Saɱyutta Nikāya
5. Mahā-Vagga
56. Sacca Saɱyutta
5. Papāta Vagga
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
5. The Great Chapter
56. Kindred Sayings about the Truths
5. The Precipice
Sutta 43
Pariḷāha Suttaɱ
Distress
Translated by F. L. Woodward
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Once the Exalted One addressed the monks,
saying:
"Monks."
"Yes, lord," replied those monks to the Exalted One.
The Exalted One said:
"Monks, there is a Hell called
'The Great Distress.'
Therein, whatsoever object one sees wtith the eye,
one sees it as repulsive,
not attractive:
as repellent,
not as charming:
one sees it as unpleasant,
not as pleasant.
[380] Whatsoever sound one hears with the ear,
one hears it as repulsive,
not attractive:
as repellent,
not as charming:
one sees it as unpleasant,
not as pleasant.
Whatsoever taste one tastes with the tongue,
one tastes it as repulsive,
not attractive:
as repellent,
not as charming:
one sees it as unpleasant,
not as pleasant.
Whatsoever smell one smells with the nose,
one smells it as repulsive,
not attractive:
as repellent,
not as charming:
one sees it as unpleasant,
not as pleasant.
Whatsoever tangible one contacts with body,
one contacts it as repulsive,
not attractive:
as repellent,
not as charming:
one sees it as unpleasant,
not as pleasant.
Whatsoever mental states one is conscious of with mind,
one is conscious of them as repulsive,
not attractive:
as repellent,
not as charming:
one sees them as unpleasant,
not as pleasant."
§
"Lord, that is indeed a great distress!
A great distress indeed, lord!
Pray, lord, is there any other distress
greater or more fearsome?"
"There is indeed, monks, a distress
greater and more fearsome.
And what is that?
Whatsoever recluses or brahmins
understand not,
as it really is,
the meaning of
'This is Ill;'
understand not,
as it really is,
the meaning of
'This is the arising of Ill;'
understand not,
as it really is,
the meaning of
'This is the ceasing of Ill;'
understand not,
as it really is,
the meaning of
'This is the practice that leads to the ceasing of ill;'
such delight in activities
delight in activities that lead to rebirth,
delight in activities that lead to old age,
delight in activities that lead to death,
delight in activities that lead to sorrow,
grief,
woe,
lamentation
and despair.
Thus taking delight in activities
delight in activities that lead to rebirth,
delight in activities that lead to old age,
delight in activities that lead to death,
delight in activities that lead to sorrow,
grief,
woe,
lamentation
and despair,
they compose a compound of activities that conduce to rebirth,
they compose a compound of activities that conduce to old age,
they compose a compound of activities that conduce to death,
they compose a compound of activities that conduce to sorrow,
grief,
woe,
lamentation
and despair.
Thus composing a compound of activities
that conduce to rebirth,
composing a compound of activities that lead to old age,
composing a compound of activities that lead to death,
composing a compound of activities that lead to sorrow,
grief,
woe,
lamentation
and despair,
they are scorched by the distress[ed1] of rebirth,
they are scorched by the distress of old age,
they are scorched by the distress of death,
they are scorched by the distress of sorrow,
grief,
woe,
lamentation
and despair.
Such are not released from rebirth,
old age,
death,
sorrow,
grief,
woe,
lamentation
and despair.
They are not released from Ill,
I declare.
§
But, monks, those recluses or brahmins who do understand,
as it really is,
the meaning of
'This is Ill;'
who do understand,
as it really is,
the meaning of
'This is the arising of Ill;'
who do understand,
as it really is,
the meaning of
'This is the ceasing of Ill;'
who do understand,
as it really is,
the meaning of
'This is the practice that leads to the ceasing of ill;'
such take not delight in activities that conduce to rebirth,
take not delight in activities that conduce to old age,
take not delight in activities that conduce to death,
take not delight in activities that conduce to sorrow,
grief,
woe,
lamentation
and despair.
Not taking delight in activities that conduce to rebirth,
not taking delight in activities that conduce to old age,
not taking delight in activities that conduce to death,
not taking delight in activities that conduce to sorrow,
grief,
woe,
lamentation
and despair
they compose not a compound of activities that conduce to rebirth
they compose not a compound of activities that conduce to old age,
they compose not a compound of activities that conduce to death,
they compose not a compound of activities that conduce to sorrow,
grief,
woe,
lamentation
and despair.
Not composing a compound of activities that conduce to rebirth,
not composing a compound of activities that conduce to old age,
not composing a compound of activities that conduce to death,
not composing a compound of activities that conduce to sorrow,
grief,
woe,
lamentation
and despair,
they are not scorched by the distress of rebirth,
they are not scorched by the distress of old age,
they are not scorched by the distress of death,
they are not scorched by the distress of sorrow,
grief,
woe,
lamentation
and despair.
They are utterly released from rebirth,
old age,
death,
sorrow,
grief,
woe,
lamentation
and despair.
They are released from Ill,
I declare.
§
Wherefore, monks, an effort must be made to realize:
'This is Ill'.
'This is the arising of Ill.'
'This is the ceasing of Ill.'
This is the practice that leads to the ceasing of Ill.'"
[ed1] Woodward has abridged the entire second half of this sutta by reference to the previous sutta without indicating how he would manage the change. I have used the PED definition for pariḍahati. Here Pariḷāha would probabl have better been translated using some term indicating 'burning' to more closely fit the parallel, as Bhk. Bodhi's "conflagration.".
