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Majjhima Nikāya 66

The Simile of the Quail · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Tesaṁ taṁ, udāyi, hoti abalaṁ bandhanaṁ, dubbalaṁ bandhanaṁ, pūtikaṁ bandhanaṁ, asārakaṁ bandhanaṁ.

For them, that bond is weak, feeble, rotten, and insubstantial.

Cattārome, udāyi, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.
Katame cattāro?

Udāyī, these four individuals are found in the world. What four?

Idhudāyi, ekacco puggalo upadhipahānāya paṭipanno hoti upadhipaṭinissaggāya.
Tamenaṁ upadhipahānāya paṭipannaṁ upadhipaṭinissaggāya upadhipaṭisaṁyuttā sarasaṅkappā samudācaranti.
So te adhivāseti, nappajahati, na vinodeti, na byantīkaroti, na anabhāvaṁ gameti.
Imaṁ kho ahaṁ, udāyi, puggalaṁ ‘saṁyutto’ti vadāmi no ‘visaṁyutto’.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Indriyavemattatā hi me, udāyi, imasmiṁ puggale viditā.

Take a certain individual practicing to give up and let go of attachments. As they do so, memories and thoughts connected with attachments beset them. They tolerate them and don’t give them up, dispel them, eliminate them, and obliterate them. I call this individual ‘fettered’, not ‘detached’. Why is that? Because I understand the disparity of faculties as it applies to this individual.

Idha panudāyi, ekacco puggalo upadhipahānāya paṭipanno hoti upadhipaṭinissaggāya.
Tamenaṁ upadhipahānāya paṭipannaṁ upadhipaṭinissaggāya upadhipaṭisaṁyuttā sarasaṅkappā samudācaranti.
So te nādhivāseti, pajahati, vinodeti, byantīkaroti, anabhāvaṁ gameti.
Imampi kho ahaṁ, udāyi, puggalaṁ ‘saṁyutto’ti vadāmi no ‘visaṁyutto’.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Indriyavemattatā hi me, udāyi, imasmiṁ puggale viditā.

Take another individual practicing to give up and let go of attachments. As they do so, memories and thoughts connected with attachments beset them. They don’t tolerate them, but give them up, dispel them, eliminate them, and obliterate them. I also call this individual ‘fettered’, not ‘detached’. Why is that? Because I understand the disparity of faculties as it applies to this individual.

Idha panudāyi, ekacco puggalo upadhipahānāya paṭipanno hoti upadhipaṭinissaggāya.
Tamenaṁ upadhipahānāya paṭipannaṁ upadhipaṭinissaggāya kadāci karahaci satisammosā upadhipaṭisaṁyuttā sarasaṅkappā samudācaranti;
dandho, udāyi, satuppādo.
Atha kho naṁ khippameva pajahati, vinodeti, byantīkaroti, anabhāvaṁ gameti.
Seyyathāpi, udāyi, puriso divasaṁsantatte ayokaṭāhe dve vā tīṇi vā udakaphusitāni nipāteyya;
dandho, udāyi, udakaphusitānaṁ nipāto. Atha kho naṁ khippameva parikkhayaṁ pariyādānaṁ gaccheyya.
Evameva kho, udāyi, idhekacco puggalo upadhipahānāya paṭipanno hoti upadhipaṭinissaggāya.
Tamenaṁ upadhipahānāya paṭipannaṁ upadhipaṭinissaggāya kadāci karahaci satisammosā upadhipaṭisaṁyuttā sarasaṅkappā samudācaranti;
dandho, udāyi, satuppādo.
Atha kho naṁ khippameva pajahati, vinodeti, byantīkaroti, anabhāvaṁ gameti.
Imampi kho ahaṁ, udāyi, puggalaṁ ‘saṁyutto’ti vadāmi no ‘visaṁyutto’.
Taṁ kissa hetu?

Take another individual practicing to give up and let go of attachments. As they do so, memories and thoughts connected with attachments beset them every so often, due to the loss of mindfulness. Slowly mindfulness arises, then they quickly give up, dispel, eliminate, and obliterate those thoughts. Suppose there was an iron cauldron that had been heated all day, and a person let two or three drops of water fall onto it. Slowly the drops fall, but then they quickly dry up and evaporate. In the same way, take an individual practicing to give up and let go of attachments. As they do so, memories and thoughts connected with attachments beset them every so often, due to the loss of mindfulness. Slowly mindfulness arises, but then they quickly give up, dispel, eliminate, and obliterate those thoughts. I also call this individual ‘fettered’, not ‘detached’. Why is that?

Indriyavemattatā hi me, udāyi, imasmiṁ puggale viditā.

Because I understand the disparity of faculties as it applies to this individual.

Idha panudāyi, ekacco puggalo ‘upadhi dukkhassa mūlan’ti—
iti viditvā nirupadhi hoti, upadhisaṅkhaye vimutto.
Imaṁ kho ahaṁ, udāyi, puggalaṁ ‘visaṁyutto’ti vadāmi no ‘saṁyutto’ti.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Indriyavemattatā hi me, udāyi, imasmiṁ puggale viditā.
Ime kho, udāyi, cattāro puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.

Take another individual who, understanding that attachment is the root of suffering, is freed with the ending of attachments. I call this individual ‘detached’, not ‘fettered’. Why is that? Because I understand the disparity of faculties as it applies to this individual. These are the four individuals found in the world.

Pañca kho ime, udāyi, kāmaguṇā.
Katame pañca?
Cakkhuviññeyyā rūpā iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṁhitā rajanīyā,
sotaviññeyyā saddā …pe…
ghānaviññeyyā gandhā …
jivhāviññeyyā rasā …
kāyaviññeyyā phoṭṭhabbā iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṁhitā rajanīyā.
Ime kho, udāyi, pañca kāmaguṇā.

Udāyī, these are the five kinds of sensual stimulation. What five? Sights known by the eye, which are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasant, sensual, and arousing. Sounds known by the ear … Smells known by the nose … Tastes known by the tongue … Touches known by the body, which are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasant, sensual, and arousing. These are the five kinds of sensual stimulation.

Yaṁ kho, udāyi, ime pañca kāmaguṇe paṭicca uppajjati sukhaṁ somanassaṁ idaṁ vuccati kāmasukhaṁ miḷhasukhaṁ puthujjanasukhaṁ anariyasukhaṁ, na sevitabbaṁ, na bhāvetabbaṁ, na bahulīkātabbaṁ; ‘bhāyitabbaṁ etassa sukhassā’ti vadāmi.

The pleasure and happiness that arise from these five kinds of sensual stimulation is called sensual pleasure—a filthy, ordinary, ignoble pleasure. Such pleasure should not be cultivated or developed, but should be feared, I say.

Idhudāyi, bhikkhu vivicceva kāmehi …pe… paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati
vitakkavicārānaṁ vūpasamā …pe… dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati,
pītiyā ca virāgā …pe… tatiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati,
sukhassa ca pahānā …pe… catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.

Take a mendicant who, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, enters and remains in the first absorption … second absorption … third absorption … fourth absorption.

Idaṁ vuccati nekkhammasukhaṁ pavivekasukhaṁ upasamasukhaṁ sambodhasukhaṁ, āsevitabbaṁ, bhāvetabbaṁ, bahulīkātabbaṁ; ‘na bhāyitabbaṁ etassa sukhassā’ti vadāmi.

This is called the pleasure of renunciation, the pleasure of seclusion, the pleasure of peace, the pleasure of awakening. Such pleasure should be cultivated and developed, and should not be feared, I say.

Idhudāyi, bhikkhu vivicceva kāmehi …pe… paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati;
idaṁ kho ahaṁ, udāyi, iñjitasmiṁ vadāmi.
Kiñca tattha iñjitasmiṁ?
Yadeva tattha vitakkavicārā aniruddhā honti idaṁ tattha iñjitasmiṁ.

Take a mendicant who, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, enters and remains in the first absorption. This belongs to the perturbable, I say. And what there belongs to the perturbable? Whatever placing of the mind and keeping it connected has not ceased there is what belongs to the perturbable.

Idhudāyi, bhikkhu vitakkavicārānaṁ vūpasamā …pe… dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati;
idampi kho ahaṁ, udāyi, iñjitasmiṁ vadāmi.
Kiñca tattha iñjitasmiṁ?
Yadeva tattha pītisukhaṁ aniruddhaṁ hoti idaṁ tattha iñjitasmiṁ.

Take a mendicant who, as the placing of the mind and keeping it connected are stilled, enters and remains in the second absorption. This belongs to the perturbable, I say. And what there belongs to the perturbable? Whatever rapture and bliss has not ceased there is what belongs to the perturbable.

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