English
Whatever they are dependent on birth, that they are dependent on old age. Whatever they are dependent on old age, that they are dependent on sickness. Whatever they are dependent on sickness, that they are dependent on death. Whatever they are dependent on death, that they are dependent on sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. Whatever they are dependent on sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair, that they are dependent on destiny. Whatever they are dependent on destiny, that they are dependent on rebirth. Whatever they are dependent on rebirth, that they are dependent on re-linking. Whatever they are dependent on re-linking, that they are dependent on becoming. Whatever they are Dependent on becoming, so are they dependent on transmigration. And as they are dependent on transmigration, so are they dependent on the cycle of existence, clinging, having reached, having settled, having resolved. Dependent on old age, they performed sacrifices. Therefore, the Blessed One said: "Whatever ascetics, humans, Khattiyas, brahmins, or gods, Performed sacrifices here and there in the world, desiring this state of being, Punṇaka, Dependent on old age, they performed sacrifices." 14. "Whatever ascetics, humans, Khattiyas, brahmins, or gods, Performed sacrifices here and there in the world, were they, Blessed One, diligent in the path of sacrifice? Did they cross birth and old age, dear sir? I ask you, Blessed One, tell me this." "Whatever ascetics, humans..." "Were they, Blessed One, diligent in the path of sacrifice?" "Kaccisu" means a question of doubt, a question of uncertainty, a question of dilemma, a question of many possibilities – "Is it so, is it not so, what is it so, how is it so?" – that is "kaccisu". "Te" refers to those who perform sacrifices. "Bhagavā" is an address of respect... a true designation, that is, "Bhagavā" – "Were they, Blessed One". "Diligent in the path of sacrifice" – "path of sacrifice" is simply called "sacrifice". Just as the noble path is the noble way, the divine path is the divine way, the Brahma path is the Brahma way, so too "sacrifice" is simply called "path of sacrifice". "Diligent" means diligent in the path of sacrifice, performing carefully, performing continuously, performing steadfastly, not slack in conduct, not abandoning desire, not abandoning the burden, acting accordingly, abounding in that, respecting that, inclined to that, tending to that, leaning towards that, devoted to that, having that as their master – they too are diligent in the path of sacrifice. And those who seek, search for, investigate sacrifice – robes, almsfood, lodging, requisites for the sick, medicine, provisions, food, drink, etc., beds, dwellings, lamps – performing carefully, etc., having that as their master, they too are diligent in the path of sacrifice. And those who prepare sacrifice – robes, almsfood, lodging, requisites for the sick, medicine... offerings, food, drink... beds, dwellings, lamps, doing with care... those in charge of them, they too are diligent in the path of sacrifice. And those who give sacrifice, offer, renounce robes, almsfood, lodgings, requisites for the sick, medicine, offerings, food, drink... beds, dwellings, lamps, doing with care... those in charge of them, they too are diligent in the path of sacrifice – Are they, O Blessed One, diligent in the path of sacrifice? "They crossed birth and old age, O venerable one!" means: They crossed old age and death, they overcame, they passed beyond, they transcended, they went beyond. "Mārisa" is an endearing word, a respectful word, a word of reverence and deference, "Mārisa" – "They crossed birth and old age, O venerable one." "I ask you, Blessed One, tell me!" means: "I ask you" means: I ask you, I beg you, I request you, I implore you, tell me – I ask you. "Bhagavā" is a word of respect... a true designation – that is, "Bhagavā". "Tell me" means: tell, declare, teach, explain, establish, reveal, analyze, make clear, make known – "I ask you, Blessed One, tell me." Therefore, that brahmin said – "Whatever ascetics and men, [thus spoke the venerable Puṇṇaka] Khattiyas, brahmins, for the devas; Performed sacrifices widely here in the world, Are they, O Blessed One, diligent in the path of sacrifice? Did they cross birth and old age, O venerable one? I ask you, Blessed One, tell me!" 15. They wish, they praise, they murmur, they offer; [Puṇṇaka, said the Blessed One] They murmur for sensual pleasures, dependent on gain, they are devoted to sacrifice, stained by the lust for becoming; They did not cross birth and old age, I say. "They wish, they praise, they murmur, they offer" means: "They wish" means: they wish for the acquisition of forms, they wish for the acquisition of sounds, they wish for the acquisition of smells, they wish for the acquisition of tastes, they wish for the acquisition of touches, they wish for the acquisition of sons, they wish for the acquisition of wives, they wish for the acquisition of wealth, they wish for the acquisition of fame... They wish for gain, they wish for the attainment of power, they wish for the attainment of existence in a great khattiya family, in a great brahmin family, ... in a great householder family they wish for the attainment of existence, among the Devas of the Four Great Kings, ... among the Devas of the Brahma-group they wish for the attainment of existence, they desire, they approve, they long for, they yearn for – they wish. They praise. They praise a sacrifice, or they praise a result, or they praise those worthy of offerings. How do they praise a sacrifice? Given purely, given pleasingly, given excellently, given at the right time, given appropriately, given discerningly, given blamelessly, given repeatedly, giving with a gladdened mind – they praise, they extol, they commend, they laud. Thus they praise a sacrifice. How do they praise a result? From this cause, the attainment of form will be, ... the attainment of existence among the Devas of the Brahma-group will be – they praise, they extol, they commend, they laud. Thus they praise a result. How do they praise those worthy of offerings? Those worthy of offerings are endowed with birth, endowed with lineage, reciters, holders of mantras, gone to the far shore of the three Vedas, with their vocabularies and rituals, with their phonology and etymology, with history as the fifth, grammarians, expounders, skilled in Lokāyata and the marks of a great man, or free from passion, or practicing for the subduing of passion, or free from hatred, or practicing for the subduing of hatred, or free from delusion, or practicing for the subduing of delusion, endowed with faith, endowed with morality, endowed with concentration, endowed with wisdom, endowed with liberation, endowed with the knowledge and vision of liberation – they praise, they extol, they commend, they laud. Thus they praise those worthy of offerings – they wish, they praise. They murmur. They murmur for the attainment of form, they murmur for the attainment of sound, they murmur for the attainment of smell, they murmur for the attainment of taste, ... they murmur for the attainment of existence among the Devas of the Brahma-group – they wish, they praise, they murmur. "They sacrifice" means they sacrifice, they give, they offer, they renounce robes, almsfood, lodgings, medicines for the sick, and requisites; food, drink, clothing, vehicles, garlands, perfumes, ointments, beds, dwellings, lamps. They wish for, they praise, they long for, they sacrifice. Thus said the Blessed One to Puṇṇaka. They long for sensual pleasures, dependent on gain. Dependent on gaining forms, they long for sensual pleasures. Dependent on gaining sounds, they long for sensual pleasures... ...dependent on gaining existence among the Brahmā-bodied devas, they long for sensual pleasures, they crave. Thus, they long for sensual pleasures, dependent on gain. "Those devoted to sacrifices, attached to the lust for becoming, did not cross birth and old age," thus I say. "Those" are called sacrificers. "Devoted to sacrifices" means: engaged, applied, devoted, fully devoted to sacrificial practices; whose conduct is such, who are abundant in it, who hold it important, who incline towards it, who lean towards it, who tend towards it, who are intent on it, who are dominated by it. These are "those devoted to sacrifices." "Attached to the lust for becoming" means: The lust for becoming is called that which is the desire for becoming, the lust for becoming, the delight in becoming, the craving for becoming, the affection for becoming, the fever of becoming, the infatuation with becoming, the clinging to becoming in existences. By the lust for becoming, they are attached, greedy, bound, infatuated, clinging, stuck, entangled in existences. These are "those devoted to sacrifices, attached to the lust for becoming." "Did not cross birth and old age," thus I say. Those devoted to sacrifices, attached to the lust for becoming, did not cross birth, old age, and death; did not go beyond, did not pass over, did not overcome, did not transcend. Not gone forth from, not escaped from, not gone beyond, not overcome, not transcended birth, old age, and death. They revolve within birth, old age, and death; they revolve within the path of transmigration. Followed by birth, pursued by old age, overwhelmed by sickness, struck down by death. Without protection, without refuge, without shelter, having become without shelter. "I say, I declare, I teach, I make known, I establish, I reveal, I analyze, I make clear, I explain." "Those devoted to sacrifices, attached to the lust for becoming, did not cross birth and old age," thus I say. Therefore, the Blessed One said: "They wish for, they praise, they long for, they sacrifice." (Thus said the Blessed One to Puṇṇaka.) Longing for sensual pleasures... they perform sacrifices for gain, those sacrificers,