苦陰經

Thus have I heard:

At one time the Buddha was journeying in the country of Sāvatthī, in the Jeta Grove, in the Park of Anāthapiṇḍika.

At that time, after the midday meal, the bhikkhus, having no particular tasks, gathered and sat together in the lecture hall. At that time a great number of heterodox practitioners, after their own midday meal, came wandering to where the bhikkhus were, exchanged greetings with one another, then sat to one side and said to the bhikkhus:

"Venerable friends, the recluse Gotama maintains the full understanding of sensual desires[02], maintains the full understanding of forms, maintains the full understanding of feelings[03]. Venerable friends, we too maintain the full understanding of sensual desires, maintain the full understanding of the removal of forms, maintain the full understanding of feelings. Between the recluse Gotama and ourselves, between these two[04] doctrines of full understanding[05], what superiority is there, what differences are there?"

At that time the bhikkhus, having heard what those many heterodox practitioners said, did not know what was right and what was wrong. In silence they rose and departed, while thinking: "Concerning such matters as these, it is from the Blessed One that we must come to know them."

Then they went to the Buddha, bowed their heads in homage, and sat to one side. They related to the Buddha what they had discussed with those many heterodox practitioners. Thereupon the Blessed One said to the bhikkhus:

"At that time you should have asked those many heterodox practitioners thus: 'Venerable friends, what is the gratification of sensual desires, what is the danger of sensual desires, what is the escape from sensual desires[06]? What is the gratification of forms, what is the danger of forms, what is the escape from forms? What is the gratification of feelings, what is the danger of feelings, what is the escape from feelings?'

"Bhikkhus, if you had asked them thus, then after hearing this they would have cross-questioned one another, spoken in circles, grown angry and quarreled, and then would have risen from their seats and withdrawn in silence. Why is that? Because I see no one—among the devas, Māra, Brahmā, recluses, brahmins, or anyone else in this world—who could know that meaning so as to proclaim it, except the Tathāgata and the disciples of the Tathāgata, or those disciples who have heard it from these two."

The Buddha then asked:

"What is the gratification of sensual desires? It is that, on account of the five cords of sensual desire[07], pleasure and joy arise. The gratification of sensual desires reaches only to this extent and no further, but its dangers are very many.

"What is the danger of sensual desires? A son of good family, by his own particular craft[08], earns his own living: whether by farming, or by trading, or by the study of texts, or by being skilled in calculation, or by knowing accountancy, or by being skilled in engraving seals, or by composing literature, or by penmanship, or by understanding scriptures and poetry, or by being a warrior, or by serving the king[09]. When that man encounters cold he must endure the cold, when he encounters heat he must endure the heat; he is afflicted by hunger, thirst, and weariness, and is stung by mosquitoes and gadflies.

He must ply such an occupation in the hope of acquiring wealth. When the son of good family, by such means and engaged in such tasks, seeks in this way, if he does not acquire wealth, then suffering arises—grief, sorrow, and lamentation—and his mind becomes deluded, and he says: 'Vainly have I labored in toil and hardship to no avail, and what I sought has borne no fruit.' On the other hand, if that son of good family, by such means and seeking in this way, does acquire wealth, then he comes to cherish it, to guard it, and to bury it away.

Why is that? He thinks: 'This property of mine—let it not be seized by the king, nor plundered by robbers, nor burned by fire, nor spoiled, nor lost, nor expended without profit, nor put to a venture that fails.' Though he guards it and buries it away thus, yet if by mischance it is seized by the king, or plundered by robbers, or burned and spoiled by fire and lost, then suffering arises—grief, sorrow, and lamentation—and his mind becomes deluded, and he says: 'What I cherished, what I thought upon day and night, is now no more.' These are the torments in this present life[10], on account of sensual desires, conditioned by sensual desires, with sensual desires as their root.

"Furthermore, because beings act on account of sensual desires, conditioned by sensual desires, with sensual desires as their root, mothers quarrel with their children, children quarrel with their mothers; fathers and children, brothers, sisters, and kinsfolk of the same lineage quarrel with one another. Because they quarrel with one another in this way, mothers speak ill of their children, children speak ill of their mothers. Fathers and children, brothers, sisters, and kinsfolk of the same lineage speak ill of one another. If this is so even among close relatives, how much more so among strangers. These are the torments in this present life, on account of sensual desires, conditioned by sensual desires, with sensual desires as their root.

"Furthermore, because beings act on account of sensual desires, conditioned by sensual desires, with sensual desires as their root, king contends with king, brahmin contends with brahmin, householder contends with householder, the people contend with the people, and this country contends with that country. Because of contending, they become enemies of one another, and then with all kinds of weapons they slay one another—whether they strike with their fists, or hurl stones, or beat with clubs, or hack with knives. While they fight, some die and some are terrified, undergoing extreme and grievous suffering. These are the torments in this present life, on account of sensual desires, conditioned by sensual desires, with sensual desires as their root.

"Furthermore, because beings act on account of sensual desires, conditioned by sensual desires, with sensual desires as their root, they put on armor, don long robes, take up spears and lances, bows and arrows, or grasp swords and shields, and go into battle. They fight with elephants, or with horses, or with chariots, or wage war with foot soldiers, or set men and women to fight. While they fight, some die and some are terrified, undergoing extreme and grievous suffering. These are the torments in this present life, on account of sensual desires, conditioned by sensual desires, with sensual desires as their root.

"Furthermore, because beings act on account of sensual desires, conditioned by sensual desires, with sensual desires as their root, they put on armor, don long robes, take up spears and lances, bows and arrows, or grasp swords and shields, and go to seize the lands of others, assaulting cities and breaking down ramparts, resisting one another, beating drums and blowing horns, shouting with loud cries—whether striking with mallets, or thrusting with spears and halberds, or using sharpened wheels, or shooting arrows, or rolling down stones, or using great crossbows, or pouring molten copper into the eyes.

While they fight, some die and some are terrified, undergoing extreme and grievous suffering. These are the torments in this present life, on account of sensual desires, conditioned by sensual desires, with sensual desires as their root.

"Furthermore, because beings act on account of sensual desires, conditioned by sensual desires, with sensual desires as their root, they put on armor, don long robes, take up spears and lances, bows and arrows, or grasp swords and shields, and enter hamlets, villages, kingdoms, and towns; they break through walls and plunder storehouses, seize property, waylay travelers on the roads, or go to other quarters to ravage hamlets and villages, to destroy cities and ruin countries.

Among them, some are captured by the king's men and put to all manner of torture: their hands are cut off, their feet are cut off, or both hands and feet are cut off; their ears are cut off, their noses are cut off, or both ears and nose are cut off; or their flesh is sliced off piece by piece; their beards are plucked out, their hair is plucked out, or both beard and hair are plucked out; or they are shut up in cages, wrapped in cloth and burned with fire, or buried in sand, wrapped about with grass and then set alight; or they are put into the belly of an iron donkey, or put into the mouth of an iron pig, or placed in the mouth of an iron tiger and then burned, or thrown into a copper cauldron, or thrown into an iron cauldron and boiled;

or they are chopped into segments, or stabbed with sharp pikes, or hooked with iron hooks, or made to lie on an iron bed and have boiling oil poured over them, or made to sit in an iron mortar and pounded with an iron pestle, or set upon by snakes and centipedes to be bitten, or whipped with lashes, or jabbed with rods, or struck with bludgeons, or bound alive and hung upon a high stake, or beheaded and their heads displayed.

In such cases, such a one either dies or is terrified, undergoing extreme and grievous suffering. These are the torments in this present life, on account of sensual desires, conditioned by sensual desires, with sensual desires as their root.

"Furthermore, because beings act on account of sensual desires, conditioned by sensual desires, with sensual desires as their root, they do evil with the body, do evil with speech, do evil with the mind. Such a one afterward, sick and bedridden, sits or lies upon the ground, and because suffering oppresses his body, his whole body feels suffering beyond measure, no longer worthy of delight. Because in the past he did evil with the body, did evil with speech, did evil with the mind, when he is about to die these evils screen his very eyes, just as when the sun sets behind the slope of a great mountain, blotting out the face of the earth[11].

So too, that one is screened before his eyes by the evil conduct of body, the evil conduct of speech, and of mind, and he thinks: 'The evil conduct I did in former times now screens itself before my eyes. Before, I made no meritorious deeds but made much evil karma. If there be anyone who does only evil, who is cruel and violent, who commits only crimes and does no merit, who practices no good—who in life knows no fear, and at death has no refuge to rely on, no place to return to—then to whatever realm such a one goes when he is reborn, there too shall I be reborn.' Thereupon remorse arises, and through remorse he dies without peace, and dying gains no merit.

These are the torments in this present life, on account of sensual desires, conditioned by sensual desires, with sensual desires as their root.

"Furthermore, because beings act on account of sensual desires, conditioned by sensual desires, with sensual desires as their root, they do evil with the body, do evil with speech and mind. Because such a one does evil with the body, does evil with speech and mind, on account of that, conditioned by that, when his body breaks up and his life ends, he must go to a state of woe and be reborn in the hells. These are the torments in the life to come, on account of sensual desires, conditioned by sensual desires, with sensual desires as their root. Such is the danger of sensual desires.

"What is the escape from sensual desires? If one cuts off sensual desires, relinquishes sensual desires, utterly extinguishes sensual desires, passes beyond sensual desires and is freed—this is called the escape from sensual desires.

"If any recluse or brahmin does not know, as it truly is, the gratification of sensual desires, the danger of sensual desires, and the escape from sensual desires, then he can never himself cut off sensual desires, still less cut off sensual desires for another.

"If any recluse or brahmin knows, as it truly is, the gratification of sensual desires, the danger of sensual desires, and the escape from sensual desires, then he can not only himself cut off sensual desires but can also cut off sensual desires for another.

"What is the gratification of forms? Suppose there are maidens of the khattiya, brahmin, householder, or artisan classes who have reached the age of fourteen or fifteen, the time when their beauty is at its most lovely and fair. On account of that beauty, conditioned by that beauty, pleasure arises and joy arises; the gratification of forms reaches only to this extent and no further. But the dangers of forms are very many.

"What is the danger of forms? Suppose one were to see her afterward become utterly old and frail, her hair white, her teeth fallen out, her back bent, her knees sagging, walking with a staff in support, her youth wasted away, her life span nearly spent, her body trembling, her faculties worn out and decayed. What do you think? Has the beauty of former times not vanished, and has danger not arisen?"

"Indeed it has, Blessed One."

"Furthermore, suppose one were to see her sick and bedridden, sitting or lying upon the ground, and because suffering oppresses her body, undergoing suffering to the utmost. What do you think? Has the beauty of former times not vanished, and has danger not arisen?"

"Indeed it has, Blessed One."

"Furthermore, suppose one were to see her corpse, dead for one or two days up to six or seven days, being scratched and pecked by crows and kites, torn apart by jackals and wolves, or already cremated or buried, decomposing and decaying. What do you think? Has the beauty of former times not vanished, and has danger not arisen?"

"Indeed it has, Blessed One."

"Furthermore, suppose one were to see her corpse in the charnel ground, the skeletal remains grayish-blue, decayed beyond half, the bones scattered upon the ground. What do you think? Has the beauty of former times not vanished, and has danger not arisen?"

"Indeed it has, Blessed One."

"Furthermore, suppose one were to see her corpse in the charnel ground, the bones disjointed at the joints, scattered everywhere—the foot bones, the thigh bones, the knee bones, the shin bones, the spine, the shoulder bones, the neck bones, the skull—each in a different place. What do you think? Has the beauty of former times not vanished, and has danger not arisen?"

"Indeed it has, Blessed One."

"Furthermore, suppose one were to see her corpse in the charnel ground, the bones white as a conch shell, blue as the feathers of a pigeon, red as the color of blood, spoiled and decayed. What do you think? Has the beauty of former times not vanished, and has danger not arisen?"

"Indeed it has, Blessed One. This is called the danger of forms."

"What is the escape from forms? If one cuts off forms, relinquishes forms, utterly extinguishes forms, passes beyond forms and is freed—this is called the escape from forms.

"If any recluse or brahmin does not know, as it truly is, the gratification of forms, the danger of forms, and the escape from forms, then he can never himself cut off forms, still less cut off forms for another.

"If any recluse or brahmin knows, as it truly is, the gratification of forms, the danger of forms, and the escape from forms, then he can not only himself cut off forms but can also cut off forms for another.

"What is the gratification of feelings? A bhikkhu, secluded from sensual desires, secluded from evil and unwholesome states, and so on, attains and abides in the fourth jhāna. At that time he does not think of harming himself, nor does he think of harming others. If he does not think of harm, this is the gratification of pleasant feeling. Why is that? Because not thinking of doing harm, he accomplishes that pleasant feeling. This is called the gratification of feelings.

"What is the danger of feelings? Feeling is impermanent by nature, of a nature to cease. This is called the danger of feelings.

"What is the escape from feelings? If one cuts off feelings, relinquishes feelings, utterly extinguishes feelings, passes beyond feelings and is freed—this is called the escape from feelings.

"If any recluse or brahmin does not know, as it truly is, the gratification of feelings, the danger of feelings, and the escape from feelings, then he can never himself cut off feelings, still less cut off feelings for another.

"If any recluse or brahmin knows, as it truly is, the gratification of feelings, the danger of feelings, and the escape from feelings, then he can not only himself cut off feelings but can also cut off feelings for another."

Thus did the Buddha speak. Those bhikkhus, having heard what was spoken, rejoiced and respectfully practiced it.

Notes:

[01] In the Chinese version, fascicle 25. Corresponds to the Pāli: M.13, Mahā-dukkhakkhandha. Chinese alternative translations: No.53, No.125 (21.9).

[02] Original Chinese: biàn zhī yù 遍 知 欲, to know thoroughly about sensual desire. Pāli: kāmānaṃ pariññaṃ.

[03] Awareness (feeling).

[04] The Goryeo edition reads "two" 二; the other editions read "three" 三.

[05] The editions read: "two (three) understandings, two (three) cuttings off," with a second character "two (three)" being superfluous.

[06] The gratification of desire, the danger of desire, the escape from desire 欲 味 欲 患 欲 出 要. Pāli: kāmānaṃ assādo, kāmānaṃ ādīnavo, kāmānṃ nissaraṇaṃ—the gratification, the danger, and the escape with respect to sensual desires.

[07] The five cords of sensual desire 五 欲 功 德. Pāli: pañca kāmaguṇā.

[08] Chinese: jì shù 伎 (技) 述, craft. Pāli: sippaṭṭhanena, by a field of craft.

[09] The "crafts" according to the Chinese version: working the fields, conducting livelihood, being clear in calculation, knowing accountancy, being skilled in engraving seals, composing literature, penmanship, understanding scriptures and texts, being a brave warrior, serving the king. The list according to the Pāli: yadi muddāya yadi gaṇanāya yadi saṅkhānena yadi kasiyā yadi vaṇijjāya yadi gorakkhena yadi issatthena yadi rājaporisena—whether by seal-reckoning (or the art of engraving seals), by mental calculation (silent reckoning), by visual reckoning (arithmetic), by farming, by trade, by cattle-keeping (herding cattle), by archery (making weapons), and by official service (serving the king).

[10] The mass of suffering in the present life 現 法 苦 陰. Pāli: sandiṭṭhiko dukkhakhando, the aggregate of suffering directly witnessed.

[11] No.53: "When the sun is about to set, the shade falls back down between two great mountains."