Māgaṇḍiyasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 75

With Māgaṇḍiya · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

Parallels & more translations on SuttaCentral

Glosses: Fluent · Literal · Off
Translation: Hide · Show

Tap any word for its dictionary entry.

suppose thatSeyyathāpi, Māgaṇḍiyamāgaṇḍiya, a leperkuṭṭhī a personpuriso with soresarugatto with blisters on limbspakkagatto by wormskimīhi being devouredkhajjamāno with nailsnakhehi openings of woundsvaṇamukhāni scratchingvippatacchamāno over a pit of glowing coalsaṅgārakāsuyā bodykāyaṁ would cauterizeparitāpeyya.
hisTassa friends and colleaguesmittāmaccā relatives and kinñātisālohitā a surgeonbhisakkaṁ a physiciansallakattaṁ would getupaṭṭhāpeyyuṁ.
hisTassa thatso surgeonbhisakko physiciansallakatto medicinebhesajjaṁ would makekareyya.
heSo thattaṁ medicinebhesajjaṁ usingāgamma from leprosykuṭṭhehi would be curedparimucceyya, healthyarogo he would beassa happysukhī autonomousserī master of himselfsayaṁvasī whereveryena he wantedkāmaṁ able to gogamo.
heSo anotheraññaṁ a leperkuṭṭhiṁ personpurisaṁ would seepasseyya with soresarugattaṁ with blisters on limbspakkagattaṁ by wormskimīhi being devouredkhajjamānaṁ with nailsnakhehi openings of woundsvaṇamukhāni scratchingvippatacchamānaṁ over a pit of glowing coalsaṅgārakāsuyā bodykāyaṁ cauterizingparitāpentaṁ.
thatTaṁ whatkiṁ do you thinkmaññasi, Māgaṇḍiyamāgaṇḍiya,
wouldapi thennu thatso personpuriso of thatamussa leperkuṭṭhissa personpurisassa would envypiheyya pit of glowing coalsaṅgārakāsuyā orvā medicinebhesajjaṁ for takingpaṭisevanāya orvā”ti?
no“No indeedhidaṁ, worthybho Gotamagotama.
thatTaṁ of whatkissa causehetu?
when diseaseRoge indeedhi, worthybho Gotamagotama, existssati with medicinebhesajjena to be donekaraṇīyaṁ ishoti, when diseaseroge exists notasati notna with medicinebhesajjena to be donekaraṇīyaṁ ishotī”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.”

just so“Evameva indeedkho Iahaṁ, Māgaṇḍiyamāgaṇḍiya, formerlypubbe being a householderagāriyabhūto beingsamāno with fivepañcahi cords of sensual pleasurekāmaguṇehi endowedsamappito possessedsamaṅgībhūto I amused myselfparicāresiṁ, cognizable by the eyecakkhuviññeyyehi with formsrūpehi likableiṭṭhehi desirablekantehi agreeablemanāpehi pleasantpiyarūpehi connected with sensual desirekāmūpasaṁhitehi arousingrajanīyehi, cognizable by the earsotaviññeyyehi with soundssaddehi …pe……pe…
cognizable by the noseghānaviññeyyehi with smellsgandhehi ……
cognizable by the tonguejivhāviññeyyehi with tastesrasehi ……
cognizable by the bodykāyaviññeyyehi with touchesphoṭṭhabbehi likableiṭṭhehi desirablekantehi agreeablemanāpehi pleasantpiyarūpehi connected with sensual desirekāmūpasaṁhitehi arousingrajanīyehi.
ISo lateraparena with timesamayena of sensual pleasures justkāmānaṁyeva and the originsamudayañca and the endingatthaṅgamañca and the gratificationassādañca and the drawbackādīnavañca and the escapenissaraṇañca as it really isyathābhūtaṁ having knownviditvā craving for sensual pleasureskāmataṇhaṁ having given uppahāya passion for sensual pleasureskāmapariḷāhaṁ having dispelledpaṭivinodetvā free from thirstvigatapipāso internallyajjhattaṁ with settled mindvūpasantacitto I liveviharāmi.
ISo otheraññe beingssatte I seepassāmi in sensual pleasureskāmesu not free from passionavītarāge by cravings for sensual pleasureskāmataṇhāhi being consumedkhajjamāne by passion for sensual pleasureskāmapariḷāhena being burnedpariḍayhamāne sensual pleasureskāme indulging inpaṭisevante.
ISo themtesaṁ notna I envypihemi, notna theretattha I delightabhiramāmi.
whatTaṁ whatkissa reasonhetu?
that whichYāhayaṁ, Māgaṇḍiyamāgaṇḍiya, satisfactionrati, apart justaññatreva from sensual pleasureskāmehi apartaññatra from unskillfulakusalehi from qualitiesdhammehi—
evenapi heavenlydibbaṁ pleasuresukhaṁ having attainedsamadhigayha it remainstiṭṭhati—
by thattāya satisfactionratiyā enjoyingramamāno of what is inferiorhīnassa notna I envypihemi, notna theretattha I delightabhiramāmi.

“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.

just asSeyyathāpi, Māgaṇḍiyamāgaṇḍiya, one with leprosykuṭṭhī a personpuriso with sores on his limbsarugatto with blisters on his limbspakkagatto by wormskimīhi being eatenkhajjamāno with nailsnakhehi the openings of the woundsvaṇamukhāni scratching openvippatacchamāno in a pit of glowing coalsaṅgārakāsuyā his bodykāyaṁ he would scorchparitāpeyya.
hisTassa friends and colleaguesmittāmaccā relatives and kinñātisālohitā a physicianbhisakkaṁ a surgeonsallakattaṁ they would presentupaṭṭhāpeyyuṁ.
for himTassa thatso physicianbhisakko surgeonsallakatto a medicinebhesajjaṁ would makekareyya.
heSo thattaṁ medicinebhesajjaṁ having takenāgamma from leprosykuṭṭhehi he would be freedparimucceyya, healthyarogo he would beassa happysukhī autonomousserī master of himselfsayaṁvasī whereyena he wantedkāmaṁ he could gogamo.
himTamenaṁ twodve strongbalavanto menpurisā by the armsnānābāhāsu having seizedgahetvā to the pit of glowing coalsaṅgārakāsuṁ they would dragupakaḍḍheyyuṁ.
thatTaṁ whatkiṁ do you thinkmaññasi, Māgaṇḍiyamāgaṇḍiya,
notapi thennu thatso personpuriso thusiti to and frociticeva his bodykāyaṁ he would writhesannāmeyyā”ti?
yes“Evaṁ, worthybho Gotamagotama.
thatTaṁ of whatkissa is the reasonhetu?
thatAsu indeedhi, worthybho Gotamagotama, fireaggi painful to touchdukkhasamphasso andceva fiercely burningmahābhitāpo andca scorchingmahāpariḷāho andcā”ti.
that“Taṁ whatkiṁ do you thinkmaññasi, Māgaṇḍiyamāgaṇḍiya,

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?

now onlyidāneva thennu indeedkho thatso fireaggi painful to touchdukkhasamphasso and alsoceva fiercely burningmahābhitāpo andca very hotmahāpariḷāho andca orudāhu previously toopubbepi thatso fireaggi painful to touchdukkhasamphasso and alsoceva fiercely burningmahābhitāpo andca very hotmahāpariḷāho and?"cā”ti?
now“Idāni and alsoceva, sirbho gotamagotama, thatso fireaggi painful to touchdukkhasamphasso and alsoceva fiercely burningmahābhitāpo andca very hotmahāpariḷāho and,ca, previously toopubbepi thatso fireaggi painful to touchdukkhasamphasso and alsoceva fiercely burningmahābhitāpo andca very hotmahāpariḷāho and.ca.
thatAsu and,ca, sirbho gotamagotama, afflicted with leprosykuṭṭhī personpuriso with soresarugatto with blistered limbspakkagatto by wormskimīhi being devouredkhajjamāno with nailsnakhehi the openings of woundsvaṇamukhāni scratching openvippatacchamāno with impaired facultiesupahatindriyo in painful touch onlydukkhasamphasseyeva in the fireaggismiṁ it is pleasantsukhamiti distorted perceptionviparītasaññaṁ acquired."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.”

just so“Evameva indeedkho, Māgaṇḍiyamāgaṇḍiya, even in the pastatītampi timeaddhānaṁ sensual pleasureskāmā painful to touchdukkhasamphassā andceva fiercely burningmahābhitāpā andca scorchingmahāpariḷāhā andca, even in the futureanāgatampi timeaddhānaṁ sensual pleasureskāmā painful to touchdukkhasamphassā andceva fiercely burningmahābhitāpā andca scorchingmahāpariḷāhā andca, even nowetarahipi presentpaccuppannaṁ timeaddhānaṁ sensual pleasureskāmā painful to touchdukkhasamphassā andceva fiercely burningmahābhitāpā andca scorchingmahāpariḷāhā andca.
theseIme andca, Māgaṇḍiyamāgaṇḍiya, beingssattā in sensual pleasureskāmesu not free from passionavītarāgā by cravings for sensual pleasureskāmataṇhāhi being consumedkhajjamānā with passion for sensual pleasureskāmapariḷāhena being burnedpariḍayhamānā with impaired facultiesupahatindriyā even in regard to painful-to-touchdukkhasamphassesuyeva in sensual pleasureskāmesu it is pleasantsukhamiti distorted perceptionviparītasaññaṁ they have acquiredpaccalatthuṁ.

“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.

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.

Lite mode — plain HTML for e-readers and old browsers. Full version