{"collection":"Majjhima Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_mn14/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_mn14","id":"suttacentral_mn14","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/mn14/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Early Buddhist Texts","Majjhima Nikaya"],"text":"So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Sakyans, near Kapilavatthu in the Banyan Tree Monastery. Then Mah\u0101n\u0101ma the Sakyan went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him, \u201cFor a long time, sir, I have understood your teaching like this: \u2018Greed, hate, and delusion are corruptions of the mind.\u2019 Despite understanding this, sometimes my mind is occupied by thoughts of greed, hate, and delusion. I wonder what qualities remain in me that I have such thoughts?\u201d \u201cMah\u0101n\u0101ma, there is a quality that remains in you that makes you have such thoughts. For if you had given up that quality you would not still be living at home and enjoying sensual pleasures. But because you haven\u2019t given up that quality you are still living at home and enjoying sensual pleasures. Sensual pleasures give little gratification and much suffering and distress, and they are all the more full of drawbacks. So, Mah\u0101n\u0101ma, even though a noble disciple has clearly seen this with right wisdom, as long as they do not achieve the rapture and bliss that are apart from sensual pleasures and unskillful qualities, or something even more peaceful than that, they can return to sensual pleasures. But when they do achieve that rapture and bliss, or something more peaceful than that, they do not return to sensual pleasures. Before my awakening\u2014when I was still unawakened but intent on awakening\u2014I too clearly saw with right wisdom that: \u2018Sensual pleasures give little gratification and much suffering and distress, and they are all the more full of drawbacks.\u2019 But so long as I didn\u2019t achieve the rapture and bliss that are apart from sensual pleasures and unskillful qualities, or something even more peaceful than that, I didn\u2019t announce that I would not return to sensual pleasures. But when I did achieve that rapture and bliss, or something more peaceful than that, I announced that I would not return to sensual pleasures. And what is the gratification of sensual pleasures? There are these five kinds of sensual stimulation. What five? Sights known by the eye, which are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasant, sensual, and arousing. Sounds known by the ear \u2026 Smells known by the nose \u2026 Tastes known by the tongue \u2026 Touches known by the body, which are likable, desirable, agreeable, pleasant, sensual, and arousing. These are the five kinds of sensual stimulation. The pleasure and happiness that arise from these five kinds of sensual stimulation: this is the gratification of sensual pleasures. And what is the drawback of sensual pleasures? It\u2019s when a gentleman earns a living by means such as arithmetic, accounting, calculating, farming, trade, raising cattle, archery, government service, or one of the professions. But they must face cold and heat, being hurt by the touch of flies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and reptiles, and risking death from hunger and thirst. This is a drawback of sensual pleasures apparent in the present life, a mass of suffering caused by sensual pleasures. That gentleman might try hard, strive, and make an effort, but fail to accrue riches. If this happens, they sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion, saying: \u2018Oh, my hard work is wasted. My efforts are fruitless!\u2019 This too is a drawback of sensual pleasures apparent in the present life, a mass of suffering caused by sensual pleasures. That gentleman might try hard, strive, and make an effort, and succeed in accruing riches. But they experience pain and sadness when they try to protect it, thinking: \u2018How can I prevent my wealth from being taken by rulers or bandits, consumed by fire, swept away by flood, or taken by unloved heirs?\u2019 And even though they protect it and ward it, rulers or bandits take it, or fire consumes it, or flood sweeps it away, or unloved heirs take it. They sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion: \u2018What once was mine is gone.\u2019 This too is a drawback of sensual pleasures apparent in the present life, a mass of suffering caused by sensual pleasures. Furthermore, for the sake of sensual pleasures kings fight with kings, aristocrats fight with aristocrats, brahmins fight with brahmins, and householders fight with householders. A mother fights with her child, child with mother, father with child, and child with father. Brother fights with brother, brother with sister, sister with brother, and friend fights with friend. Once they\u2019ve started quarreling, arguing, and disputing, they attack each other with fists, stones, rods, and swords, resulting in death and deadly pain. This too is a drawback of sensual pleasures apparent in the present life, a mass of suffering caused by sensual pleasures. Furthermore, for the sake of sensual pleasures they don their sword and shield, fasten their bow and arrows, and plunge into a battle massed on both sides, with arrows and spears flying and swords flashing. There they are struck with arrows and spears, and their heads are chopped off, resulting in death and deadly pain. This too is a drawback of sensual pleasures apparent in the present life, a mass of suffering caused by sensual pleasures. Furthermore, for the sake of sensual pleasures they don their sword and shield, fasten their bow and arrows, and charge wetly plastered bastions, with arrows and spears flying and swords flashing. There they are struck with arrows and spears, splashed with dung, crushed by a superior force, and their heads are chopped off, resulting in death and deadly pain. This too is a drawback of sensual pleasures apparent in the present life, a mass of suffering caused by sensual pleasures. Furthermore, for the sake of sensual pleasures they break into houses, plunder wealth, steal from isolated buildings, commit highway robbery, and commit adultery. The rulers would arrest them and subject them to various punishments\u2014 whipping, caning, and clubbing; cutting off hands or feet, or both; cutting off ears or nose, or both; the \u2018porridge pot\u2019, the \u2018shell-shave\u2019, the \u2018R\u0101hu\u2019s mouth\u2019, the \u2018garland of fire\u2019, the \u2018burning hand\u2019, the \u2018bulrush twist\u2019, the \u2018bark dress\u2019, the \u2018antelope\u2019, the \u2018meat hook\u2019, the \u2018coins\u2019, the \u2018caustic pickle\u2019, the \u2018twisting bar\u2019, the \u2018straw mat\u2019; being splashed with hot oil, being fed to the hounds, being impaled alive, and being beheaded. These result in death and deadly pain. This too is a drawback of sensual pleasures apparent in the present life, a mass of suffering caused by sensual pleasures. Furthermore, for the sake of sensual pleasures, they conduct themselves badly by way of body, speech, and mind. When their body breaks up, after death, they\u2019re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. This is a drawback of sensual pleasures to do with lives to come, a mass of suffering caused by sensual pleasures. Mah\u0101n\u0101ma, this one time I was staying near R\u0101jagaha, on the Vulture\u2019s Peak Mountain. Now at that time several Jain ascetics on the slopes of Isigili at the Black Rock were constantly standing, turning down seats. And they felt painful, sharp, severe, acute feelings due to exertion. Then in the late afternoon, I came out of retreat and went to the Black Rock to visit those Jain ascetics. I said to them, \u2018Reverends, why are you constantly standing, turning down seats, so that you suffer painful, sharp, severe, acute feelings due to exertion?\u2019 When I said this, those Jain ascetics said to me, \u2018Reverend, the Jain ascetic of the \u00d1\u0101tika clan claims to be all-knowing and all-seeing, to know and see everything without exception, thus: \u201cKnowledge and vision are constantly and continually present to me, while walking, standing, sleeping, and waking.\u201d He says, \u201cO Jain ascetics, you have done bad deeds in a past life. Wear them away with these severe and grueling austerities. And when in the present you are restrained in body, speech, and mind, you\u2019re not doing any bad deeds for the future. So, due to eliminating past deeds by fervent mortification, and not doing any new deeds, there\u2019s nothing to come up in the future. With no future consequence, deeds end. With the ending of deeds, suffering ends. With the ending of suffering, feeling ends. And with the ending of feeling, all suffering will have been worn away.\u201d We endorse and accept this, and we are satisfied with it.\u2019 When they said this, I said to them, \u2018But reverends, do you know for sure that you existed in the past, and it is not the case that you did not exist?\u2019 \u2018No we don\u2019t, reverend.\u2019 \u2018But reverends, do you know for sure that you did bad deeds in the past?\u2019 \u2018No we don\u2019t, reverend.\u2019 \u2018But reverends, do you know that you did bad deeds of this type or that?\u2019 \u2018No we don\u2019t, reverend.\u2019 \u2018But reverends, do you know that so much suffering has already been worn away? Or that so much suffering still remains to be worn away? Or that when so much suffering is worn away all suffering will have been worn away?\u2019 \u2018No we don\u2019t, reverend.\u2019 \u2018But reverends, do you know about giving up unskillful qualities in this very life and embracing skillful qualities?\u2019 \u2018No we don\u2019t, reverend.\u2019 \u2018So it seems that you don\u2019t know any of these things. That being so, when those in the world who are violent and bloody-handed and of cruel livelihood are reborn among humans they go forth as Jain ascetics.\u2019 \u2018Reverend Gotama, pleasure is not gained through pleasure; pleasure is gained through pain. For if pleasure were to be gained through pleasure, King Seniya Bimbis\u0101ra of Magadha would gain pleasure, since he lives in greater pleasure than Venerable Gotama.\u2019 \u2018Clearly the venerables have spoken rashly, without reflection. Rather, I\u2019m the one who should be asked about who lives in greater pleasure, King Bimbis\u0101ra or Venerable Gotama?\u2019 \u2018Clearly we spoke rashly and without reflection. But let that be. Now we ask Venerable Gotama: \u201cWho lives in greater pleasure, King Bimbis\u0101ra or Venerable Gotama?\u201d\u2019 \u2018Well then, reverends, I\u2019ll ask you about this in return, and you can answer as you like. What do you think, reverends? Is King Bimbis\u0101ra capable of experiencing absolute happiness for seven days and nights without moving his body or speaking?\u2019 \u2018No he is not, reverend.\u2019 \u2018What do you think, reverends? Is King Bimbis\u0101ra capable of experiencing absolute happiness for six days \u2026 five days \u2026 four days \u2026 three days \u2026 two days \u2026 one day?\u2019 \u2018No he is not, reverend.\u2019 \u2018But I am capable of experiencing absolute happiness for one day and night without moving my body or speaking. I am capable of experiencing perfect happiness for two days \u2026 three days \u2026 four days \u2026 five days \u2026 six days \u2026 seven days. What do you think, reverends? This being so, who lives in greater pleasure, King Bimbis\u0101ra or I?\u2019 \u2018This being so, Venerable Gotama lives in greater pleasure than King Bimbis\u0101ra.\u2019\u201d That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, Mah\u0101n\u0101ma the Sakyan approved what the Buddha said.","title":"The Shorter Discourse on the Mass of Suffering","tradition":"Majjhima Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":1829}