{"collection":"Majjhima Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_mn46/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_mn46","id":"suttacentral_mn46","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/mn46/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Early Buddhist Texts","Majjhima Nikaya"],"text":"So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near S\u0101vatth\u012b in Jeta\u2019s Grove, An\u0101thapi\u1e47\u1e0dika\u2019s monastery. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, \u201cMendicants!\u201d \u201cVenerable sir,\u201d they replied. The Buddha said this: \u201cMendicants, sentient beings typically have the wish, desire, and hope: \u2018Oh, if only unlikable, undesirable, and disagreeable things would decrease, and likable, desirable, and agreeable things would increase!\u2019 But exactly the opposite happens to them. What do you take to be the reason for this?\u201d \u201cOur teachings are rooted in the Buddha. He is our guide and our refuge. Sir, may the Buddha himself please clarify the meaning of this. The mendicants will listen and remember it.\u201d \u201cWell then, mendicants, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.\u201d \u201cYes, sir,\u201d they replied. The Buddha said this: \u201cTake an unlearned ordinary person who has not seen the noble ones, and is neither skilled nor trained in the teaching of the noble ones. They\u2019ve not seen true persons, and are neither skilled nor trained in the teaching of the true persons. They don\u2019t know what practices they should cultivate and foster, and what practices they shouldn\u2019t cultivate and foster. So they cultivate and foster practices they shouldn\u2019t, and don\u2019t cultivate and foster practices they should. When they do so, unlikable, undesirable, and disagreeable things increase, and likable, desirable, and agreeable things decrease. Why is that? Because that\u2019s what it\u2019s like for the ignorant. But a learned noble disciple has seen the noble ones, and is skilled and trained in the teaching of the noble ones. They\u2019ve seen true persons, and are skilled and trained in the teaching of the true persons. They know what practices they should cultivate and foster, and what practices they shouldn\u2019t cultivate and foster. So they cultivate and foster practices they should, and don\u2019t cultivate and foster practices they shouldn\u2019t. When they do so, unlikable, undesirable, and disagreeable things decrease, and likable, desirable, and agreeable things increase. Why is that? Because that\u2019s what it\u2019s like for the knowledgable. Mendicants, there are these four ways of taking up practices. What four? There is a way of taking up practices that is painful now and results in future pain. There is a way of taking up practices that is pleasant now but results in future pain. There is a way of taking up practices that is painful now but results in future pleasure. There is a way of taking up practices that is pleasant now and results in future pleasure. When it comes to the way of taking up practices that is painful now and results in future pain, an ignoramus, without knowing this, doesn\u2019t truly understand: \u2018This is the way of taking up practices that is painful now and results in future pain.\u2019 So instead of avoiding that practice, they cultivate it. When they do so, unlikable, undesirable, and disagreeable things increase, and likable, desirable, and agreeable things decrease. Why is that? Because that\u2019s what it\u2019s like for the ignorant. When it comes to the way of taking up practices that is pleasant now and results in future pain, an ignoramus \u2026 cultivates it \u2026 and disagreeable things increase \u2026 When it comes to the way of taking up practices that is painful now and results in future pleasure, an ignoramus \u2026 doesn\u2019t cultivate it \u2026 and disagreeable things increase \u2026 When it comes to the way of taking up practices that is pleasant now and results in future pleasure, an ignoramus \u2026 doesn\u2019t cultivate it \u2026 and disagreeable things increase \u2026 Why is that? Because that\u2019s what it\u2019s like for the ignorant. When it comes to the way of taking up practices that is painful now and results in future pain, a wise person, knowing this, truly understands: \u2018This is the way of taking up practices that is painful now and results in future pain.\u2019 So instead of cultivating that practice, they avoid it. When they do so, unlikable, undesirable, and disagreeable things decrease, and likable, desirable, and agreeable things increase. Why is that? Because that\u2019s what it\u2019s like for the knowledgable. When it comes to the way of taking up practices that is pleasant now and results in future pain, a wise person \u2026 doesn\u2019t cultivate it \u2026 and agreeable things increase \u2026 When it comes to the way of taking up practices that is painful now and results in future pleasure, a wise person \u2026 cultivates it \u2026 and agreeable things increase \u2026 When it comes to the way of taking up practices that is pleasant now and results in future pleasure, a wise person, knowing this, truly understands: \u2018This is the way of taking up practices that is pleasant now and results in future pleasure.\u2019 So instead of avoiding that practice, they cultivate it. When they do so, unlikable, undesirable, and disagreeable things decrease, and likable, desirable, and agreeable things increase. Why is that? Because that\u2019s what it\u2019s like for the knowledgable. And what is the way of taking up practices that is painful now and results in future pain? It\u2019s when someone in pain and sadness kills living creatures, steals, and commits sexual misconduct. They use speech that\u2019s false, backbiting, harsh, or nonsensical. And they\u2019re covetous, malicious, with wrong view. Because of these things they experience pain and sadness. And when their body breaks up, after death, they\u2019re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. This is called the way of taking up practices that is painful now and results in future pain. And what is the way of taking up practices that is pleasant now but results in future pain? It\u2019s when someone with pleasure and happiness kills living creatures, steals, and commits sexual misconduct. They use speech that\u2019s false, backbiting, harsh, or nonsensical. And they\u2019re covetous, malicious, with wrong view. Because of these things they experience pleasure and happiness. But when their body breaks up, after death, they\u2019re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. This is called the way of taking up practices that is pleasant now but results in future pain. And what is the way of taking up practices that is painful now but results in future pleasure? It\u2019s when someone in pain and sadness doesn\u2019t kill living creatures, steal, or commit sexual misconduct. They don\u2019t use speech that\u2019s false, backbiting, harsh, or nonsensical. And they\u2019re contented, kind-hearted, with right view. Because of these things they experience pain and sadness. But when their body breaks up, after death, they\u2019re reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. This is called the way of taking up practices that is painful now but results in future pleasure. And what is the way of taking up practices that is pleasant now and results in future pleasure? It\u2019s when someone with pleasure and happiness doesn\u2019t kill living creatures, steal, or commit sexual misconduct. They don\u2019t use speech that\u2019s false, backbiting, harsh, or nonsensical. And they\u2019re contented, kind-hearted, with right view. Because of these things they experience pleasure and happiness. And when their body breaks up, after death, they\u2019re reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. This is called the way of taking up practices that is pleasant now and results in future pleasure. These are the four ways of taking up practices. Suppose there was some bitter gourd mixed with poison. Then a man would come along who wants to live and doesn\u2019t want to die, who wants to be happy and recoils from pain. They\u2019d say to him: \u2018Here, my man, this is bitter gourd mixed with poison. Drink it if you like. If you drink it, the color, aroma, and flavor will be unappetizing, and it will result in death or deadly pain.\u2019 He wouldn\u2019t put it down. Without appraisal, he\u2019d drink it. The color, aroma, and flavor would be unappetizing, and it would result in death or deadly pain. This is comparable to the way of taking up practices that is painful now and results in future pain, I say. Suppose there was a bronze goblet of beverage that had a nice color, aroma, and flavor. But it was mixed with poison. Then a man would come along who wants to live and doesn\u2019t want to die, who wants to be happy and recoils from pain. They\u2019d say to him: \u2018Here, my man, this bronze goblet of beverage has a nice color, aroma, and flavor. But it\u2019s mixed with poison. Drink it if you like. If you drink it, the color, aroma, and flavor will be appetizing, but it will result in death or deadly pain.\u2019 He wouldn\u2019t put it down. Without appraisal, he\u2019d drink it. The color, aroma, and flavor would be appetizing, but it would result in death or deadly pain. This is comparable to the way of taking up practices that is pleasant now and results in future pain, I say. Suppose there was some rancid urine mixed with different medicines. Then a man with jaundice would come along. They\u2019d say to him: \u2018Here, my man, this is rancid urine mixed with different medicines. Drink it if you like. If you drink it, the color, aroma, and flavor will be unappetizing, but after drinking it you will be happy.\u2019 He wouldn\u2019t put it down. After appraisal, he\u2019d drink it. The color, aroma, and flavor would be unappetizing, but after drinking it he would be happy. This is comparable to the way of taking up practices that is painful now and results in future pleasure, I say. Suppose there was some curds, honey, ghee, and molasses all mixed together. Then a man with bloody dysentery would come along. They\u2019d say to him: \u2018Here, my man, this is curds, honey, ghee, and molasses all mixed together. Drink it if you like. If you drink it, the color, aroma, and flavor will be appetizing, and after drinking it you will be happy.\u2019 He wouldn\u2019t put it down. After appraisal, he\u2019d drink it. The color, aroma, and flavor would be appetizing, and after drinking it he would be happy. This is comparable to the way of taking up practices that is pleasant now and results in future pleasure, I say. It\u2019s like the last month of the rainy season, in autumn, when the heavens are sunny and cloudless. And as the sun is rising to the firmament, having dispelled all the darkness of space, it shines and glows and dazzles. In the same way, this way of taking up practices that is pleasant now and results in future pleasure dispels the doctrines of the various other ascetics and brahmins as it shines and glows and dazzles.\u201d That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said.","title":"The Great Discourse on Taking Up Practices","tradition":"Majjhima Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":1784}