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Majjhima Nikaaya I.
2. 4. Cuuladukkhakkhandhasutta.m-
(14) The Minor Mass of Unpleasantness
I heard thus.
At one time the Blessed One was living in Nigrodhaas monastery in Kapilavatthu in
the country of the Sakyas. Then the Sakya Mahaanaama approached the Blessed One
worshipped, sat on a side and said: I remember the Blessed One teaching some time ago that
greed is a minor defilement of the mind, anger is a minor defilement of the mind, and
delusion is a minor defilement of the mind. Venerable sir, I know this teaching well that
greed, anger, and delusion are minor defilements of the mind, yet on some days greed takes
hold of my mind and persists, anger takes hold of my mind and persists and delusion takes
hold of my mind and persists. Then it occurs to me: Why are these things not dispelled
from me internally, that on a day greed takes hold of me and persists, anger too takes
hold of me and persists, and delusion too takes hold of me and persits.
Mahaanaama, those things are not dispelled in you internally, so one day greed takes
hold of your mind and persist, anger takes hold of your mind and persist, and delusion
takes hold of your mind and persist. .
Mahaanaama, if these things were dispelled in you internally, you would not live in a
household and partake of sensuality. Mahaanaama, by a noble disciple, with his right
wisdom, it is clearly seen that sensuality has little satisfaction, much unpleasantness,
much trouble and many dangers and if he does not attain a joy and pleasantness away from
sensual desires and away from demeritorious thoughts or something more appeasing than that
until then he falls for sensuality. When the noble disciple sees as it really is,with
right wisdom, there is little satisfaction in sensuality, much unpleasanness, much trouble
and many dangers he attains a joy and pleasantness away from sensual desires and away from
demeritorious thoughts or something more appeasing than that. Then he falls no more for
sensuality. Mahaanaaama, I too, when a seeker of enlightenment, saw as it really is, with
right wisdom, there is little satisfaction in sensuality, much unpleasantness, much
trouble and many dangers and when I did not attain a joy and pleasantness away from
sensual desires and away from demeritorious thoughts or something more appeasing than
that, I did not realize of a no fall for sensuality. When I saw as it really is, with
right wisdom, there is little satisfaction in sensuality, much unpleasantness, much
trouble and many danagers and attained a joy and pleasantness away from sensual desires
and away from demeritorious thoughts or something more appeasing than that, I realized
there is no fall for sensuality. .
Mahaanaama, what is the satisfaction in sensuality, Mahaanaama,. fivefold are the
strands of sensuality. What five: Exciting, agreeable, pleasant forms, arousing sensual
desires, cognizable by eye consciousness. Exciting, agreeable, pleasant sounds, arousing
sensual desires cognizable by ear consciousness. Exciting , agreeable , pleasant smells,
arousing sensual desires cognizable by nose consciousness. Exciting, agreeable pleasant
tastes, arousing sensual desires cognizable by tongue consciousness. Exciting agreeable
pleasant touches, arousing sensual desires congizable by body consciousness Whatever
pleasantness and pleasure arises on account of these five strands of sensuality, that is
the satisfaction in sensuality.
Mahaanaama, what is the danger in sensuality Whoever son of a clansman would have to
make a living by some craft either handling money, or counting, or Mathematics, or
farming, or trading, or rearing cattle, or ruling the country, or serving the king, or
doing any other craft would have to undergo cold and heat, the sting of gad flies and
yellow flies, the heat of the air, the touch of creeping things, would have to bear hunger
and thirst. This is the danger of sensuality here and now, the mass of unpleasantness
owing to sensuality. This son of a clansman, strives and puts forth effort yet wealth
would not accrue to him. He grieves and laments beats his breast and comes to bewilderment
of mind. This son of a clansman strives and puts forth effort and wealth accrues to him,
then he comes to unpleasantness and displeasure administrating ways and means to protect
his wealth.What if the king carries away my wealth, or thieves run away with it, what if
fire burns it or be carried away by water. Or if unwelcome heirs carry it away. Then his
wealth is either carried away by the king or carried away by thieves, or burnt by fire, or
carried away by water, or some unwelcome heirs would carry it away and he grieves and
comes to much unpleasantness and displeasure.Mahaanaama , this is the danger of sensuality
here and now, the mass of unpleasantness owing to sensuality.
Again, Mahaanaama, kings dispute with kings, warriors with warriors, brahmins with
brahmins, householders with householders, mother disputes with the son, the son with the
mother, the father with the son, the son with the father, brother with brother, brother
with sister, sister with brother, friend with friend, They dispute quarrel and approach
each other with hands, clods, sticks, weapons, and even face death, or come to deadly
unpleasantness. This is the danger of sensuality here and now, the mass of unpleasantness
owing to sensuality.
Again on account of sensuality the two parties, take swords and shields, bows and
arrows, and other weapons and approach each other, throw slippery implements at each
other, shoot arrows, swords flickering like lightening, boiling oil is sprinkled and each
other is crushed with superior force, necks are cut and they face death or deathly
unpleasantness. This too is the danger of sensuality here and now, the mass of
unpleasaantness owing to sensuality. .
Again on account of sensuality, robbers break into houses, plunder, rob, stay in
ambush, go to others wives,.. The king metes them punishment are caned and wipped,
flogged with the jungle rope, flogged with the soiled stick, hands severed, legs severed,
or both hands and legs severed, ears and nose severed, put in the boiling gruel pot, shell
tonsured, put in Raahus mouth, garlanded with the blazing garland, hands are
scorched, the bark dress is given, put with snakes, putting the flesh is hooked, pieces of
flesh are cut from the body, a spike is driven from ear to ear, the body is made like
straw beating, immersed in boiling oil, given to the dogs to be eaten, raised on a spike
alive until death, and the neck is cut with the sword. This too is the danger of
sensulaity here and now, the mass of unpleasantness owing to sensuality.
Again, Mahaanaama, on account of sensuality, misbehaving in body, in words and
mentally, after death are born in loss, in decrease are born in hell. This is the danger
of sensuality here after, the mass of unpleasantness.
Mahaanaama, at one time I lived in Rajagaha on vultures peak at that time many
Nigan.thas were standing errect rejecting seats on the black rock on the Isigili side.
They were feeling sharp rough unpleasant feelings. When I got up from my seclusion, I
approached those Nigan.thas on the black rock on Isigili side and asked them -Friends,
Nigan.thas, why do you stand errect rejecting seats and feel sharp rough unpleasant
feelings. When, asked they said Friend, Nigan.tha Naathaputta acknowledges remainderless
knowledge and vision is all knowing and all seeing . He said walking or standing or lying
or awake constantly my knowledge and vision is established . Nigan.thas, you have earlier
done demerit, by this difficult performance finish them; When you are now restrained in
body, words and mind, demerit is not done for the future, the earlier actions are with
austerities destroyed. When new actions are not done, there are no tricklings for the
future. When there are no tricklings for the future, there is destruction of action. With
the destruction of action, there is the destruction of unpleasantness, with the
destruction of unpleasantness there is the destruction of feelings . With the destruction
of feelings all unpleasantness finishes. We like this teaching and it appeals to us.
Then I asked the Nigan.thas," Nigan.thas, do you know, we were in the past or we
were not in the past" -"No, friend." "Nigan.thas, do you know we did
not do demerit in the past not we did not do demerit in the past". "No
friend." "Do you know, we did not do this demerit and this demerit"
"No friend." "Nigan.thas, do you know , this much unpleasantness is
finished, this much unpleasantness has to be finished, or when this much unpleasantness is
finished all unpleasantness will finish." -"No friend." "Nigan.thas,
do you know the dispelling of demeritorious actions here and now, and the accumulation of
meritorious actions" "No. Friend" " So then, friends Nigan.thas, you
do not know, we were in the past, not we were not in the past. You do not know we did not
do demerit in the past, not we did not do demerit in the past. You do not know, we did not
do this demerit and this demerit. You do not know, this much unpleasantness is finished,
this much unpleasantness has to be finished, or when this unpleasantness is finished, all
unpleasantness will finish. You do not know the dispelling of demeritorious actions here
and now, and the accumulation of meritorious actions. When this is so, friends,
Nigan.thas, those bloody handed with fierce actions born among humans go forth as
Nigana.thas- Friend, Gotama, from pleasantness, pleasantaness could not be attained, from
unpleasanatness, pleasantness could be attained. If pleasantness could be attained from
pleasantness, king Seniya Bimbisaara of Magadha would attain more pleasantness than
venerable Gotama.
Indeed the Nigan.thas have spoken unreflective words From pleasantness,
pleasantness could not be attained, from unpleasantness, pleasantness could be attained.
If pleasantness could be attained from pleasantness, king Seniya Bimbisaara of Magadha
would attain more pleasanaatness than venerable Gotama This question should have
been asked from me, Who has a more pleasant abiding, king Seniya Bimbisaara of Magadha or
venerable Gotama. Indeed Gotama, we have said those words unreflectively. Now we ask
venerable Gotama this question: Of the two venerable ones who has a more pleasant abiding
, king Seniya Bimbisaara of Magadha or or Gotama. Then Nigan.thas, I will cross question
you on this, as it pleases, you may reply. Can king Seniya Bimbisaara of Magadha abide in
only pleasantness for seven nights and days without moving the body and without uttering a
word. -Friend, it is not possible. Can king Ssniya Bimbisaara of Magadha abide in only
pleasantness for six nights and days, -five nights and days, -four nights and days,-three
nights and days,- two nights and days,-one night and day without moving the body and
without uttering a word- Friend, it is not possible. Friend, I can abide in only
pleasantness for one night and day without moving the body and without uttering a word. I
can abide in only pleasantness for two nights and two days without moving the body and
without uttering a word. I can abide in only pleasantness for three nights and three days
without moving the body and without uttering a word. I can abide in only pleasantness for
four nights and four days without moving the body and without uttering a word. I can abide
in only pleasantness for five nights and five days without moving the body and without
uttering a word. I can abide in only pleasantness for six nights and six days without
moving the body and without uttering a word. I can abide in only pleasantness for seven
nights and seven days without moving the body and without uttering a word. Nigan.thas,
when this is so, who has a more pleasant abiding, king Seniya Bimbisaara or I. When this
is so, venerable Gotama has a more pleasant abiding than king Seniya Bimbisaara of
Magadha.
The Blessed One said thus and the Sakya Mahaanaama delighted in the words of the
Blessed One.
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