English
he is one who squats, devoted to the practice of squatting, he is one who lies on a bed of thorns, he makes his bed on thorns, he makes his bed on a plank, he makes his bed on the bare ground, he is one who lies in one place, covered with dust and dirt, he is one who lives in the open air, as it happens, he is one who eats repulsive food, devoted to the practice of eating repulsive food, he is one who abstains from drinking, devoted to the practice of abstaining from drinking, he lives devoted to the practice of descending into water three times in the evening. Thus, he lives devoted to such various practices of tormenting and afflicting the body. Thus, pierced by the dart of views, wounded, struck, overcome, bewildered, possessed, he runs, he scurries, he wanders, he transmigrates. Pierced by the dart of sorrow, wounded, struck, overcome, bewildered, possessed, he grieves, he laments, he wails, he beats his breast, he falls into confusion. For this was said by the Blessed One: "Formerly, brahmin, in this very Sāvatthī, a certain The mother of this woman passed away. She, because of her death, became mad, distraught in mind. Going from street to street, from crossroads to crossroads, she said thus: 'Did you see my mother? Did you see my mother?' Formerly, brahmin, in this very Sāvatthī, the father of another woman died... her brother died... her sister died... her son died... her daughter died... her husband died. She, because of his death, became mad, distraught in mind. Going from street to street, from crossroads to crossroads, she said thus: 'Did you see my husband? Did you see my husband?' Formerly, brahmin, in this very Sāvatthī, the mother of another man died. He, because of her death, became mad, distraught in mind. Going from street to street, from crossroads to crossroads, he said thus: 'Did you see my mother? Did you see my mother?' Formerly, brahmin, in this very Sāvatthī, the father of another man died... his brother died... his sister died... his son died... his daughter died... his wife died. He, because of her death, became mad, distraught in mind. Going from street to street, from crossroads to crossroads, he said thus: 'Did you see my wife? Did you see my wife?' Formerly, brahmin, in this very Sāvatthī, a certain woman went to her relatives' family. Her relatives, taking her from her husband, wanted to give her to another, but she did not wish it. Then that woman said to her husband: 'These relatives, my dear, want to take me from you and give me to another. Let us both die.' Then that man cut that woman in two, and then killed himself, saying: 'Both of us will be together in the next world.' Thus, overwhelmed, pierced, afflicted, overcome, and bewildered by the dart of sorrow. is endowed, he runs, he runs about, he runs around, he wanders on. Pierced, struck, touched, overcome, bewildered, endowed with the dart of doubt, he is inclined to doubt, inclined to perplexity, filled with indecision— "Was I in the past? Was I not in the past? What was I in the past? How was I in the past? Having been what, what was I in the past? Shall I be in the future? Shall I not be in the future? What shall I be in the future? How shall I be in the future? Having been what, what shall I be in the future?" Or he is inwardly doubtful about the present time: "Am I? Am I not? What am I? How am I? Whence has this being come? Whither will it go?" Thus, pierced, struck, touched, overcome, bewildered, endowed with the dart of doubt, he runs, he runs about, he runs around, he wanders on. He fabricates those darts; fabricating those darts, by way of fabricating darts, he runs to the eastern direction, he runs to the western direction, he runs to the northern direction, he runs to the southern direction. Those fabrications of darts are not abandoned; because the fabrications of darts are not abandoned, he runs in destinations, he runs in hell, he runs in the animal realm, he runs in the realm of hungry ghosts, he runs in the human world, he runs in the divine world, from destination to destination, from rebirth to rebirth, from conception to conception, from existence to existence, from wandering to wandering, from cycle to cycle, he runs, he runs about, he runs around, he wanders on— by which dart he is pierced, he runs about in all directions. Having extracted that very dart, he does not run, he does not sink. Having extracted, having drawn out, having pulled out, having thoroughly pulled out that very dart of lust, dart of hatred, dart of delusion, dart of conceit, dart of views, dart of sorrow, dart of doubt— having removed, having uprooted, having thoroughly uprooted, having abandoned, having dispelled, having brought to an end, having brought to non-existence, he does not run to the eastern direction, he does not run to the western direction, he does not run to the northern direction, he does not run to the southern direction. Those dart-formations are abandoned; because of the abandonment of dart-formations, he does not run to a destination, he does not run to hell, he does not run to the animal realm, he does not run to the realm of hungry ghosts, he does not run to the human world, he does not run to the divine world, he does not run from one destination to another destination, from one rebirth to another rebirth, from one re-linking to another re-linking, from one existence to another existence, from one wandering-on to another wandering-on, from one round to another round, he does not run, he does not run about, he does not wander, he does not transmigrate—having extracted that dart, he does not run. He does not sink—he does not sink in the flood of sensuality, he does not sink in the flood of existence, he does not sink in the flood of views, he does not sink in the flood of ignorance, he does not sink down, he does not settle down, he does not go down, he does not go, he does not go down—having extracted that dart, he does not run, he does not sink. Therefore the Blessed One said: “By which dart one is afflicted, He runs about in all directions; Having extracted that dart, He neither runs nor sinks.” 175. Therein are sung the trainings, Which are clung to in the world; One should not be devoted to them, Having thoroughly pierced all sensual pleasures; One should train for one’s own Nibbāna. “Therein are sung the trainings, which are clung to in the world”—“trainings” means elephant training, horse training, chariot training, archery training, surgery, ophthalmology, general medicine, demonology, pediatrics. “Are sung” means are sung, are well sung, are spoken, are recited, are expounded, are used. Or, are sung, are grasped, are learned, are held, are retained, are observed for the acquisition of what is clung to. “Clung to” refers to the five cords of sensual pleasure—forms cognizable by the eye, desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, associated with sensuality, arousing passion; sounds cognizable by the ear… etc.… smell undiscernible smells… discernible tastes… discernible touches, desirable, agreeable, pleasing, lovely, connected with sensual pleasure, enticing. For what reason are the five cords of sensual pleasure called 'gadhitā' (craved/grasped)? Because mostly devas and humans desire, enjoy, wish for, long for, and crave the five cords of sensual pleasure. For that reason, the five cords of sensual pleasure are called 'gadhitā'. In the world, in the human world – therein are sung the trainings, those things craved in the world. One should not be devoted to them. To those trainings, or to those five cords of sensual pleasure, one should not be devoted, one should not be inclined towards them, one should not lean towards them, one should not be burdened by them, one should not be intent on them, one should not be dominated by them – one should not be devoted to them. Having thoroughly penetrated sensual pleasures. 'Having penetrated' means having fully understood. Having fully understood that "all formations are impermanent," having fully understood that "all formations are suffering," ... having fully understood that "whatever is of the nature to arise, all that is of the nature to cease." 'Thoroughly' means completely, entirely, in every way, without remainder, without exception, exhaustively – this is the meaning of 'thoroughly'. 'Sensual pleasures' are of two kinds by definition – sensual objects and defilement-sensual pleasures... ...these are called sensual objects... ...these are called defilement-sensual pleasures – having thoroughly penetrated sensual pleasures. One should train for one's own Nibbāna. 'Train' means the three trainings – the training in higher virtue, the training in higher mind, the training in higher wisdom... ...this is the training in higher wisdom. 'For one's own Nibbāna' means for the extinguishing of one's own lust, for the extinguishing of hatred, for the extinguishing of delusion... ...for the calming, for the appeasing, for the tranquilizing, for the extinguishing, for the relinquishing, for the pacifying of all unwholesome volitional formations. One should train in higher virtue, one should train in higher mind, one should train in higher wisdom. Contemplating these three trainings, one should train, knowing, one should train... ...realizing what is to be realized, one should train, one should practice, one should thoroughly practice, one should undertake and maintain – one should train for one's own Nibbāna. Therefore, the Blessed One said: "Therein are sung the trainings, those things craved in the world." Held fast; One should not be attached to them, piercing through all sensual pleasures; One should train for one's own Nibbāna. 176. One should be truthful, not arrogant, without deceit, free from slander; Without anger, evil greed, the sage should overcome doubt. "One should be truthful, not arrogant" means: "One should be truthful" means one should be endowed with truthful speech, one should be endowed with right view,