English
If you wish, friend Visākha, you may approach the Blessed One and ask him about this matter. As the Blessed One explains it to you, so should you remember it. Then Visākha the lay follower, having rejoiced in and approved of the words spoken by the bhikkhunī Dhammadinnā, rose from his seat, saluted the bhikkhunī Dhammadinnā, and circumambulated her, then he approached the Blessed One. Having approached, he saluted the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, Visākha the lay follower reported to the Blessed One all the conversation he had had with the bhikkhunī Dhammadinnā. When this was said, the Blessed One spoke to Visākha the lay follower thus: "Wise, Visākha, is the bhikkhunī Dhammadinnā. Greatly discerning, Visākha, is the bhikkhunī Dhammadinnā. If you, Visākha, had asked me about this matter, I too would have explained it to you in exactly the same way as it was explained by the bhikkhunī Dhammadinnā. That is its meaning. And so should you remember it." This is what the Blessed One said. Delighted, Visākha the lay follower rejoiced in the Blessed One's words. The Shorter Discourse on the Fullness of Questions The fourth is finished. 5. The Shorter Discourse on Undertakings 468. Thus have I heard: On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus thus: “Bhikkhus!” “Venerable sir!” those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this: “There are, bhikkhus, these four undertakings. What are the four? There is, bhikkhus, an undertaking that is pleasant in the present but has a painful result in the future; there is, bhikkhus, an undertaking that is painful in the present and has a painful result in the future; there is, bhikkhus, an undertaking that is painful in the present but has a pleasant result in the future; there is, bhikkhus, an undertaking that is pleasant in the present and has a pleasant result in the future.” 469. “And what, bhikkhus, is an undertaking that is pleasant in the present but has a painful result in the future? There are, bhikkhus, some recluses and brahmins who hold such a view, who speak thus: ‘There is no fault in sensual pleasures.’ They indulge in sensual pleasures. They are attended by wandering female ascetics with braided hair. They say this: ‘Why do those venerable recluses and brahmins, seeing future danger in sensual pleasures, speak of the abandonment of sensual pleasures, prescribe the full understanding of sensual pleasures? Pleasant is the touch of this young, soft, hairy arm of this wandering female ascetic.’ They indulge in sensual pleasures. Having indulged in sensual pleasures, with the breakup of the body, after death, they reappear in a state of deprivation, a bad destination, a downfall, hell. There they experience painful, sharp, severe, bitter feelings. They say this: ‘This is what those venerable recluses and brahmins, seeing future danger in sensual pleasures, spoke of as the abandonment of sensual pleasures, prescribed as the full understanding of sensual pleasures. For the sake of sensual pleasures, on account of sensual pleasures, we now experience painful, sharp, severe, bitter feelings.’ Just as, bhikkhus, in the last month of summer, a mālu a carpenter's axe would split it. Then, monks, that māluvā seed would fall at the root of a certain sāla tree. Then, monks, the deity dwelling in that sāla tree would be frightened, agitated, and terrified. Then, monks, the friends, relatives, and kin of the deity dwelling in that sāla tree, the park deities, forest deities, tree deities, and deities dwelling in herbs, grasses, and plants, would gather and assemble and thus reassure her: 'Do not be afraid, lady, do not be afraid; perhaps this māluvā seed a peacock might swallow, or a deer might eat, or a forest fire might burn, or forest workers might uproot it, or termites might carry it away, or it might be infertile.' Then, monks, that māluvā seed neither would a peacock swallow, nor would a deer eat, nor would a forest fire burn, nor would forest workers uproot it, nor would termites carry it away, and being fertile, it would sprout well when rained upon by the monsoon cloud. That māluvā creeper, young, soft, hairy, trailing, would approach that sāla tree. Then, monks, the deity dwelling in that sāla tree would think thus: 'Why did those venerable friends, relatives, and kin, the park deities, forest deities, tree deities, and deities dwelling in herbs, grasses, and plants, seeing future danger in the māluvā seed, gather and assemble and thus reassure me: "Do not be afraid, lady, do not be afraid; perhaps this māluvā seed a peacock might swallow, or a deer might eat, or a forest fire might burn, or forest workers might uproot it, or termites might carry it away, or it might be infertile"? Pleasant is the touch of this young, soft, hairy, trailing māluvā creeper.' She would embrace that sāla tree. Having embraced that sāla tree, she would go up to the branches. he would do so. Having made a branch above, he would cause it to be entangled. Having caused it to be entangled, he would split those great, great trunks of that sal tree. Then, bhikkhus, to the deity dwelling in that sal tree, it would occur thus: ‘Indeed, these venerable friends, relatives, kinsfolk, garden deities, forest deities, tree deities, deities dwelling in herbs, grasses, and plants, seeing future danger in the māluvā seed, gathered together and reassured me thus: “Do not be afraid, venerable one, do not be afraid! Perhaps this māluvā seed a peacock might swallow, a deer might eat, a forest fire might burn, forest workers might uproot it, termites might rise up, or it might be seedless.” And what I, on account of the māluvā seed, experience painful, sharp, harsh, bitter feelings!’ Even so, bhikkhus, there are some recluses and brahmins who hold such views, who speak thus: ‘There is no fault in sensual pleasures.’ They indulge in sensual pleasures. They are served by wandering ascetics with braided hair. They say thus: ‘Why indeed do those venerable recluses and brahmins, seeing future danger in sensual pleasures, speak of the abandonment of sensual pleasures, proclaim the full understanding of sensual pleasures? Pleasant is the touch of this young, soft, hairy arm of the wandering ascetic!’ They indulge in sensual pleasures. Having indulged in sensual pleasures, at the breaking up of the body, after death, they are reborn in a state of woe, a bad destination, a downfall, hell. There they experience painful, sharp, harsh, bitter feelings. They say thus: ‘Indeed, these venerable recluses and brahmins, seeing future danger in sensual pleasures, spoke of the abandonment of sensual pleasures, proclaimed the full understanding of sensual pleasures. For we, on account of sensual pleasures, due to sensual pleasures, experience painful, sharp, harsh, bitter feelings!’ This, bhikkhus, is called an undertaking of Dhamma that is pleasant in the present but has a painful result in the future. 470. And what, monks, is a course of action that is painful in the present and has a painful result in the future? Here, monks, some individual is naked, of loose conduct, licking his hands, not accepting 'come, good sir', not accepting 'stay, good sir', not accepting food brought to him, not accepting food prepared specially for him, not accepting an invitation. He does not accept from the mouth of a pot, he does not accept from the mouth of a bowl, he does not accept across a threshold, he does not accept across a stick, he does not accept across a mortar, he does not accept from two people eating, he does not accept from a pregnant woman, he does not accept from a nursing woman, he does not accept from a woman with a man between them, he does not accept from where an announcement is made, he does not accept from where a dog is standing, he does not accept from where flies are swarming. He does not eat fish, he does not eat meat, he does not drink liquor, he does not drink strong drink, he does not drink rice gruel. He is a one-house-beggar, a one-mouthful-beggar, or a two-house-beggar, a two-mouthful-beggar, ... or a seven-house-beggar, a seven-mouthful-beggar. He subsists on one alms-giving, he subsists on two alms-givings, ... he subsists on seven alms-givings. He eats food once every day, he eats food once every two days, ... he eats food once every seven days. Thus he lives devoted to the practice of eating food at regular intervals, even up to half a month. He is a vegetable-eater, or a wild-rice-eater, or a water-plant-eater, or a skin-eater, or a burnt-rice-eater, or a rice-bran-eater, or a scum-eater, or a flour-eater, or a grass-eater, or a cow-dung-eater. He subsists on forest roots and fruits, eating fallen fruits. He wears coarse hempen clothes, he wears coarse mixed clothes, he wears clothes from corpses, he wears rag-robes from dust heaps, he wears tree-bark clothes, he wears antelope hide, he wears antelope hide with the hair on, he wears kusa-grass garments, he wears bark garments, he wears wood-shaving garments, he wears hair blankets, he wears horse-hair blankets, he wears owl's wing garments. He is a hair-and-beard plucker, devoted to the practice of plucking hair and beard. He is a stander, rejecting a seat. He is a squatting-one, devoted to the practice of squatting. ...engaged, he is also one who sleeps on thorns, he makes his bed on thorns. Even for the third time in the evening, he dwells devoted to the practice of descending into water. Thus, he dwells devoted to various kinds of practices of heating and tormenting the body. He, at the breaking up of the body, after death, reappears in a state of woe, a bad destination, a downfall, hell. This is called, monks, a taking up of Dhamma that is painful in the present and has a painful result in the future. 471. And what, monks, is a taking up of Dhamma painful in the present