Majjhima Nikāya
1. Mūla-Paṇṇāsa
2. Sīhanāda Vagga

The Middle Length Sayings
I. The First Fifty Discourses
2. The Division of the Lion's Roar

Sutta 14

Cūḷa Dukkha-k-Khandha Suttaṃ

Lesser Discourse on the Stems of Anguish

Translated from the Pali by I.B. Horner, O.B.E., M.A.
Associate of Newham College, Cambridge
First Published in 1954

[1][chlm][than][ntbb][upal] THUS have I heard:

At one time the Lord was staying among the Sakyans
at Kapilavatthu
in Nigrodha's park.^[1]

[2] Then Mahānāma the Sakyan^[2] approached the Lord;
having approached,
having greeted the Lord,
he sat down at a respectful distance.

As Mahānāma the Sakyan was sitting down at a respectful distance,
he spoke thus to the Lord:

"For a long time, Lord,
I have thus understood Dhamma taught by the Lord:

'Greed is a depravity of the mind,^[3]
aversion is a depravity of the mind,
confusion is a depravity of the mind.'

It is thus that I, Lord, understand Dhamma taught by the Lord:

'Greed is a depravity of the mind,
aversion is a depravity of the mind,
confusion is a depravity of the mind.'

But at times things belonging to greed,
taking hold of my mind,
persist,
and things belonging to aversion,
taking hold of my mind,
persist,
and things belonging [120] to confusion,
taking hold of my mind,
persist.

It occurred to me thus, Lord:

'Now what can be the quality in me,
not got rid of subjectively,
on account of which
at times things belonging to greed,
taking hold of my mind,
persist,
and things belonging to aversion,
taking hold of my mind,
persist,
and things belonging to confusion,
taking hold of my mind,
persist?'"

■

[3] "Indeed there is a quality in you, Mahānāma,
not got rid of subjectively,
on account of which
at times things belonging to greed,
taking hold of your mind,
persist,
and things belonging to aversion,
taking hold of your mind,
persist,
and things belonging to confusion,
taking hold of your mind,
persist.

But this quality could be got rid of subjectively by you, Mahānāma,
if you would not dwell in a house,
if you would not enjoy pleasures of the senses.

But inasmuch as this quality, Mahānāma,
is not got rid of by you subjectively,
therefore you dwell in a house
and enjoy pleasures of the senses.

[4] 'Pleasures of the senses
are of little satisfaction,
of much ill,
of much tribulation
wherein is more peril.'^[4]

Yet if this, Mahānāma, comes to be well seen
as it really is,
through perfect intuitive wisdom
by an ariyan disciple,
but if he does not come to rapture and joy
apart from pleasures of the senses,
apart from unskilled states of mind,
or to something better than that,^[5]
then he is not yet one unseduced
by pleasures of the senses.

But when, Mahānāma, an ariyan disciple thinks:

'Pleasures of the senses
are of little satisfaction,
of much ill,
of much tribulation
wherein is more peril,'

and if this comes to be well seen,
as it really is,
through perfect intuitive wisdom
by the ariyan disciple,
and if he comes to rapture and joy
apart from pleasures of the senses,
apart from unskilled states of mind,
and to something better than that,
then he is one who is not seduced
by pleasures of the senses.

[5] And I too, Mahānāma,
before my awakening
while I was still the bodhisatta,
not fully awakened,
thought:

'Pleasures of the senses
are of little satisfaction,
of much ill,
of much tribulation
wherein is more peril,'

and although this came to be well seen thus,
as it really is,
through perfect intuitive wisdom,
I came to no rapture and joy
apart from pleasures of the senses,
apart from unskilled states of mind,
nor to anything better than that.

So I was conscious
that I was not yet one unseduced
by pleasures of the senses.

But when, Mahānāma,
I thought:

'Pleasures of the senses
are of little [121] satisfaction,
of much ill,
of much tribulation
wherein is more peril,'

and when this was well seen thus,
as it really is,
through perfect intuitive wisdom,
and I came to rapture and joy
apart from the pleasures of the senses,
apart from unskilled states of mind,
and to something better than that,
then was I conscious
that I was one not seduced
by pleasures of the senses.

[6] And what, Mahānāma,
is the satisfaction in pleasures of the senses?

These five, Mahānāma,
are the strands of sense-pleasures.^[6]

What five?

[1] Material shapes cognisable by the eye,
agreeable,
pleasant,
liked,
enticing,
connected with sensual pleasures,
alluring.

[2] Sounds cognisable by the ear,
agreeable,
pleasant,
liked,
enticing,
connected with sensual pleasures,
alluring.

[3] Smells cognisable by the nose,
agreeable,
pleasant,
liked,
enticing,
connected with sensual pleasures,
alluring.

[4] Tastes cognisable by the tongue,
agreeable,
pleasant,
liked,
enticing,
connected with sensual pleasures,
alluring.

[5] Touches cognisable by the body,
agreeable,
pleasant,
liked,
enticing,
connected with sensual pleasures,
alluring.

These, Mahānāma, are the five strands of sense-pleasures.

■

Whatever pleasure,
whatever happiness arises
in consequence of these five strands of sense-pleasures,
this is the satisfaction in sense-pleasures.

■

[7] And what, Mahānāma, is the peril in sense-pleasures?

In this case, Mahānāma,
a young man of family earns his living by some craft,
such as reckoning on the fingers,
such as calculation,
such as computing,
such as agriculture,
such as being in a rajah's service,
such as by another craft.

He is afflicted by the cold,
he is afflicted by the heat,
suffering from the touch of gadflies,
mosquitoes,
wind,
sun,
creeping things,
dying of hunger and thirst.

This, Mahānāma, is a peril in pleasures of the senses that is present,
a stem of ill,
having pleasures of the senses as the cause,
having pleasures of the senses as the provenance,
being a consequence of pleasures of the senses,
the very cause of pleasures of the senses.

■

[8] If, Mahānāma, this young man of family
rouses himself,
exerts himself,
strives thus,
but if these possessions
do not come to his hand,
he grieves,
mourns,
laments,
beating his breast
and wailing,
he falls into disillusionment,
and thinks:

'Indeed my exertion is vain,
indeed my striving is fruitless.'

This too, Mahānāma, is a peril
in the pleasures of the senses
that is present,
a stem of ill,
having pleasures of the senses as the cause,
having pleasures of the senses as the provenance,
being a consequence of pleasures of the senses,
the very cause of pleasures of the senses.

■

[9] If, Mahānāma, this young man of family
rouses himself,
exerts himself,
strives thus,
and these possessions come to his hand,
he experiences suffering and sorrow
in consequence of looking after them,
and thinks:

'Now by what means
may neither kings nor thieves
take away my possessions,
nor fire burn them,
nor water carry them away,
nor heirs whom I do not like take them away?'

Although he looks after these possessions
and guards them,
kings do take them away
or thieves take them away,
or fire burns them
or water carries them away,
or heirs whom he does not like take them away.

He grieves,
mourns,
laments,
beating his breast and wailing,
he falls into disillusionment,
and thinks:

'I do not even have that which was mine.'

■

[10] And again, Mahānāma, when sense-pleasures are the cause,
sense-pleasures the provenance,
sense-pleasures the consequence,
the very cause of sense-pleasures,
kings dispute with kings,
nobles dispute with nobles,
brahmans dispute with brahmans,
householders dispute with householders,
a mother disputes with her son,
a son disputes with his mother,
a father disputes with his son,
a son disputes with his father,
a brother disputes with a brother,
a brother disputes with a sister,
a sister disputes with a brother,
a friend disputes with a friend.

Those who enter into quarrel,
contention,
dispute and attack one another
with their hands
and with stones
and with sticks
and with weapons,
these suffer dying then
and pain like unto dying.

■

[11] And again, Mahānāma,
when sense-pleasures are the cause,
sense-pleasures the provenance,
sense-pleasures the consequence,
the very cause of sense-pleasures,
having taken sword and shield,
having girded on bow and quiver,
both sides mass for battle
and arrows are hurled
and knives are hurled
and swords are flashing.

These who wound with arrows
and wound with knives
and decapitate with their swords,
these suffer dying then
and pain like unto dying.

[12] And again, Mahānāma,
when sense-pleasures are the cause,
sense-pleasures the provenance,
sense-pleasures the consequence,
the very cause of sense-pleasures,
having taken sword and shield,
having girded on bow and quiver,
they leap on to the newly daubed ramparts,
and arrows are hurled
and knives are hurled
and swords are flashing.

Those who wound with arrows
and wound with knives
and pour boiling cow-dung over them
and crush them with the (falling) portcullis
and decapitate them with their swords,
these suffer dying then
and pain like unto dying.

■

[13] And again, Mahānāma,
when sense-pleasures are the cause,
sense-pleasures the provenance,
sense-pleasures the consequence,
the very cause of sense-pleasures,
they break into a house
and carry off the booty
and behave as a thief
and wait in ambush
and go to other men's wives.

Kings, having arrested such a one,
deal out various punishments:|| ||

They lash him with whips
and they lash him with canes
and they lash him with (birch) rods,
and they cut off his hand,
and they cut off his foot,
and they cut off his hand and foot,
and they cut off his ear,
and they cut off his nose,
and they cut off his ear and nose,
and they give him the 'gruel-pot' punishment,
and they give him the 'shell-tonsure' punishment,
and they give him the 'Rahu's mouth,' punishment,
and they give him the 'fire-garland' punishment,
and they give him the 'flaming hand' punishment,
and they give him the 'hay-twist' punishment,
and they give him the 'bark-dress' punishment,
and they give him the 'antelope' punishment,
and they give him the 'flesh-hooking' punishment,
and they give him the 'disc-slice' punishment,
and they give him the 'pickling process' punishment,
and they give him the 'circling the pin,' punishment,
and they give him the 'straw mattress,' punishment,
and they spray him with boiling oil,
give him as food to the dogs,
impale him alive on stakes
and decapitate him with a sword.

■

[14] And again, Mahānāma,
when sense-pleasures are the cause,
sense-pleasures the provenance,
sense-pleasures the consequence,
the very cause of sense-pleasures,
they behave wrongly in body,
they behave wrongly in speech,
they behave wrongly in thought.

These, having behaved wrongly in body,
in speech,
in thought,
at the breaking up of the body after dying,
arise in a sorrowful state,
a bad bourn,
the abyss,
Niraya Hell.

This, Mahānāma, is a peril
in pleasures of the senses^[7]
that is of the future,
a stem of ill,
having pleasures of the senses as the cause,
having pleasures of the senses as the provenance,
being a consequence of pleasures of the senses,
the very cause of pleasures of the senses.

[15] At one time I, Mahānāma, was staying near Rājagaha
on Mount Vulture Peak.

Now at that time several Jains^[8]
on the Black Rock
on the slopes of (Mount) Isigili
came to be standing erect
and refusing a seat;^[9]
they were experiencing feelings that were acute,
painful,
sharp,
severe.

[16] Then I, Mahānāma,
having emerged from solitary meditation towards evening,
approached the slopes of (Mount) Isigili,
the Black Rock
and those Jains;
having approached
I spoke thus to those Jains:

'Why do you, reverend Jains,
standing erect
and refusing a seat,
experience feelings that are acute,
painful
sharp,
severe?

[17] When I had thus spoken, Mahānāma,
those Jains spoke thus to me:

[122] 'Your reverence, Nāthaputta the Jain is all-knowing,^[10] all-seeing;
he claims all-embracing knowledge-and-vision,^[11]
saying:

"Whether I am walking
or standing still
or asleep or awake,
knowledge-and-vision is permanently
and continuously before me."

He speaks thus:

"If there is, Jains,
an evil deed that was formerly done by you,
wear it away by this severe austerity.

That which is the non-doing
of an evil deed in the future
is from control of body,
from control of speech,
from control of thought
here, now.^[12]

Thus by burning up,^[13]
by making an end
of former deeds,
by the non-doing
of new deeds,
there is no flowing^[14] in the future.

Prom there being no flowing in the future
is the destruction of deeds;^[15]
from the destruction of deeds
is the destruction of ill;
from the destruction of ill
is the destruction of feeling;
from the destruction of feeling
all ill will become worn away."

And because that is approved of by us
as well as being pleasing to us,
therefore we are delighted.'

■

[18] When they had spoken thus,
I, Mahānāma,
spoke thus to those Jains:

'But do you, reverend Jains,
know^[16] that you yourselves
were in the past,
that you were not not?'

'Not this, your reverence.'

'But do you, reverend Jains,
know that you yourselves
did this evil deed in the past,
that you did not not do it?'

'Not this, your reverence.'

'But do you, reverend Jains,
know that you did not do an evil deed like this
or like that?'

'Not this, your reverence.'

'But do you, reverend Jains,
know that so much ill is worn away,
or that so much ill is to be worn away,
or that when so much ill is worn away,
all ill will become worn away?'

'Not this, your reverence.'

'But do you, reverend Jains,
know the getting rid
of unskilled states of mind here and now,
the uprising of skilled states?'

'Not this, your reverence.'

[19] 'From what you say, reverend Jains,
you do not know then
whether you yourselves were in the past,
whether you were not not;
you do not know whether in the past
you yourselves did this evil deed,
whether you did not not do it;
you do not know whether [123] you did
an evil deed like this or like that;
you do not know so much ill is worn away,
or that so much ill is to be worn away,
or that when so much ill is worn away
all ill will become worn away;
you do not know the getting rid
of unskilled states of mind,
the uprising of skilled states.

This being so, reverend Jains,
do those who are born again
among men in the world
and are hunters,
bloody-handed,
dealing in cruelty^[17] -
do these go forth among the Jains?'

'Now, reverend Gotama,
happiness is not to be achieved through happiness,
happiness is to be achieved through pain.

If, reverend Gotama,
happiness were to be achieved through happiness,
King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha
could achieve happiness,
King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha
would be more of a dweller in happiness
than the venerable Gotama.'

'Undoubtedly this speech
was made hastily by the reverend Jains,
without deliberation:

"Now, reverend Gotama,
happiness is not to be achieved through happiness,
happiness is to be achieved through pain.

For it is I who should be questioned thus
on this subject:

'Which of these venerable ones
is more of a dweller in happiness:
King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha
or the venerable Gotama?'

'Undoubtedly, reverend Gotama,
this speech was made by us hastily,
without deliberation:

"Now, reverend Gotama,
happiness is not to be achieved through happiness,
happiness is to be achieved through pain.

But let that be,
for now we will question the venerable Gotama:

Which of the venerable ones
is more of a dweller in happiness:
King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha
or the venerable Gotama?'

■

[21] 'Well then, reverend Jains,
I will ask you a question in return
on that very subject.

As it pleases you,
so reply to it.

What do you think about this, reverend Jains:

Is king Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha,
without moving his body,
without uttering a word,
able to stay
experiencing nothing but happiness
for seven nights and days?'

'No, your reverence.'

'What do you think about this, reverend Jains:

Is King Seniya [124] Bimbisāra of Magadha,
without moving his body,
without uttering a word,
able to stay
experiencing nothing but happiness
for six nights and days?'

'No, your reverence.'

Is King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha,
without moving his body,
without uttering a word,
able to stay experiencing nothing but happiness
for five nights and days,
for four nights and days,
for three nights and days,
for two nights and days,
for one night and day?'

'No, your reverence.'

[22] 'But I, reverend Jains, am able,
without moving my body,
without uttering a word,
to stay
experiencing nothing but happiness
for one night and day.

I, reverend Jains, am able,
without moving my body,
without uttering a word,
to stay
experiencing nothing but happiness^[18]
for two nights and days,
for three nights and days,
four nights and days,
five nights and days,
six nights and days,
for seven^[19] nights and days.

What do you think about this, reverend Jains:

This being so,
who is more of a dweller in happiness,
King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha
or I?'

'This being so,
the venerable Gotama himself
is more of a dweller in happiness
than King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha.'"

Thus spoke the Lord.

Delighted, Mahānāma the Sakyan
rejoiced in what the Lord had said.

The Lesser Discourse on the Stems of Anguish

^[1] MA. ii. 61 says Nigrodha was a Sakyan. He came to Kapilavatthu and made a dwelling-place for the Lord in his own park, ārāma, and gave it to the Lord.

^[2] Suddhodana's nephew, son of Sukkodana, and brother of Anuruddha, Gotama's cousin.

^[3] Cf. M. i. 36

^[4] Vin. iv. 134.

^[5] MA. ii. 63 points out that rapture and joy pertain to the first two meditations. Something higher than that will be connected with the third and fourth meditations.

^[6] As at M. i. 85; A. iii. 411; D. i. 245.

^[7] MA. ii. 63 points out that "escape" is not spoken of here. "This teaching is resolved to speak of it. One dead-end is devotion to pleasures of the senses, the other is devotion to self-mortification. My teaching is freed from these dead-ends." Cf. Vin. i. 10.

^[8] nigaṇṭha.

^[9] As at M. i. 78, 308, A. i. 296, ii. 206.

^[10] Cf. A. i. 220, 221; iv. 428.

^[11] M. i. 482, 519, ii. 31.

^[12] Not diṭṭh'eva dhamma, but ettha etarahi.

^[13] tapasā, incandescence.

^[14] anavassavo. MA. does not explain. Cf. Vin. ii. 89, M. ii. 246. At A. i. 220-21 the reading is setughātam, bridge-breaking.

^[15] Cf. M. ii. 217 as well as A. i. 221.

^[16] Cf. M. ii. 214-15.

^[17] kurūrakammantā, as at A. iii. 383.

^[18] The happiness of attaining the fruits (of the Way).

^[19] Quoted Kvu. 459.