertingvāyamato thosete richesbhogā succeedabhinipphajjanti.
heSo of thosetesaṁ of richesbhogānaṁ protection·because ofārakkhādhikaraṇaṁ paindukkhaṁ sadnessdomanassaṁ experiencespaṭisaṁvedeti:
how‘kinti myme richesbhoge not·indeedneva rulersrājāno might takehareyyuṁ, notna banditscorā might takehareyyuṁ, notna fireaggi might burndaheyya, notna waterudakaṁ might carry awayvaheyya, notna not·dearappiyā orvā heirsdāyādā might takehareyyun’ti.
of himTassa thusevaṁ protectingārakkhato guardinggopayato thosete richesbhoge rulersrājāno orvā takeharanti, banditscorā orvā takeharanti, fireaggi orvā burnsdahati, waterudakaṁ orvā carries awayvahati, not·dearappiyā orvā heirsdāyādā takeharanti.
heSo sorrowssocati wearieskilamati around·wailparidevati beating the breasturattāḷiṁ wailskandati together·delusionsammohaṁ falls intoāpajjati:
what‘yampi mineme wasahosi that·alsotampi notno does not existnatthī’ti.
this tooAyampi, Mahānāmamahānāma, of sensual pleasureskāmānaṁ drawbackādīnavo own·visiblesandiṭṭhiko pain·massdukkhakkhandho sensual pleasure·causekāmahetu sensual pleasure·originkāmanidānaṁ sensual pleasure·because ofkāmādhikaraṇaṁ sensual pleasure·alonekāmānameva causehetu.

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.

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.

furthermorePuna and moreovercaparaṁ, Mahānāmamahānāma, for the sake of sensual pleasureskāmahetu caused by sensual pleasureskāmanidānaṁ because of sensual pleasureskāmādhikaraṇaṁ because of sensual pleasures themselveskāmānameva causehetu sword and shieldasicammaṁ having takengahetvā, bow and arrowsdhanukalāpaṁ having fastenedsannayhitvā, massed on both sidesubhatobyūḷhaṁ battlesaṅgāmaṁ they plungepakkhandanti with arrows alsousūsupi flyingkhippamānesu, with spears alsosattīsupi flyingkhippamānāsu, with swords alsoasīsupi flashingvijjotalantesu.
theyTe theretattha with arrows alsousūhipi they are struckvijjhanti, with a spear alsosattiyāpi they are struckvijjhanti, with a sword alsoasināpi headsīsaṁ they chop offchindanti.
theyTe theretattha death alsomaraṇampi they undergonigacchanti, deadly pain alsomaraṇamattampi painfuldukkhaṁ.
this tooAyampi, Mahānāmamahānāma, of sensual pleasureskāmānaṁ drawbackādīnavo apparent in the present lifesandiṭṭhiko mass of sufferingdukkhakkhandho for the sake of sensual pleasureskāmahetu caused by sensual pleasureskāmanidānaṁ because of sensual pleasureskāmādhikaraṇaṁ because of sensual pleasures themselveskāmānameva causehetu.

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.

againPuna and furthercaparaṁ, Mahānāmamahānāma, sensual pleasure·causekāmahetu sensual pleasure·sourcekāmanidānaṁ with sensual pleasures as the reasonkāmādhikaraṇaṁ with sensual pleasures alone as the causekāmānameva causehetu sword·shieldasicammaṁ having takengahetvā, bow·bundledhanukalāpaṁ having fastenedsannayhitvā, wetly plasteredaddāvalepanā bastionsupakāriyo they chargepakkhandanti arrows·toousūsupi while flyingkhippamānesu, spears·toosattīsupi while flyingkhippamānāsu, swords·tooasīsupi while flashingvijjotalantesu.
theyTe theretattha arrows·toousūhipi are struckvijjhanti, spear·toosattiyāpi are struckvijjhanti, dung·toochakaṇakāyapi are splashedosiñcanti, superior force·tooabhivaggenapi are crushedomaddanti, sword·tooasināpi the headsīsaṁ they chop offchindanti.
theyTe theretattha death toomaraṇampi they undergonigacchanti, deadly pain toomaraṇamattampi sufferingdukkhaṁ.
this tooAyampi, Mahānāmamahānāma, of sensual pleasureskāmānaṁ a drawbackādīnavo apparent in the present lifesandiṭṭhiko suffering·massdukkhakkhandho sensual pleasure·causekāmahetu sensual pleasure·sourcekāmanidānaṁ with sensual pleasures as the reasonkāmādhikaraṇaṁ with sensual pleasures alone as the causekāmānameva causehetu.

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.

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.

againPuna and·furthercaparaṁ, Mahānāmamahānāma, sensual pleasure·causekāmahetu sensual pleasure·sourcekāmanidānaṁ with sensual pleasures as the reasonkāmādhikaraṇaṁ simply because of sensual pleasureskāmānameva for the sake ofhetu with the bodykāyena bad·conductduccaritaṁ they conduct themselvescaranti, with speechvācāya bad·conductduccaritaṁ they conduct themselvescaranti, with the mindmanasā bad·conductduccaritaṁ they conduct themselvescaranti.
theyTe with the bodykāyena bad·conductduccaritaṁ having conducted themselvescaritvā, with speechvācāya bad·conductduccaritaṁ having conducted themselvescaritvā, with the mindmanasā bad·conductduccaritaṁ having conducted themselvescaritvā, of the bodykāyassa from breaking upbhedā afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā, state of lossapāyaṁ bad·destinationduggatiṁ downfallvinipātaṁ hellnirayaṁ they are rebornupapajjanti.
this·tooAyampi, Mahānāmamahānāma, of sensual pleasureskāmānaṁ drawbackādīnavo pertaining to future livessamparāyiko, suffering·massdukkhakkhandho sensual pleasure·causekāmahetu sensual pleasure·sourcekāmanidānaṁ with sensual pleasures as the reasonkāmādhikaraṇaṁ simply because of sensual pleasureskāmānameva for the sake ofhetu.

Furthermore, for the sake of sensual pleasures, they conduct themselves badly by way of body, speech, and mind. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. This is a drawback of sensual pleasures to do with lives to come, a mass of suffering caused by sensual pleasures.

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