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with forms cognizable by the eye, desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, connected with sensuality, arousing passion; with sounds cognizable by the ear... ...with odors cognizable by the nose... ...with tastes cognizable by the tongue... ...with touchables cognizable by the body, desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, connected with sensuality, arousing passion. Then, at a later time, the origin of sensual pleasures... and their origin, and their passing away, and their gratification, and their danger, and their escape, having known as they really are, having abandoned craving for sensual pleasures, having removed the fever of sensual pleasures, free from thirst, with a mind inwardly calmed, I dwell. I see other beings, not free from passion for sensual pleasures, being consumed by craving for sensual pleasures, burning with the fever of sensual pleasures, indulging in sensual pleasures. I do not envy them, I do not delight in that. For what reason? This delight, Māgaṇḍiya, which is apart from sensual pleasures, apart from unwholesome states – it even encompasses divine happiness – delighting in that delight, I do not envy the inferior, I do not delight in that. 213. Just as, Māgaṇḍiya, a leper, with sores on his body, with festering limbs, being eaten by worms, scratching the openings of his wounds with his nails, might warm his body over a pit of glowing embers. His friends, companions, relatives, and kinsmen would bring a physician, a surgeon. That physician, that surgeon, would administer medicine to him. Relying on that medicine, he would be freed from his leprosy, he would be healthy, happy, free, self-controlled, going where he wished. He would see another leper, with sores on his body, with festering limbs, being eaten by worms, scratching the openings of his wounds with his nails, warming his body over a pit of glowing embers. "What do you think, Māgaṇḍiya, would that man envy that leper for his pit of glowing embers or for taking medicine?" "No, indeed, Venerable Gotama. For what reason? Because, Venerable Gotama, when there is sickness, there is a need for medicine; when there is no sickness, there is no need for medicine." "Even so, Māgaṇḍiya, formerly, when I was a householder, endowed and furnished with the five strands of sensual pleasure, I indulged in them: with forms cognizable by the eye— desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, associated with sensual pleasure, enticing; with sounds cognizable by the ear— desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, associated with sensual pleasure, enticing; with odors cognizable by the nose— desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, associated with sensual pleasure, enticing; with tastes cognizable by the tongue— desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, associated with sensual pleasure, enticing; with tangibles cognizable by the body— desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, associated with sensual pleasure, enticing." by those delightful, pleasing forms, connected with sensual pleasures, enticing. Then, at a later time, having truly understood the origin, the disappearance, the gratification, the danger, and the escape from sensual pleasures, having abandoned craving for sensual pleasures, having allayed the fever of sensual pleasures, free from thirst, with a mind inwardly calmed, I dwell. I see other beings not free from passion for sensual pleasures, devoured by craving for sensual pleasures, burning with the fever of sensual pleasures, indulging in sensual pleasures. I do not envy them, nor do I delight in that. For what reason? Because, Māgaṇḍiya, this delight, apart from sensual pleasures, apart from unwholesome states – which even surpasses divine bliss – delighting in that delight, I do not envy the lower, nor do I delight in that. 214. Just as, Māgaṇḍiya, a leper, with festering limbs, with rotting limbs, being eaten by worms, scratching the openings of his wounds with his nails, might warm his body over a pit of glowing coals. His friends, companions, relatives, and kinsmen might bring him a physician and surgeon. That physician and surgeon might prepare medicine for him. Relying on that medicine, he might be freed from leprosy, become healthy, happy, free, self-mastered, able to go where he wishes. Then two strong men, taking him by his arms, might drag him towards the pit of glowing coals. What do you think, Māgaṇḍiya? Would that man bend his body towards it? "Yes, Venerable Gotama." "For what reason?" "Because, Venerable Gotama, that fire is painful to touch, greatly scorching, and greatly burning." "What do you think, Māgaṇḍiya? Is that fire painful to touch, greatly scorching, and greatly burning only now, or was that fire painful to touch, greatly scorching, and greatly burning before as well?" "Now, Venerable Gotama, that fire is painful to touch, greatly scorching, and greatly burning. And before as well, that fire was painful to touch, greatly scorching, and greatly burning. And that O Gotama, a leper, with a body full of sores, festering, being eaten by worms, scratching the mouths of his wounds with his nails, with impaired faculties, in painful contact, mistakes fire for pleasure. Even so, Māgaṇḍiya, in the past, sensual pleasures were painful to touch, greatly tormenting, and greatly burning. In the future, sensual pleasures will be painful to touch, greatly tormenting, and greatly burning. And now, in the present, sensual pleasures are painful to touch, greatly tormenting, and greatly burning. And these beings, Māgaṇḍiya, not free from lust for sensual pleasures, being eaten by craving for sensual pleasures, burning with the fever of sensual pleasures, with impaired faculties, mistake sensual pleasures, which are painful to touch, for pleasure. 215. Just as, Māgaṇḍiya, a leper, with a body full of sores, festering, being eaten by worms, scratching the mouths of his wounds with his nails, warms his body over a pit of glowing embers. The more, Māgaṇḍiya, that leper, with a body full of sores, festering, being eaten by worms, scratching the mouths of his wounds with his nails, warms his body over a pit of glowing embers, the more those mouths of his wounds become dirtier, smellier, and more putrid. And there is some measure of satisfaction, some measure of enjoyment – that is, due to the scratching of the mouths of the wounds. Even so, Māgaṇḍiya, beings not free from lust for sensual pleasures, being eaten by craving for sensual pleasures, and burning with the fever of sensual pleasures, indulge in sensual pleasures. The more, Māgaṇḍiya, these beings not free from lust for sensual pleasures, being eaten by craving for sensual pleasures, and burning with the fever of sensual pleasures, indulge in sensual pleasures, the more their craving for sensual pleasures grows, and they burn with the fever of sensual pleasures. And there is some measure of satisfaction, some measure of enjoyment – that is, dependent on the five cords of sensual pleasure. What do you think, Māgaṇḍiya, do you see... seen or heard, that a king or a royal minister, endowed and furnished with the five sense pleasures, indulging in them, without abandoning craving for sensual pleasures, without allaying the fever of sensual pleasures, lived or lives or will live free from thirst, with an inwardly calmed mind?” “No, venerable Gotama.” “Good, Māgaṇḍiya! Neither have I, Māgaṇḍiya, seen nor heard that a king or a royal minister, endowed and furnished with the five sense pleasures, indulging in them, without abandoning craving for sensual pleasures, without allaying the fever of sensual pleasures, lived or lives or will live free from thirst, with an inwardly calmed mind. But, Māgaṇḍiya, whatever ascetics or brahmins lived or live or will live free from thirst, with an inwardly calmed mind— all of them, having truly understood the origin, the passing away, the gratification, the danger, and the escape from sensual pleasures, abandoned craving for sensual pleasures, allayed the fever of sensual pleasures, and lived or live or will live free from thirst, with an inwardly calmed mind.” Then, on that occasion, the Blessed One uttered this inspired utterance: “Health is the highest gain, Nibbāna is the highest bliss; And of paths, the Eightfold, is the safe path to the Deathless.” 216. When this was said, the wanderer Māgaṇḍiya said to the Blessed One: “Wonderful, venerable Gotama! Amazing, venerable Gotama! How well spoken is this by venerable Gotama: ‘Health is the highest gain, Nibbāna is the highest bliss.’ I too, venerable Gotama, have heard this from the ancient wanderers, teachers and grand-teachers, speaking thus: ‘Health is the highest gain, Nibbāna is the highest bliss.’ This, venerable Gotama, accords.” “But Māgaṇḍiya, that which you heard from the ancient wanderers, teachers and grand-teachers, speaking thus: ‘Health is the highest gain, Nibbāna is the highest bliss’— what is that health? What is that …Nibbāna?” When this was said, the wanderer Māgaṇḍiya stroked his own limbs with his hand: “This, good Gotama, is health! This is Nibbāna! For I, good Gotama, am now healthy and happy; nothing afflicts me.” 217. “Suppose, Māgaṇḍiya, there was a man born blind. He would not see black and white forms, he would not see blue forms, he would not see yellow forms, he would not see red forms, he would not see crimson forms, he would not see even and uneven, he would not see star forms, he would not see the moon and sun. He would hear a sighted man speaking: ‘Indeed, sirs, a fine white cloth, beautiful, spotless, clean!’ He would go in search of a white cloth. Then another man would deceive him with a greasy, dirty rag: ‘This, good sir, is your white cloth, beautiful, spotless, clean!’ He would accept it, and having accepted it, he would wear it, and having worn it, he would be delighted, and utter words of delight: ‘Indeed, sirs, a fine white cloth, beautiful, spotless, clean!’ “What do you think, Māgaṇḍiya? Would that man born blind, knowing and seeing,