Laṭukikopamasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 66

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

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for themTesaṁ thattaṁ, Udāyiudāyi, ishoti weakabalaṁ bondbandhanaṁ, feebledubbalaṁ bondbandhanaṁ, rottenpūtikaṁ bondbandhanaṁ, insubstantialasārakaṁ bondbandhanaṁ.

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

fourCattārome, Udāyīudāyi, individualspuggalā beingsanto foundsaṁvijjamānā in the worldlokasmiṁ.
whatKatame fourcattāro?

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

here, UdāyīIdhudāyi, a certainekacco individualpuggalo for giving up attachmentsupadhipahānāya practicingpaṭipanno ishoti for letting go of attachments.upadhipaṭinissaggāya.
that oneTamenaṁ practicing to give up attachmentsupadhipahānāya practicingpaṭipannaṁ for letting go of attachmentsupadhipaṭinissaggāya connected with attachmentsupadhipaṭisaṁyuttā memories and thoughtssarasaṅkappā besetsamudācaranti.
theySo themte tolerateadhivāseti, do not give upnappajahati, notna dispelvinodeti, notna eliminatebyantīkaroti, notna obliterationanabhāvaṁ obliterategameti.
thisImaṁ indeedkho Iahaṁ, Udāyīudāyi, individualpuggalaṁ ‘fettered’‘saṁyutto’ti I callvadāmi notno ‘detached’.‘visaṁyutto’.
thatTaṁ of whatkissa reason?hetu?
disparity of facultiesIndriyavemattatā becausehi by meme, Udāyīudāyi, in thisimasmiṁ individualpuggale understoodviditā.

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.

hereIdha but Udāyīpanudāyi, a certainekacco personpuggalo for giving up attachmentsupadhipahānāya practicingpaṭipanno ishoti for letting go of attachmentsupadhipaṭinissaggāya.
that personTamenaṁ for giving up attachmentsupadhipahānāya practicingpaṭipannaṁ for letting go of attachmentsupadhipaṭinissaggāya connected with attachmentsupadhipaṭisaṁyuttā memories and thoughtssarasaṅkappā besetsamudācaranti.
heSo themte doesn't toleratenādhivāseti, gives uppajahati, dispelsvinodeti, eliminatesbyantīkaroti, to non-existenceanabhāvaṁ obliteratesgameti.
this personImampi indeedkho Iahaṁ, Udāyīudāyi, personpuggalaṁ ‘fettered’‘saṁyutto’ti I sayvadāmi notno ‘detached’‘visaṁyutto’.
thatTaṁ of whatkissa the reasonhetu?
disparity of facultiesIndriyavemattatā becausehi by meme, Udāyīudāyi, in thisimasmiṁ personpuggale understoodviditā.

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.

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?

disparity of facultiesIndriyavemattatā becausehi by meme, Udāyiudāyi, in thisimasmiṁ individualpuggale understoodviditā.

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

hereIdha and Udayipanudāyi, a certainekacco individualpuggalo attachment‘upadhi of sufferingdukkhassa is the rootmūlan’ti—
thusiti having understoodviditvā free from attachmentnirupadhi ishoti, in the ending of attachmentsupadhisaṅkhaye is freedvimutto.
thisImaṁ indeedkho Iahaṁ, Udayiudāyi, individualpuggalaṁ detached‘visaṁyutto’ti I callvadāmi notno fettered‘saṁyutto’ti.
thatTaṁ of whatkissa causehetu?
disparity of facultiesIndriyavemattatā becausehi by meme, Udayiudāyi, in thisimasmiṁ individualpuggale is understoodviditā.
theseIme indeedkho, Udayiudāyi, fourcattāro individualspuggalā beingsanto foundsaṁvijjamānā in the worldlokasmiṁ.

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.

fivePañca indeedkho theseime, Udāyīudāyi, sensual stimulationskāmaguṇā.
whichKatame five?pañca?
knowable by the eyeCakkhuviññeyyā sightsrūpā likableiṭṭhā desirablekantā agreeablemanāpā pleasantpiyarūpā sensualkāmūpasaṁhitā arousingrajanīyā,
knowable by the earsotaviññeyyā soundssaddā …pe……pe…
knowable by the noseghānaviññeyyā smellsgandhā ……
knowable by the tonguejivhāviññeyyā tastesrasā ……
knowable by the bodykāyaviññeyyā touchesphoṭṭhabbā likableiṭṭhā desirablekantā agreeablemanāpā pleasantpiyarūpā sensualkāmūpasaṁhitā arousingrajanīyā.
theseIme indeedkho, Udāyīudāyi, fivepañca sensual stimulationskāmaguṇā.

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.

whichYaṁ indeedkho, Udāyiudāyi, theseime fivepañca kinds of sensual stimulationkāmaguṇe because ofpaṭicca arisesuppajjati pleasuresukhaṁ happinesssomanassaṁ thisidaṁ is calledvuccati sensual pleasurekāmasukhaṁ filthy pleasuremiḷhasukhaṁ ordinary pleasureputhujjanasukhaṁ ignoble pleasureanariyasukhaṁ, notna should be cultivatedsevitabbaṁ, notna should be developedbhāvetabbaṁ, notna should be practicedbahulīkātabbaṁ; should be feared‘bhāyitabbaṁ of thisetassa pleasuresukhassā’ti I sayvadāmi.

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.

here, UdāyiIdhudāyi, a mendicantbhikkhu quite secludedvivicceva from sensual pleasureskāmehi …pe……pe… firstpaṭhamaṁ absorptionjhānaṁ enters and remainsupasampajja remainsviharati
of thinking and consideringvitakkavicārānaṁ from the stillingvūpasamā …pe……pe… seconddutiyaṁ absorptionjhānaṁ enters and remainsupasampajja remains,viharati,
of joypītiyā andca from fading awayvirāgā …pe……pe… thirdtatiyaṁ absorptionjhānaṁ enters and remainsupasampajja remains,viharati,
of pleasuresukhassa andca from giving uppahānā …pe……pe… fourthcatutthaṁ absorptionjhānaṁ enters and remainsupasampajja remains.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.

thisIdaṁ is calledvuccati pleasure of renunciationnekkhammasukhaṁ pleasure of seclusionpavivekasukhaṁ pleasure of peaceupasamasukhaṁ pleasure of awakeningsambodhasukhaṁ, should be cultivatedāsevitabbaṁ, should be developedbhāvetabbaṁ, should be practiced frequentlybahulīkātabbaṁ; not‘na should be fearedbhāyitabbaṁ of thisetassa pleasuresukhassā’ti I sayvadāmi.

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.

here, Udāyi,Idhudāyi, a mendicantbhikkhu quite secludedvivicceva from sensual pleasureskāmehi …pe……pe… firstpaṭhamaṁ absorptionjhānaṁ having enteredupasampajja remains;viharati;
thisidaṁ indeedkho Iahaṁ, Udāyi,udāyi, to the perturbableiñjitasmiṁ I say.vadāmi.
And whatKiñca theretattha to the perturbable?iñjitasmiṁ?
WhateverYadeva theretattha placing of the mind and keeping it connectedvitakkavicārā has not ceasedaniruddhā arehonti thisidaṁ theretattha to the perturbable.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.

here, Udāyi,Idhudāyi, a mendicantbhikkhu of placing the mind and keeping it connectedvitakkavicārānaṁ by the stillingvūpasamā …pe……pe… seconddutiyaṁ absorptionjhānaṁ having enteredupasampajja dwells;viharati;
this tooidampi indeedkho Iahaṁ, Udāyi,udāyi, in the perturbableiñjitasmiṁ I say.vadāmi.
And whatKiñca theretattha in the perturbable?iñjitasmiṁ?
whateverYadeva theretattha rapture and blisspītisukhaṁ not ceasedaniruddhaṁ ishoti thisidaṁ theretattha in the perturbable.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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