Saṃyutta Nikāya
4. Saḷāyatana Vagga
35. Saḷāyatana Saṃyutta
§ III: Paññāsaka Tatiya
1. Yoga-k-Khemi Vagga
Sutta 104
Yoga-k-Khemi Suttaṃ
An Avocation Leading to Safety
Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds
Once upon a time, The Lucky Man
addressed the beggars gathered round:
"Bhikkhus!"
And, the beggars responding:
"Bhagava!"
The Lucky Man said:
"I will delineate a curriculum[1]
for an avocation[2] leading to safety, beggars,
a Dhamma curriculum.
Lend Ear!
And what, beggars, is this curriculum
for an avocation leading to safety?
There is, beggars, eye-consciousness of forms —
wished for,
desirable,
heady.
Forms loved,
conducive to the arising of sense-pleasure,
leading to lust.
This, the That-that's-'Got It'[3] lets go,
uproots,
makes like a palm-stump;
made non-existent,
a thing no longer able to come up,
and for the letting go of such,
announces this avocation.
Such is the 'avocation leading to safety'
of the That-that's-'Got It'
say I.
■
There is, beggars, ear-consciousness of sounds —
wished for,
desirable,
heady.
Sounds loved,
conducive to the arising of sense-pleasure,
leading to lust.
This, the That-that's-'Got It' lets go,
uproots,
makes like a palm-stump;
made non-existent,
a thing no longer able to come up,
and for the letting go of such,
voices an avocation.
Such is the 'avocation leading to safety'
of the That-that's-'Got It'
say I.
■
There is, beggars, nose-consciousness of scents —
wished for,
desirable,
heady.
Scents loved,
conducive to the arising of sense-pleasure,
leading to lust.
This, the That-that's-'Got It' lets go,
uproots,
makes like a palm-stump;
made non-existent,
a thing no longer able to come up,
and for the letting go of such,
voices an avocation.
Such is the 'avocation leading to safety'
of the That-that's-'Got It'
say I.
■
There is, beggars, tongue-consciousness of tastes —
wished for,
desirable,
heady.
Tastes loved,
conducive to the arising of sense-pleasure,
leading to lust.
This, the That-that's-'Got It' lets go,
uproots,
makes like a palm-stump;
made non-existent,
a thing no longer able to come up,
and for the letting go of such,
voices an avocation.
Such is the 'avocation leading to safety'
of the That-that's-'Got It'
say I.
■
There is, beggars, body-consciousness of touches —
wished for,
desirable,
heady.
Touches loved,
conducive to the arising of sense-pleasure,
leading to lust.
This, the That-that's-'Got It' lets go,
uproots,
makes like a palm-stump;
made non-existent,
a thing no longer able to come up,
and for the letting go of such,
voices an avocation.
Such is the 'avocation leading to safety'
of the That-that's-'Got It'
say I.
■
There is, beggars, mind-consciousness of things —
wished for,
desirable,
heady.
Things loved,
conducive to the arising of sense-pleasure,
leading to lust.
This, the That-that's-'Got It' lets go,
uproots,
makes like a palm-stump;
made non-existent,
a thing no longer able to come up,
and for the letting go of such,
voices an avocation.
Such is the 'avocation leading to safety'
of the That-that's-'Got It'
say I.
■
This, beggars, is that curriculum
for an avocation leading to safety."
[1] Pariyāya. All-around-whatsoever-whatsoever.
[2] Yoga. I usually translate this literally as 'yoke', but here that would possibly mislead. The term is often translated 'devotion.' The use by me of "avocation" is me playing around with words. The term 'avocation' in its meaning as 'occupation', is a corruption of the original 'a-vocation': to call away from an occupation. So here the intended meaning is 'an occupation that calls away from an occupation', that is, "letting go".
[3] Tathāgata. In some cases a name given to the Buddha by himself and others; in other cases any individual who has 'Got it", meaning one who has attained the goal of utter freedom of heart amd the having eradicated sense pleasure, becoming, views, and blindness.
