English
endowed with the five sense pleasures, fully equipped, enjoying them. He enjoys that... he is not freed from suffering, I say. Again, moreover, brahmin, a certain recluse or brahmin... indeed does not with a woman... nor does he see a householder or a householder's son... enjoying them. immeasurable. Moreover, one practices the holy life, having made a vow to a certain group of deities, thinking: 'By this virtue, or by this vow, or by this austerity, or by this holy life, I shall become a god, or one of the gods.' He relishes that, he delights in that, and he is satisfied by that. This too, brahmin, is a broken, a perforated, a spotted, a blemished holy life." Thus, it should be understood that the state of being broken, etc., is included by the division due to gain, etc., and by the seven kinds of sexual union. The state of being unbroken, etc., however, is included by the complete non-breaking of the precepts, by making amends for those that have been broken and are remediable, by the absence of the seven kinds of sexual union, and by the non-arising of evil qualities such as "anger, resentment, denigration, domination, envy, avarice, deceit, treachery, obstinacy, impetuosity, conceit, excessive pride, intoxication, heedlessness," and by the arising of qualities such as contentment, satisfaction, and austerity. For those virtues that are unbroken even for the sake of gain, etc., or even if broken due to the fault of heedlessness, have been remedied, or are not harmed by sexual unions or by evil qualities such as anger and resentment, these are called completely unbroken, unperforated, unspotted, unblemished. These very virtues, because they lead to freedom, are free; because they are praised by the wise, they are praised by the wise; because they are not grasped by craving and views, they are ungrasped; and because they lead to access concentration or absorption concentration, they are conducive to concentration. Therefore, their state of being unbroken, etc., should be understood as purification. And this purification is accomplished in two ways: by seeing the danger in the failure of virtue, and by seeing the benefit in the accomplishment of virtue. There, the danger in the failure of virtue should be seen according to the method of suttas such as: "Monks, there are these five dangers for a person of bad conduct, for the failure of virtue." Moreover, a person of bad conduct, due to his bad conduct, is displeasing to gods and humans, and is not He is to be admonished by his fellow practitioners. He is distressed by reproaches for his bad conduct. He is remorseful when good conduct is praised. And by that bad conduct, he becomes discolored, like a dirty rag. For those who follow his example, it is a source of suffering, leading to woe in the lower realms for a long time. For those whose offerings he accepts, it is of little worth, as it does not lead to great fruit. He is difficult to cleanse, like a latrine pit of many years' accumulation. He is outcast from both sides, like a funeral pyre. Though he claims to be a monk, he is not a monk, like a donkey following a herd of cattle. He is constantly agitated, like a man with many enemies. He is unfit for association, like a dead body. Even if endowed with qualities like learning, he is unworthy of veneration by his fellow practitioners, like a cremation ground fire to brahmins. He is incapable of attaining special insights, like a blind man seeing forms. He is hopeless in the True Dhamma, like a Candala boy regarding the kingdom. Even though he thinks, "I am happy," he is truly suffering, for he shares in the suffering described in the simile of the fire-brand. Indeed, for those of bad conduct, whose minds are greedy for the taste of happiness from the enjoyment, veneration, and honor of the five sense pleasures, the Buddha, who directly perceived the results of karma in every way, spoke of a bitter suffering capable of causing heart-burning and the gushing forth of hot blood merely by recalling it: "Do you see, monks, that great mass of fire, blazing, glowing, and radiant?" "Yes, venerable sir," they replied. "What do you think, monks, which is better: to embrace and sit or lie down with that great mass of fire, blazing, glowing, and radiant, or to embrace and sit or lie down with a soft, tender-limbed Khattiya maiden, or a Brahmana maiden, or a householder maiden?" "This is better, venerable sir, to embrace and sit or lie down with a Khattiya maiden... or lie down. It is suffering, venerable sir, to embrace and sit or lie down with that great mass of fire... or lie down." "I declare to you, monks, I make known to you..." I tell you, monks, that it would be better for that immoral one, evil-natured one, one of impure and doubtful conduct, one whose deeds are hidden, not a recluse but claiming to be a recluse, not a holy liver but claiming to be a holy liver, rotten inside, oozing, born of filth, if he were to lie down upon that great mass of fire... or. For what reason? From that cause, monks, he might meet death or suffering unto death, but he would not, because of that, after the breaking up of the body, after death, be reborn in a state of woe, a bad destination, a downfall, hell. Thus, by the simile of the mass of fire, having shown the suffering caused by the enjoyment of the five sense pleasures bound up with women, by this very method – What do you think, monks, which is better: that a strong man should wrap a strong leather thong around both shins and rub them, so that it cuts the skin, having cut the skin, it cuts the hide, having cut the hide, it cuts the flesh, having cut the flesh, it cuts the sinews, having cut the sinews, it cuts the bone, having cut the bone, it reaches the marrow and stays there, or that one should accept the salutation of great wealthy Khattiyas, or great wealthy Brahmins, or great wealthy householders? What do you think, monks, which is better: that a strong man should strike one's chest with a sharp, oil-polished spear, or that one should accept the respectful salutation of great wealthy Khattiyas, or great wealthy Brahmins, or great wealthy householders? What do you think, monks, which is better: that a strong man should wrap one's body with a heated, blazing, glowing iron plate, or that one should use a robe given out of faith by great wealthy Khattiyas, or great wealthy Brahmins, or great wealthy householders? What do you think, monks, which is better: that a strong man should... with a heated iron stake... opening his mouth, burning, blazing, glowing, he would put a heated iron ball, burning, blazing, glowing, into his mouth. That would burn his lips, his mouth, his tongue, his throat, his stomach, and carrying his intestines and mesentery, it would pass out below. Or he might consume the alms-food given by faith of khattiyas... brahmins... or wealthy householders. What do you think, monks, which is better: that a strong man should take him by the head or by the shoulders and make him sit or lie down on a heated iron couch or iron chair, burning, blazing, glowing, or that he might consume a couch or chair given by faith of khattiyas... brahmins... or wealthy householders? What do you think, monks, which is better: that a strong man should take him by the feet, head downwards, and throw him into a heated iron pot, burning, blazing, glowing, where, boiling and bubbling, he would sometimes go up, sometimes go down, sometimes go across, or that he might consume a dwelling given by faith of khattiyas... brahmins... or wealthy householders? With these similes of the strong rope, sharp spear, iron plate, iron ball, iron couch, iron chair, and iron pot, he showed the suffering that is the condition for the use of salutation, reverential gestures, robes, alms-food, couches, chairs, and dwellings. Therefore – More bitter fruit than the suffering of embracing a heap of fire, For one who does not abandon sensual pleasure, how can there be happiness for one whose virtue is broken? In accepting salutation, what happiness is there for one whose virtue is ruined? For one whose share is suffering more than the suffering of being rubbed by a strong rope. In accepting reverential gestures of faith, what happiness for one without virtue? For one whose cause is suffering exceedingly more than the suffering of a spear-blow. The happiness of using robes, what is it for the unrestrained? By which for a long time he must experience, not For one who acts, the touch of a burning iron plate. Even sweet alms-food Is like deadly poison for the immoral; Burning iron balls must be swallowed By him for a long night. Even what is deemed pleasant is painful For the immoral, the use of beds and chairs; For a long time will torment him Burning iron beds and chairs. For the immoral in the monastery, In what is given by faith, what delight is there in dwelling? He must dwell in burning places, In the midst of iron cauldrons. One whose conduct is like a swamp, Born of filth, oozing evil. "Rotten within!" Thus censuring, the World's Teacher said. Shame on the life of the unrestrained, Of him who wears the garb of a recluse; Of the non-recluse, corrupted, Carrying a ruined self. Like excrement, like a corpse, Those who desire adornment avoid him here. Indeed, whom the virtuous and peaceful avoid, What life is that for him? Not freed from all fears, Freed from all joys of attainment; The door to heaven is firmly shut, He has ascended the path to the lower realms. A basis for compassion, For compassionate people, who else indeed Is like the immoral one? Due to immorality, thus are the manifold faults. By such a reflection, the seeing of danger in moral failure, and conversely to what has been said, the seeing of benefit in moral accomplishment should be understood. Moreover – For him it is pleasing, The wearing of bowl and robes; His renunciation is fruitful, Whose morality is very pure.