English
He, having renounced the training, returns to a lower state. This, bhikkhus, is called a bhikkhu who, fearing the danger of turning back, has renounced the training and returned to a lower state. The danger of turning back, bhikkhus, is a designation for these five strands of sensual pleasure. This, bhikkhus, is called the danger of turning back. And what, bhikkhus, is the danger of the 'susukā'? Here, bhikkhus, some young man of good family, out of faith, goes forth from the home life into homelessness, saying: 'I am overwhelmed by birth, old age, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair; I am overwhelmed by suffering, afflicted by suffering; perhaps an end to this entire mass of suffering might be discerned!' He, having thus gone forth, in the forenoon, having dressed and taken his bowl and robe, enters a village or town for alms, with an unguarded body, unguarded speech, unguarded mind, unestablished mindfulness, and uncontrolled senses. He there sees a woman poorly dressed or poorly covered. Seeing that woman poorly dressed or poorly covered, lust assails his mind. He, with a mind assailed by lust, renounces the training and returns to a lower state. This, bhikkhus, is called a bhikkhu who, fearing the danger of the 'susukā', has renounced the training and returned to a lower state. The danger of the 'susukā', bhikkhus, is a designation for women. This, bhikkhus, is called the danger of the 'susukā'. These four dangers, bhikkhus, are to be expected for some young man of good family who has gone forth from the home life into homelessness in this Dhamma and Discipline." The Second. 3. The First Sutta on Differences. 123. "These four persons, bhikkhus, exist, are found in the world. Which four? Here, bhikkhus, some person, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, with thought and examination, born of seclusion, with rapture and pleasure, enters and abides in the first jhana. he dwells. He relishes that, he delights in that, and he is gratified by that. Having stayed there, devoted to that, dwelling much in that, not fallen away, when he dies, he is reborn into the companionship of the Brahma-devas. The lifespan of the Brahma-devas, bhikkhus, is one eon. There, an ordinary person, having stayed for their full lifespan, as long as the lifespan of those devas, having exhausted all of that, goes to hell, goes to the animal realm, goes to the realm of hungry ghosts. But a disciple of the Blessed One, having stayed there for their full lifespan, as long as the lifespan of those devas, having exhausted all of that, attains final Nibbāna in that very existence. This, bhikkhus, is the distinction, this is the special feature, this is the difference, between the well-instructed noble disciple and the uninstructed ordinary person, that is, in terms of destination, in terms of rebirth. Furthermore, bhikkhus, here, some person, with the calming of initial and sustained application, with internal assurance, with unification of mind, without initial application, without sustained application, born of concentration, rapture and pleasure, enters and dwells in the second jhana. He relishes that, he delights in that, and he is gratified by that. Having stayed there, devoted to that, dwelling much in that, not fallen away, when he dies, he is reborn into the companionship of the Abhassara devas. The lifespan of the Abhassara devas, bhikkhus, is two eons. There, an ordinary person, having stayed for their full lifespan, as long as the lifespan of those devas, having exhausted all of that, goes to hell, goes to the animal realm, goes to the realm of hungry ghosts. But a disciple of the Blessed One, having stayed there for their full lifespan, as long as the lifespan of those devas, having exhausted all of that, attains final Nibbāna in that very existence. This, bhikkhus, is the distinction, this is the special feature, this is the difference, between the well-instructed noble disciple and the uninstructed ordinary person, that is, in terms of destination, in terms of rebirth. Again, bhikkhus, here some person, from the fading of rapture, dwells in equanimity, mindful and clearly comprehending, and experiences pleasure with the body, that of which the Noble Ones declare: ‘He dwells in equanimity, mindful, in a pleasant abiding’— he enters upon and abides in the third jhāna. He delights in that, he takes pleasure in that, and he is satisfied with that. Remaining there, devoted to that, dwelling much in that, not fallen away, when he makes an end, he is reborn into the companionship of the Subhakiṇha devas. The Subhakiṇha devas, bhikkhus, have a lifespan of four eons. There, an ordinary person, having remained for his full lifespan, having exhausted all of that lifespan of those devas, goes to hell, goes to the animal realm, goes to the realm of hungry ghosts. But a disciple of the Fortunate One, having remained there for his full lifespan, having exhausted all of that lifespan of those devas, is fully unbound in that very existence. This, bhikkhus, is the distinction, this is the difference, this is the disparity between the well-taught noble disciple and the untaught ordinary person, regarding their destination and rebirth. Again, bhikkhus, here some person, with the abandoning of pleasure and the abandoning of pain, and with the prior disappearance of joy and sorrow, enters upon and abides in the fourth jhāna, which is neither painful nor pleasant, and is purified by equanimity and mindfulness. He delights in that, he takes pleasure in that, and he is satisfied with that. Remaining there, devoted to that, dwelling much in that, not fallen away, when he makes an end, he is reborn into the companionship of the Vehapphala devas. The Vehapphala devas, bhikkhus, have a lifespan of five hundred eons. There, an ordinary person, having remained for his full lifespan, having exhausted all of that lifespan of those devas, goes to hell, goes to the animal realm, goes to the realm of hungry ghosts. But a disciple of the Fortunate One, having remained there for his full lifespan, having exhausted all of that lifespan of those devas, having exhausted it, in that very existence he attains final Nibbāna. This, monks, is the distinction, this the difference, this the diversity between the well-taught noble disciple and the untaught ordinary person, namely, regarding destination and rebirth. These, monks, are the four persons existing, found in the world." The Third. 4. The Second Discourse on Distinctions 124. "These four persons, monks, exist, are found in the world. Which four? Here, monks, a certain person, quite secluded from sensual pleasures... he enters upon and abides in the first jhāna. Whatever there is there: form, feeling, perception, volitional formations, consciousness, he regards those phenomena as impermanent, as suffering, as a disease, as a boil, as a dart, as a misery, as an affliction, as alien, as disintegrating, as empty, as not-self. With the breaking up of the body, after death, he is reborn among the Suddhāvāsa devas. This rebirth, monks, is not shared by ordinary people. "Again, further, monks, a certain person, with the stilling of applied thought and sustained thought... he enters upon and abides in the second jhāna... the third jhāna... the fourth jhāna. Whatever there is there: form, feeling, perception, volitional formations, consciousness, he regards those phenomena as impermanent, as suffering, as a disease, as a boil, as a dart, as a misery, as an affliction, as alien, as disintegrating, as empty, as not-self. With the breaking up of the body, after death, he is reborn among the Suddhāvāsa devas. This rebirth, monks, is not shared by ordinary people. These, monks, are the four persons existing, found in the world." The Fourth. 5. The First Discourse on Loving-kindness 125. "These four persons, monks, exist, are found in the world. Which four? Here, monks, a certain person abides pervading one direction with a mind imbued with loving-kindness, likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth. Thus above, below, across, When everywhere, in all ways, one pervades the entire world with a mind imbued with loving-kindness, vast, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility, without ill-will, and dwells therein. He delights in that, he is pleased with that, and through that, he experiences joy. Dwelling there, devoted to that, frequently abiding in that, without decline, when he passes away, he is reborn into the companionship of the Brahmakāyika devas. The lifespan of the Brahmakāyika devas, monks, is one eon. There, an ordinary person, having remained for their full lifespan, having exhausted the entire lifespan of those devas, goes to hell, goes to the animal realm, goes to the realm of hungry ghosts. But a disciple of the Blessed One, having remained there for their full lifespan, having exhausted the entire lifespan of those devas, attains final Nibbāna in that very existence. This, monks, is the distinction, this is the difference, this is the disparity between the well-instructed noble disciple and the uninstructed ordinary person, regarding their destination and rebirth. Furthermore, monks, here, some person with a mind imbued with compassion... with a mind imbued with sympathetic joy... with a mind imbued with equanimity, pervades one direction and dwells therein, likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth. Thus, above, below, across, everywhere, in all ways, one pervades the entire world with a mind imbued with equanimity, vast, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility, without ill-will, and dwells therein. He delights in that, he is pleased with that, and through that, he experiences joy. Dwelling there, devoted to that, frequently abiding in that, without decline, when he passes away, he is reborn into the companionship of the Ābhassara devas. The lifespan of the Ābhassara devas, monks, is two eons... ..