Māgaṇḍiyasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 75

With Māgaṇḍiya · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Seyyathāpi, māgaṇḍiya, kuṭṭhī puriso arugatto pakkagatto kimīhi khajjamāno nakhehi vaṇamukhāni vippatacchamāno aṅgārakāsuyā kāyaṁ paritāpeyya.
Tassa mittāmaccā ñātisālohitā bhisakkaṁ sallakattaṁ upaṭṭhāpeyyuṁ.
Tassa so bhisakko sallakatto bhesajjaṁ kareyya.
So taṁ bhesajjaṁ āgamma kuṭṭhehi parimucceyya, arogo assa sukhī serī sayaṁvasī yena kāmaṁ gamo.
So aññaṁ kuṭṭhiṁ purisaṁ passeyya arugattaṁ pakkagattaṁ kimīhi khajjamānaṁ nakhehi vaṇamukhāni vippatacchamānaṁ aṅgārakāsuyā kāyaṁ paritāpentaṁ.
Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, māgaṇḍiya,
api nu so puriso amussa kuṭṭhissa purisassa piheyya aṅgārakāsuyā vā bhesajjaṁ paṭisevanāya vā”ti?
“No hidaṁ, bho gotama.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Roge hi, bho gotama, sati bhesajjena karaṇīyaṁ hoti, roge asati na bhesajjena karaṇīyaṁ hotī”ti.

Suppose there was a person affected by leprosy, with sores and blisters on their limbs. Being devoured by worms, scratching with their nails at the opening of their wounds, they’d cauterize their body over a pit of glowing coals. Their friends and colleagues, relatives and kin would get a surgeon to treat them. The surgeon would make medicine for them, and by using that they’d be cured of leprosy. They’d be healthy, happy, autonomous, master of themselves, able to go where they wanted. Then they’d see another person affected by leprosy, with sores and blisters on their limbs, being devoured by worms, scratching with their nails at the opening of their wounds, cauterizing their body over a pit of glowing coals. What do you think, Māgaṇḍiya? Would that person envy that other person affected by leprosy for their pit of glowing coals or for taking medicine?” “No, worthy Gotama. Why is that? Because you need to take medicine only when there’s a disease. When there’s no disease, there’s no need for medicine.”

“Evameva kho ahaṁ, māgaṇḍiya, pubbe agāriyabhūto samāno pañcahi kāmaguṇehi samappito samaṅgībhūto paricāresiṁ, cakkhuviññeyyehi rūpehi iṭṭhehi kantehi manāpehi piyarūpehi kāmūpasaṁhitehi rajanīyehi, sotaviññeyyehi saddehi …pe…
ghānaviññeyyehi gandhehi …
jivhāviññeyyehi rasehi …
kāyaviññeyyehi phoṭṭhabbehi iṭṭhehi kantehi manāpehi piyarūpehi kāmūpasaṁhitehi rajanīyehi.
So aparena samayena kāmānaṁyeva samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ viditvā kāmataṇhaṁ pahāya kāmapariḷāhaṁ paṭivinodetvā vigatapipāso ajjhattaṁ vūpasantacitto viharāmi.
So aññe satte passāmi kāmesu avītarāge kāmataṇhāhi khajjamāne kāmapariḷāhena pariḍayhamāne kāme paṭisevante.
So tesaṁ na pihemi, na tattha abhiramāmi.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Yāhayaṁ, māgaṇḍiya, rati, aññatreva kāmehi aññatra akusalehi dhammehi—
api dibbaṁ sukhaṁ samadhigayha tiṭṭhati—
tāya ratiyā ramamāno hīnassa na pihemi, na tattha abhiramāmi.

“In the same way, Māgaṇḍiya, when I was still a layperson I used to amuse myself with sights … sounds … smells … tastes … touches known by the body, which are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasant, sensual, and arousing. Some time later—having truly understood the origin, ending, gratification, drawback, and escape of sensual pleasures, and having given up craving and dispelled passion for sensual pleasures—I live rid of thirst, my mind settled internally. I see other sentient beings who are not free from sensual pleasures being consumed by craving for sensual pleasures, burning with passion for sensual pleasures, indulging in sensual pleasures. I don’t envy them, nor do I hope to enjoy that. Why is that? Because there is a satisfaction that is apart from sensual pleasures and unskillful qualities, which even equals heavenly pleasure. Enjoying that satisfaction, I don’t envy what is inferior, nor do I hope to enjoy it.

Seyyathāpi, māgaṇḍiya, kuṭṭhī puriso arugatto pakkagatto kimīhi khajjamāno nakhehi vaṇamukhāni vippatacchamāno aṅgārakāsuyā kāyaṁ paritāpeyya.
Tassa mittāmaccā ñātisālohitā bhisakkaṁ sallakattaṁ upaṭṭhāpeyyuṁ.
Tassa so bhisakko sallakatto bhesajjaṁ kareyya.
So taṁ bhesajjaṁ āgamma kuṭṭhehi parimucceyya, arogo assa sukhī serī sayaṁvasī yena kāmaṁ gamo.
Tamenaṁ dve balavanto purisā nānābāhāsu gahetvā aṅgārakāsuṁ upakaḍḍheyyuṁ.
Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, māgaṇḍiya,
api nu so puriso iti citiceva kāyaṁ sannāmeyyā”ti?
“Evaṁ, bho gotama.
Taṁ kissa hetu?
Asu hi, bho gotama, aggi dukkhasamphasso ceva mahābhitāpo ca mahāpariḷāho cā”ti.
“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, māgaṇḍiya,

Suppose there was a person affected by leprosy, with sores and blisters on their limbs. Being devoured by worms, scratching with their nails at the opening of their wounds, they’d cauterize their body over a pit of glowing coals. Their friends and colleagues, relatives and kin would get a surgeon to treat them. The surgeon would make medicine for them, and by using that they’d be cured of leprosy. They’d be healthy, happy, autonomous, master of themselves, able to go where they wanted. Two strong men would grab them by the arms and drag them toward the pit of glowing coals. What do you think, Māgaṇḍiya? Wouldn’t that person writhe and struggle to and fro?” “Yes, worthy Gotama. Why is that? Because that fire is really painful to touch, fiercely burning and scorching.” “What do you think, Māgaṇḍiya?

idāneva nu kho so aggi dukkhasamphasso ceva mahābhitāpo ca mahāpariḷāho ca udāhu pubbepi so aggi dukkhasamphasso ceva mahābhitāpo ca mahāpariḷāho cā”ti?
“Idāni ceva, bho gotama, so aggi dukkhasamphasso ceva mahābhitāpo ca mahāpariḷāho ca, pubbepi so aggi dukkhasamphasso ceva mahābhitāpo ca mahāpariḷāho ca.
Asu ca, bho gotama, kuṭṭhī puriso arugatto pakkagatto kimīhi khajjamāno nakhehi vaṇamukhāni vippatacchamāno upahatindriyo dukkhasamphasseyeva aggismiṁ sukhamiti viparītasaññaṁ paccalatthā”ti.

Is it only now that the fire is really painful to touch, fiercely burning and scorching, or was it painful previously as well?” “That fire is painful now and it was also painful previously. That person was affected by leprosy, with sores and blisters on their limbs. Being devoured by worms, scratching with their nails at the opening of their wounds, their sense faculties were impaired. So even though the fire was actually painful to touch, they had a distorted perception that it was pleasant.”

“Evameva kho, māgaṇḍiya, atītampi addhānaṁ kāmā dukkhasamphassā ceva mahābhitāpā ca mahāpariḷāhā ca, anāgatampi addhānaṁ kāmā dukkhasamphassā ceva mahābhitāpā ca mahāpariḷāhā ca, etarahipi paccuppannaṁ addhānaṁ kāmā dukkhasamphassā ceva mahābhitāpā ca mahāpariḷāhā ca.
Ime ca, māgaṇḍiya, sattā kāmesu avītarāgā kāmataṇhāhi khajjamānā kāmapariḷāhena pariḍayhamānā upahatindriyā dukkhasamphassesuyeva kāmesu sukhamiti viparītasaññaṁ paccalatthuṁ.

“In the same way, sensual pleasures of the past, future, and present are painful to touch, fiercely burning and scorching. These sentient beings who are not free from sensual pleasures—being consumed by craving for sensual pleasures, burning with passion for sensual pleasures—have impaired sense faculties. So even though sensual pleasures are actually painful to touch, they have a distorted perception that they are pleasant.

Seyyathāpi, māgaṇḍiya, kuṭṭhī puriso arugatto pakkagatto kimīhi khajjamāno nakhehi vaṇamukhāni vippatacchamāno aṅgārakāsuyā kāyaṁ paritāpeti.
Yathā yathā kho, māgaṇḍiya, asu kuṭṭhī puriso arugatto pakkagatto kimīhi khajjamāno nakhehi vaṇamukhāni vippatacchamāno aṅgārakāsuyā kāyaṁ paritāpeti tathā tathāssa tāni vaṇamukhāni asucitarāni ceva honti duggandhatarāni ca pūtikatarāni ca, hoti ceva kāci sātamattā assādamattā—yadidaṁ vaṇamukhānaṁ kaṇḍūvanahetu;
evameva kho, māgaṇḍiya, sattā kāmesu avītarāgā kāmataṇhāhi khajjamānā kāmapariḷāhena ca pariḍayhamānā kāme paṭisevanti.
Yathā yathā kho, māgaṇḍiya, sattā kāmesu avītarāgā kāmataṇhāhi khajjamānā kāmapariḷāhena ca pariḍayhamānā kāme paṭisevanti tathā tathā tesaṁ tesaṁ sattānaṁ kāmataṇhā ceva pavaḍḍhati, kāmapariḷāhena ca pariḍayhanti, hoti ceva sātamattā assādamattā—yadidaṁ pañcakāmaguṇe paṭicca.

Suppose there was a person affected by leprosy, with sores and blisters on their limbs. Being devoured by worms, scratching with their nails at the opening of their wounds, they’re cauterizing their body over a pit of glowing coals. The more they scratch their wounds and cauterize their body, the more their wounds become foul, stinking, and infected. But still, they derive a degree of pleasure and gratification from the itchiness of their wounds. In the same way, I see other sentient beings who are not free from sensual pleasures being consumed by craving for sensual pleasures, burning with passion for sensual pleasures, indulging in sensual pleasures. The more they indulge in sensual pleasures, the more their craving for sensual pleasures grows, and the more they burn with passion for sensual pleasures. But still, they derive a degree of pleasure and gratification from the five kinds of sensual stimulation.

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