苦陰經

Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha was dwelling in the city of Śrāvastī, in the Jeta Grove, the Garden of Anāthapiṇḍika. At that time the bhikṣus, having held their discussions, all understood clearly and had few doubts.

At that time there were certain heterodox practitioners of other doctrines who, after wandering about outside, came to where the bhikṣus were; then they and the bhikṣus exchanged greetings upon meeting one another. After greeting one another, they sat down to one side. When these heterodox practitioners of other doctrines had seated themselves to one side, they then said to the bhikṣus: Venerable ones, the Śramaṇa Gautama employs wisdom in speaking of desire, and employs wisdom in speaking of form and the aggregate of feeling.

Venerable ones, we too employ that very wisdom in speaking of form and the aggregate of feeling. So wherein lies any difference? Wherein is one inferior?

Wherein are they equal? Thus the Śramaṇa Gautama and we alike possess wisdom.

Then the bhikṣus, hearing these heterodox practitioners of other doctrines speak in this way, neither agreed nor yet disdained them; with this neither agreeing nor disdaining, the bhikṣus thereupon rose from their seats and departed, (thinking) today we have heard these words; we must go and ask the World-Honored One, only then can we penetrate the meaning of this. These ones then went to the place of the World-Honored One.

After paying homage to the World-Honored One, the bhikṣus sat down to one side; the bhikṣus turned toward the World-Honored One and laid out in full the entire matter that had been argued together with the heterodox practitioners of other doctrines. After they had thus laid it out before the World-Honored One, the World-Honored One then said to the bhikṣus: O bhikṣus, at that time you should have questioned those heterodox practitioners of other doctrines in this way: What is the gratification of desire?

What is its dissolution? What is the renunciation of it? What is the gratification of form?

What is its dissolution? What is the renunciation of it? What is the gratification of feeling?

What is its dissolution? What is the renunciation of it? You bhikṣus should have answered in that manner.

Those heterodox practitioners of other doctrines, having heard such questioning, all looked at one another, showing as though they wished to dispute; their minds having given rise to anger and resentment, they thereupon fell silent and displeased, their hands and feet and whole bodies trembling, their countenances changed so that they could not reply; at that time they silently rose from their seats and departed.

Why is this so? I do not see any among the devas, the world, Māra, Brahmā, śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, the host of heaven, or humankind who, hearing what I have said, would understand its meaning clearly as I do. Except for the disciples of the Tathāgata, who, if they hear this meaning, will thereby be able to understand what is the gratification of desire.

That is to say, on account of the five desires, there arises either craving or there arises delight; this is called the gratification of desire. Within the gratification of desire there is much dissolution. What is the dissolution of desire?

It is like a person of the world who either uses an occupation to support his own body and life, or works the fields, or buys and sells, or reads books, studies arithmetic, studies calculation, or studies the making of poetry, or studies to become a high-ranking leader, or becomes a teacher, or is recruited to sit examinations to become an official, and so suffers from the cold and the searing heat, endures hunger and thirst, is bitten and stung by mosquitoes, gnats, flies, and bedbugs—that person endures these things for the sake of seeking wealth; because those persons of the world desire thus, they act thus and carry on thus.

When that person, having acted thus, yet obtains no goods, he then grieves and is unsettled, weeping and beating and striking himself, and in his folly speaks thus: because of my folly I have labored without result, while others, without even needing to seek, labor diligently and straightaway attain their result.

Those who do attain wealth then guard it, hiding away those goods with care. (They think) This property is mine; now I shall not let the king seize it, shall not let it be stolen, shall not let it be burned, shall not let it be ruined, shall not put it out for profit and lose the gain. That person guards his wealth thus, yet if it is plundered by the king, taken by thieves, burned by fire or ruined, or put out for profit yet the gain is lost; he grieves and is unsettled, weeping and beating and striking himself; this only increases his folly.

Furthermore, that person of the world may have been long absorbed in delight, and then grieves over this loss and dissolution; this is presently an aggregate of suffering. Because it is on account of desire, by reason of desire, through the increase of desire. This precisely is desire serving as cause and condition.

All sentient beings dwell in the cause of desire, the condition of desire, and the increase of desire. Because of the cause of desire, mother quarrels with child, child quarrels with mother, father quarrels with child, child quarrels with father, elder brother quarrels with younger brother, younger brother quarrels with elder brother; they contend with one another. Mother says the child is wrong, child says the mother is wrong, child says the father is wrong, father says the child is wrong, elder brother says the younger is wrong, younger brother says the elder is wrong; how much more so with others. This is the present condition of the aggregate of suffering; because it is on account of desire, by reason of desire, through the increase of desire.

The sentient beings of this realm, on account of desire, by reason of desire, through the increase of desire, are such that king quarrels with king, brāhmaṇa quarrels with brāhmaṇa, householder quarrels with householder, servant quarrels with master—all contend with one another. Each person makes each kind of implement with which to contend with one another; whether using the hand, or using stones, or using knives, or using weapons; and thereupon they dwell in the calamity of suffering that is death. This is the present condition of the aggregate of suffering. Because it is on account of desire, by reason of desire, through the increase of desire.

The sentient beings of this realm, on account of desire, by reason of desire, through the increase of desire, don armor and grasp bows and arrows, or wear copper hide and grasp sharp knives, gathering together to do battle with one another. Others are within the ranks of armies, fighting with elephants, or fighting with horses, or using chariots, or using foot soldiers, or using women, or using gentlemen-warriors—within the battle there are the various calamities of suffering concerning the various forms of death. This is the present condition of the aggregate of suffering. Because it is on account of desire, by reason of desire, through the increase of desire.

The sentient beings within this realm, on account of desire and on through the increase of desire, don armor and on through grasping sharp knives, aiming at the lofty citadel because they wish to conquer it. Those within that citadel either blow conch horns, or beat drums, or raise battle cries, or use mallets, or use halberds, or use axes, or use saw-toothed wheels, or shoot at one another with bows and arrows, or hurl stones in wild profusion, or shoot with crossbows, or pour boiling molten copper upon others.

The sentient beings of this realm, on account of desire, by reason of desire, through the increase of desire, come to the royal citadels and the villages and hamlets, and either dig through walls and break down partitions, or steal the goods of others, or cut off the roads of others, or destroy citadels and ravage villages and slay the people. Or such a person who holds office and authority creates conduct that inflicts suffering: whether cutting off heads, or chopping off the hands and feet of others, or cutting off people's ears, or cutting off people's noses, or cutting off people's ears and noses, or cutting off the topknot, or cutting off the hair, or cutting off the topknot and the hair, or casting them into prison, or slaying and dismembering them,

or pressing them down with sand and stones, or pressing them down with grass, or putting a person into the mouth of an iron donkey, or into the mouth of an iron lion, or placing them in a cauldron of copper, or in a cauldron of iron, or cutting a person's body into pieces, or stabbing a person to death with an iron implement, or laying a person upon a heated iron bed and pouring hot oil upon him, or putting him into a mortar and pounding the person with an iron pestle, or letting insects bite him, or beating the person, or using every means, even to the stratagem of using a knife and impaling the head on display.

This is the present condition of the body's aggregate of suffering; because it is on account of desire and on through the increase of desire.

The sentient beings of this realm, on account of desire and on through the increase of desire, create the suffering of the body, the suffering of speech and of mind; and at other times they meet with the calamity and suffering of illness: lying upon a bed, lying upon a couch, or lying in darkness; the body inherently undergoing the utmost extreme of suffering with no delight, the life-faculty about to be severed; this is the painful conduct of the body, the painful conduct of speech and mind.

That person, when his lifetime is ended, his deeds of action yet remain; just as when the heavens have reached twilight, the sun has just emerged from the mountains, yet within that very mountain region the shadow of the other mountain runs in reverse down below; such is the painful conduct of the body, the painful conduct of speech, the painful conduct of mind. When a person's life comes to its end and is yet dragged along by deeds of action, he gives rise to thoughts thus: because of this painful conduct of the body, painful conduct of speech and mind, I am thrust down into a low place; because I did not act rightly, because I did not create merit, and I did far too many evil deeds;

that is to say, I devoted myself solely to evil deeds, to deeds of greed and deeds of violence, did not perform the deeds of merit, did not perform the deeds of goodness, nor did I create any work of taking refuge; I shall surely fall into that path.

Thus there straightaway arises anxiety; having anxiety, in the end it is unwholesome, and the place of rebirth is likewise unwholesome. This is the present condition of the aggregate of suffering. Because it is on account of desire and on through the increase of desire.

Sentient beings, on account of desire and on through the increase of desire, create the painful conduct of the body, the painful conduct of speech and mind. That person, having created the painful conduct of the body and on through the painful conduct of mind; on account of that cause and that condition, when the body breaks up and life ends, is reborn in the realm of hell, the evil realm. This is presently the aggregate of suffering, because it is on account of desire and on through the increase of desire. This too is the dissolution of desire.

What is the renunciation of desire? Should there be a person who, with regard to desire, has a yearning, he should put an end to that yearning, should transcend that yearning; renouncing that craving is called the renunciation of desire. O śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas, such is the gratification of desire.

Within sensuality there is dissolution; not knowing renunciation as it truly is, how could that person put an end to his own desire and also be able to cause others to put an end to desire; since they dwell together with and are conjoined together with sensuality, how could they put an end to it? This matter is not so. O śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, the gratification of desire is thus; but to understand that it is dissolution, that it can be renounced, and to realize it as it truly is; thereafter one can oneself put an end to desire and also cause others to put an end to it.

Though they dwell together with and are conjoined together with desire, yet they can put an end to it; this matter is indeed thus.

What is called the gratification of the dharma of form? Whether a kṣatriya woman, a brāhmaṇa woman, an artisan woman, a commoner woman, or a girl of fourteen or fifteen years; at this age her beauty is complete; these persons are content with and delight in that beauty; this is here called the gratification of form. Yet within this form there is much dissolution. What is the dissolution of form? One must see that that girl will reach decrepit old age, hair grown white and teeth fallen out, leaning on a staff as she walks; what do you make of this? World-Honored One: How could her former lovely beauty not have dissolved.

Furthermore, one must clearly see the calamity and suffering of illness of that girl: whether lying upon a bed, or lying upon a couch, or lying in some hidden place, pain throughout her whole body, the calamity of suffering pressing upon her with no delight, her life-faculty all but about to be severed; what do you make of this? World-Honored One: How could her former lovely beauty not have dissolved.

Furthermore, one should clearly know the various sufferings concerning the death of that girl: from one day up to seven days, whether burned, or buried, or cast away for the worms and insects to devour; what do you make of this? World-Honored One: How could her former lovely beauty not have dissolved.

Furthermore, one must clearly see that the corpse of that girl either has its bones laid bare, or is bloated and swollen, or is infested with maggots, or is devoured by beasts, or has its white bones exposed; what do you make of this? World-Honored One: How could her former lovely beauty not have dissolved.

Furthermore, one may see that the corpse of that girl has no skin or flesh, only the tendons and sinews tangled together; what do you make of this? World-Honored One: How could her former lovely beauty not have dissolved.

Furthermore, should one see that the joints and bones of that girl's corpse have come apart piece by piece, scattered in many different places: the bones of the legs in one place, the bones of the upper arms, the thigh bones, the back bones, the spine, the shoulder bones, the neck bones, the head bones—each in a different place; what do you make of this? World-Honored One: How could her former lovely beauty not have dissolved.

Furthermore, should one see that the corpse of that girl has bones white as a conch shell, or blue as the color of a pigeon, or reddened, or rotted and decayed; what do you make of this? World-Honored One: How could her former lovely beauty not have dissolved. Such is the dissolution of form.

What is called the renunciation of form? It means that, with regard to the dharma of form, there is craving; one should put an end to that craving, transcend all that craving in order to forsake that dharma of form. O śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, such is the gratification of the dharma of form that contains dissolution; if one does not renounce it, one will not come to know the principle as it truly is.

How then could one, without oneself putting away form, yet be able to cause others to put away form? Moreover, when a person dwells within form, how could he be able to put an end to it? This matter is not so; O śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, with regard to the gratification of form being thus, to know its dissolution, its renunciation, to know it as it truly is; that person can himself put away form, and also cause others to put it away; this precisely is, as to the very place of dwelling, being able to put away the desire for form.

What is the gratification of the aggregate of feeling? A bhikṣu, in this liberation from desire, on up to abiding in the right concentration of the fourth dhyāna; when he abides at this point, he neither destroys it for himself nor destroys the (abiding mind) of another. Being without destruction, herein he straightaway attains peace and bliss. Why is this so? I say that where there is no mind of anger and hatred, one attains the feeling of bliss. This is the gratification of the aggregate of feeling.

What is called the dissolution of feeling? It means that feeling is inherently impermanent, suffering, and without self. This is the dissolving nature of feeling.

What is called the renunciation of the aggregate of feeling? It means the sensation of craving; to put an end to that craving, to transcend that craving. This is the renunciation of the aggregate of feeling.

If a śramaṇa or brāhmaṇa, with regard to the gratification of the aggregate of feeling being thus, does not know its dissolving nature, does not know its renunciation, then he does not know the principle as it truly is. That person, being unable to put it away for himself, how could he put away feeling for others? Moreover, they dwell together within the perishing nature of feeling. This matter is not so. O śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, with regard to the gratification of the aggregate of feeling being thus, knowing this dissolution and this renunciation, one knows the principle as it truly is. That person can himself put away the desire-feeling, and also cause others to put it away. Though dwelling together with the aggregate of feeling, he is still able to put it away; this matter is indeed thus.

The Buddha spoke thus, and the bhikṣus, having heard the teaching of the World-Honored One, rejoiced and received it.