{"collection":"Samyutta Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_sn4.21/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_sn4.21","id":"suttacentral_sn4.21","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/sn4.21/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Early Buddhist Texts","Samyutta Nikaya"],"text":"So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Sakyans near Sil\u0101vat\u012b. Now at that time several mendicants were meditating not far from the Buddha, diligent, keen, and resolute. Then M\u0101ra the Wicked manifested in the form of a brahmin with a large matted dreadlock, wearing an antelope hide. He was old, bent double, wheezing, and held a staff made of cluster fig tree wood. He went up to those mendicants and said, \u201cYou\u2019ve gone forth while young, reverends.  With pristine black hair, you\u2019re blessed with youth, in the prime of life, and you\u2019ve never flirted with sensual pleasures. Enjoy human sensual pleasures. Don\u2019t give up what is apparent in the present to chase after what takes effect over time.\u201d \u201cBrahmin, that\u2019s not what we\u2019re doing. We\u2019re giving up what takes effect over time to chase after what is apparent in the present. For the Buddha says that sensual pleasures take effect over time; they give much suffering and distress, and they are all the more full of drawbacks. But this teaching is apparent in the present life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves.\u201d When they had spoken, M\u0101ra the Wicked shook his head, waggled his tongue, raised his eyebrows until his brow puckered in three furrows, and left leaning on his staff. Then those mendicants went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened. The Buddha said, \u201cMendicants, that was no brahmin. That was M\u0101ra the Wicked who came to pull the wool over your eyes!\u201d Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha spoke this verse: \u201cWhen a personage has seen where suffering comes from how could they incline toward sensual pleasures? Realizing that attachment is a chain in the world, a personage would train to remove it.\u201d","title":"Several","tradition":"Samyutta Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":314}