Then Mahānāma the Sakyan approached the Blessed One, paid homage, sat down to one side, and said to him: For a long time, Blessed One, I have known the Dhamma as taught by the Blessed One in this way: Greed is a defilement of the mind, hatred is a defilement of the mind, delusion is a defilement of the mind.
And though I know the Dhamma taught by the Blessed One in this way, yet sometimes thoughts of greed, hatred, and delusion still invade my mind and remain.
“So eva kho te, mahānāma, dhammo ajjhattaṁ appahīno yena te ekadā lobhadhammāpi cittaṁ pariyādāya tiṭṭhanti, dosadhammāpi cittaṁ pariyādāya tiṭṭhanti, mohadhammāpi cittaṁ pariyādāya tiṭṭhanti. So ca hi te, mahānāma, dhammo ajjhattaṁ pahīno abhavissa, na tvaṁ agāraṁ ajjhāvaseyyāsi, na kāme paribhuñjeyyāsi.
Then, Blessed One, I think: What mental state has not yet been abandoned within me, because of which thoughts of greed, hatred, and delusion still invade my mind and remain?
Yasmā ca kho te, mahānāma, so eva dhammo ajjhattaṁ appahīno tasmā tvaṁ agāraṁ ajjhāvasasi, kāme paribhuñjasi. ‘Appassādā kāmā bahudukkhā bahupāyāsā, ādīnavo ettha bhiyyo’ti— iti cepi, mahānāma, ariyasāvakassa yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya sudiṭṭhaṁ hoti, so ca aññatreva kāmehi aññatra akusalehi dhammehi pītisukhaṁ nādhigacchati, aññaṁ vā tato santataraṁ; atha kho so neva tāva anāvaṭṭī kāmesu hoti.
The Blessed One said, Mahānāma, the state that has not been abandoned within you, because of which thoughts of greed, hatred, and delusion still invade your mind and remain, is precisely that defilement within.
Yato ca kho, mahānāma, ariyasāvakassa ‘appassādā kāmā bahudukkhā bahupāyāsā, ādīnavo ettha bhiyyo’ti—evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya sudiṭṭhaṁ hoti, so ca aññatreva kāmehi aññatra akusalehi dhammehi pītisukhaṁ adhigacchati aññaṁ vā tato santataraṁ; atha kho so anāvaṭṭī kāmesu hoti. Mayhampi kho, mahānāma, pubbeva sambodhā, anabhisambuddhassa bodhisattasseva sato, ‘appassādā kāmā bahudukkhā bahupāyāsā, ādīnavo ettha bhiyyo’ti—evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya sudiṭṭhaṁ hoti, so ca aññatreva kāmehi aññatra akusalehi dhammehi pītisukhaṁ nājjhagamaṁ, aññaṁ vā tato santataraṁ; atha khvāhaṁ neva tāva anāvaṭṭī kāmesu paccaññāsiṁ. Yato ca kho me, mahānāma, ‘appassādā kāmā bahudukkhā bahupāyāsā, ādīnavo ettha bhiyyo’ti—evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya sudiṭṭhaṁ ahosi, so ca aññatreva kāmehi aññatra akusalehi dhammehi pītisukhaṁ ajjhagamaṁ, aññaṁ vā tato santataraṁ; athāhaṁ anāvaṭṭī kāmesu paccaññāsiṁ.
If that state had been abandoned in you, you would not be living the household life, nor would you enjoy chasing sensual pleasures.
Although a noble disciple may truly see with right wisdom in accordance with reality that sensual pleasures provide little gratification, much suffering, and much despair, and that the danger in them is still more, as long as he does not attain a joy apart from chasing sensual pleasures, apart from unwholesome states, or something more peaceful than that, he may still be attracted to sensual pleasures.
Tassa ce, mahānāma, kulaputtassa evaṁ uṭṭhahato ghaṭato vāyamato te bhogā nābhinipphajjanti, so socati kilamati paridevati urattāḷiṁ kandati sammohaṁ āpajjati ‘moghaṁ vata me uṭṭhānaṁ, aphalo vata me vāyāmo’ti. Ayampi, mahānāma, kāmānaṁ ādīnavo sandiṭṭhiko dukkhakkhandho kāmahetu kāmanidānaṁ kāmādhikaraṇaṁ kāmānameva hetu. Tassa ce, mahānāma, kulaputtassa evaṁ uṭṭhahato ghaṭato vāyamato te bhogā abhinipphajjanti. So tesaṁ bhogānaṁ ārakkhādhikaraṇaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti: ‘kinti me bhoge neva rājāno hareyyuṁ, na corā hareyyuṁ, na aggi daheyya, na udakaṁ vaheyya, na appiyā vā dāyādā hareyyun’ti.
However, when a noble disciple sees with right wisdom, in accordance with reality, that delight for sensual pleasures provide little gratification, much suffering, and much despair, and that the danger in them is still more, and attains a joy apart from sensual pleasures, apart from unwholesome states, or something more peaceful than that, he becomes detached from craving sensual pleasures.
Before my enlightenment, while I was still a bodhisatta, not yet fully awakened, I too saw chasing sensual pleasures as providing little gratification, much suffering, and much despair, and I saw the danger in them as even greater.
Yet, as long as I did not attain a joy apart from sensual pleasures, apart from unwholesome states, or something more peaceful than that, I was still attracted to sensual pleasures.
But what is the immediate disadvantage of chasing sensual pleasures?
This, too, Mahānāma, is the immediate disadvantage of chasing sensual pleasures: a mass of suffering that arises due to chasing sensual pleasures, has delight in sensual pleasures as its cause, craving sensual pleasures as its origin, craving sensual pleasures as its condition.
Moreover, Mahānāma, due to chasing sensual pleasures, with craving sensual pleasures as the cause, origin, and condition, people engage in misconduct by body, speech, and mind.
After engaging in misconduct by body, speech, and mind, upon the breaking up of the body, after death, they are reborn in states of misery, in bad destinations, in realms of woe, in hell.
This, too, Mahānāma, is the long-term disadvantage of chasing sensual pleasures: a mass of suffering due to delighting in sensual pleasures, with craving sensual pleasures as the cause, origin, and condition.
At that time, a number of Jain ascetics were staying nearby on the Black Rock at Isigili, enduring severe, painful, harsh, and bitter feelings, having taken up a rigid austerity, refusing seats, enduring self-imposed hardship.
I went up to them and asked, Friends, why do you sit there enduring these severe, painful, harsh, and bitter feelings?
When I said this, Mahānāma, they replied, Friend, the Jain Nāṭaputta claims to be all-knowing, all-seeing, with complete and infinite knowing and vision, declaring: Whether I am walking, standing, sleeping, or awake, knowing and vision are always and continually present to me.
Evaṁ vutte, mahānāma, te nigaṇṭhā maṁ etadavocuṁ: ‘nigaṇṭho, āvuso, nāṭaputto sabbaññū sabbadassāvī aparisesaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ paṭijānāti: “carato ca me tiṭṭhato ca suttassa ca jāgarassa ca satataṁ samitaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ paccupaṭṭhitan”ti.
He teaches thus: You Jains have committed bad deeds in the past, and these painful austerities help to wear away those deeds.
And now, by restraining the body, speech, and mind, you avoid committing further bad deeds in the future. Thus, through asceticism, past actions are worn away, no new actions are produced, and eventually, there will be freedom from further becoming. With the ending of becoming, suffering will cease. With the cessation of suffering, all pain will be worn away.
Tañca panamhākaṁ ruccati ceva khamati ca, tena camha attamanā’ti.
We are pleased and content with this teaching, and thus we are satisfied.
Evaṁ vutte, ahaṁ, mahānāma, te nigaṇṭhe etadavocaṁ: ‘kiṁ pana tumhe, āvuso nigaṇṭhā, jānātha— ahuvamheva mayaṁ pubbe na nāhuvamhā’ti?
When they said this, I asked them, But friends, do you know whether or not you existed in the past?
And do you know, in this very life, how to abandon unwholesome states and develop wholesome ones?
‘No hidaṁ, āvuso’.
No, friend.
‘Iti kira tumhe, āvuso nigaṇṭhā, na jānātha— ahuvamheva mayaṁ pubbe na nāhuvamhāti, na jānātha— akaramheva mayaṁ pubbe pāpakammaṁ na nākaramhāti, na jānātha— evarūpaṁ vā evarūpaṁ vā pāpakammaṁ akaramhāti, na jānātha— ettakaṁ vā dukkhaṁ nijjiṇṇaṁ, ettakaṁ vā dukkhaṁ nijjīretabbaṁ, ettakamhi vā dukkhe nijjiṇṇe sabbaṁ dukkhaṁ nijjiṇṇaṁ bhavissatīti. Na jānātha— diṭṭheva dhamme akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānaṁ, kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ upasampadaṁ.
So, it seems that you do not know whether you existed in the past, nor whether you did unwholesome deeds in the past, nor the kinds of unwholesome deeds you committed, nor how much suffering has been worn away or still remains to be worn away, nor whether all suffering will be exhausted with a specific amount worn away.
Do you not know:
Evaṁ sante, āvuso nigaṇṭhā, ye loke luddā lohitapāṇino kurūrakammantā manussesu paccājātā te nigaṇṭhesu pabbajantī’ti?
The abandonment of unwholesome states and the cultivation of wholesome states in this very life?
If that is so, revered Jains, among those who are violent, blood-handed, and cruel in their actions, having been reborn in the human realm, do some of them go forth and ordain among the Jains?
No, friend Gotama, one cannot attain happiness through ease, but rather, happiness is achieved through suffering.
If happiness could be attained through ease, then King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha would already be the happiest, but he does not experience happiness more than the venerable Gotama.
The venerable Jains, having spoken too hastily and without careful thought, say: No, friend Gotama, one cannot attain happiness through ease, but rather, happiness is achieved through suffering.
If happiness could be attained through ease, then King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha would already be the happiest, but he does not experience happiness more than the venerable Gotama.
Api ca ahameva tattha paṭipucchitabbo: “ko nu kho āyasmantānaṁ sukhavihāritaro rājā vā māgadho seniyo bimbisāro āyasmā vā gotamo”ti?
Indeed, I should now inquire, Who, then, is truly more at ease: King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha or the venerable Gotama?
The venerable Jains again speak too hastily, saying: No, friend Gotama, one cannot attain happiness through ease, but rather, happiness is achieved through suffering.
If happiness could be attained through ease, then King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha would already be the happiest, but he does not experience happiness more than the venerable Gotama.
Api ca tiṭṭhatetaṁ, idānipi mayaṁ āyasmantaṁ gotamaṁ pucchāma: “ko nu kho āyasmantānaṁ sukhavihāritaro rājā vā māgadho seniyo bimbisāro āyasmā vā gotamo”ti?
But enough of this; even now we ask you, the venerable Gotama: Who is indeed more at ease, King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha or the venerable Gotama?
Tena hāvuso nigaṇṭhā, tumheva tattha paṭipucchissāmi, yathā vo khameyya tathā naṁ byākareyyātha.
Well then, venerable Jains, I will ask you in return as it pleases you.
How do you see this, revered Jains, is King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha capable of remaining for seven days and nights continuously in an experience of unalloyed happiness without moving his body or speaking a word?
I, however, revered Jains, am capable of experiencing such unalloyed happiness without moving my body or speaking a word for one night and day, for two, for three, four, five, six, or even seven days and nights.