185. Skeleton

Suppose, householder, a dog overcome by hunger and weakness were to come up to a cow-killer’s slaughter-house, and the dexterous cow-killer or his assistant were to throw the dog a skeleton, smeared with blood, scraped clean of flesh, not to be desired, by no means to be desired. What do you think about that, householder? Could that dog, by gnawing at that skeleton, smeared with blood, scraped clean of flesh, not to be desired, by no means to be desired, subdue his hunger and weakness?

By no means, Reverend Sir. Why not? Because, Reverend Sir, that skeleton is smeared with blood, scraped clean of flesh, not to be desired, by no means to be desired, insomuch that that dog would suffer weariness and distress.

186. Piece of Meat

Suppose, householder, a vulture or a falcon or a heron were to rise up with a piece of meat, and vultures and falcons and herons, one after another, were to fly after him and peck at him and seek to make him disgusted. What do you think about that, householder? In case that vulture or falcon or heron did not very quickly let go of that piece of meat, would he not, because of it, incur death or mortal pain?

Yes indeed, Reverend Sir.

Precisely so, householder, the Noble Disciple reflects as follows:

“With the parable of the Piece of Meat have the lusts of the flesh been described by the Exalted One”...

187. Torch of Grass

Suppose, householder, a man were to carry a blazing torch of grass against the wind. What do you think about that, house holder? In case that man did not very quickly let go of that blazing torch of grass, would not that blazing torch of grass burn his hand or burn his arm or burn some other major or minor member of his body? and would he not, because of it, incur death or mortal pain?

Yes indeed, Reverend Sir.

Precisely so, householder, the Noble Disciple reflects as follows:

“With the parable of the Torch of Grass have the lusts of the flesh been described by the Exalted One”...

188. Pit of Red-Hot Coals

Suppose, householder, there were a pit of red-hot coals, as deep as the height of a man, full of red-hot coals, free from flames, free from smoke, and a man were to approach, – desiring to live, not desiring to die, – desiring pleasure, averse to pain, – and two powerful men were to seize him with their several arms and were to drag him down to that pit of red-hot coals. What do you think about that, householder? Would not that man writhe and twist his body thus and so?

Yes indeed, Reverend Sir. And why? Because, Reverend Sir, [276] that man would know full well: “In case I fall into that pit of red hot coals, because of it I shall incur death or mortal pain.”

Precisely so, householder, the Noble Disciple reflects as follows:

“With the parable of the Pit of Red-hot Coals have the lusts of the flesh been described by the Exalted One”...

189. Dream

Suppose, householder, a man were to see in a dream the delights of the grove, the delights of the forest, the delights of cleared ground, the delights of the lotus-pond; and suppose that, upon awakening, he were to see nothing at all.

Precisely so, householder, the Noble Disciple reflects as follows:

“With the parable of the Dream have the lusts of the flesh been described by the Exalted One”...

190. Borrowed Goods

Suppose, householder, a man were to borrow goods, – a vehicle, a statue, a magnificent cluster of jewels, – and preceded and surrounded by those borrowed goods, were to enter among the shops; and suppose people, seeing him, were to speak thus: “A possessor indeed is that man! Thus, say we all, possessors possess possessions!” And suppose the owners, wherever they happened to see him, were to recover their own. What do you think about that, householder? Would not that man soon get his fill of acting differently from his fellows?

Yes indeed, Reverend Sir. And why? Because, Reverend Sir, owners are in the habit of recovering their own.

Precisely so, householder, the Noble Disciple reflects as follows:

“With the parable of the Borrowed Goods have the lusts of the flesh been described by the Exalted One”...

191. Fruit of Tree

Suppose, householder, not far from some village or market-town there were a deep forest-grove, and in that forest-grove there were a tree abounding in fruit, laden with fruit; and suppose a man were to approach, wanting fruit, seeking fruit, searching for fruit, and were to plunge into that forest-grove and were to see that tree abounding in fruit, laden with fruit; and suppose the [277] following thought were to occur to him: “This tree indeed abounds in fruit, is laden with fruit, but no fruit at all has fallen to the ground. However, I know how to climb a tree. Suppose I were to climb this tree, eat as much as I want, and fill a fold of my garment!” And suppose he were to climb that tree, were to cat as much as he wanted, and were to fill a fold of his garment.

Suppose then a second man were to approach, wanting fruit, seeking fruit, searching for fruit, and suppose he had a sharp axe; and suppose he were to plunge into that forest-grove and were to see that tree abounding in fruit, laden with fruit; and suppose the following thought were to occur to him: “This tree indeed abounds in fruit, is laden with fruit, but no fruit at all has fallen to the ground. Now I do not know how to climb a tree. Suppose I were to chop this tree down at the roots, eat as much as I want, and fill a fold of my garment!” And suppose he were to chop that tree down at the roots!

What do you think about that, householder? In case that man who came first and climbed the tree did not very quickly climb down, would not that tree, as it fell, break his hand or break his foot or break some other major or minor member of his body? and would he not, because of it, incur death or mortal pain?

Yes indeed, Reverend Sir.

192. Creeper and Tree

Majjhima i. 306-307.

On a certain occasion the Exalted One reprobated the view that there is no harm in the Pleasures of Sense. Said he:

Suppose, monks, in the last of the hot months, the seed-pod of a creeper were to burst, and a seed of the creeper were to fall at the [278] roots of a certain Sāl-tree. And suppose, monks, the spirit resident in that Sāl-tree were to become frightened, agitated, terrified. And suppose, monks, the friends and companions, the kinsfolk and blood-relatives of the spirit resident in that Sāl-tree, – the spirits of the grove, the spirits of the forest, the spirits of the trees, – the spirits resident in the plants and in the grass and in the trees, – were to assemble and meet together and were to comfort that spirit as follows: “Fear not, friend! fear not, friend! Very likely either a peacock will swallow this seed of a creeper, or a deer will eat it, or a forest-fire will burn it, or woodmen will pick it up, or white ants will carry it off, or perhaps, after all, it may have no germ of life in it.”

But suppose, monks, neither a peacock were to swallow that seed of a creeper, nor a deer were to eat it, nor a forest-fire were to burn it, nor woodmen were to pick it up, nor white ants were to carry it off, and suppose, after all, it did have a germ of life in it. That seed, rained on by a cloud of the rainy season, would shoot up rapidly; it would become a creeper, tender, soft, hairy, drooping; it would attach itself to that Sāl-tree.

And suppose, monks, to the spirit resident in that Sāl-tree were to occur the following thought: “What future peril did those good friends and companions of mine, those kinsfolk and blood relatives of mine, – the spirits of the grove, the spirits of the forest, the spirits of the trees, – the spirits resident in the plants and in the grass and in the trees, – what future peril did they fore see in the seed of a creeper, that they assembled and met together and comforted me as follows: ‘Fear not, friend! fear not, friend! Very likely either a peacock will swallow this seed of a creeper, or a deer will eat it, or a forest-fire will burn it, or woodmen will pick it up, or white ants will carry it off, or perhaps, after all, it may have no germ of life in it’? Pleasant is it to touch this creeper vine, – tender, soft, hairy, drooping!”

That creeper would encircle that Sāl-tree; having encircled that Sāl-tree, it would fork above; having forked above, it would exert pressure; having exerted pressure, it would crush every one of the mighty trunks of that Sāl-tree.

And suppose, monks, to the spirit resident in that Sāl-tree were to occur the following thought: “This very future peril did those good friends and companions of mine, those kinsfolk and blood-relatives [279] of mine, – the spirits of the grove, the spirits of the forest, the spirits of the trees, – the spirits resident in the plants and in the grass and in the trees, – this very future peril did they foresee in the seed of a creeper, that they assembled and met together and comforted me as follows: ‘Fear not, friend! fear not, friend! Very likely either a peacock will swallow this seed of a creeper, or a deer will eat it, or a forest-fire will burn it, or wood men will pick it up, or white ants will carry it off, or perhaps, after all, it may have no germ of life in it.’ For indeed, because of that seed of a creeper, I am experiencing sharp, bitter sensations of pain!”

“Precisely so, monks, there are some monks and Brahmans who hold this doctrine, who hold this view: ‘There is no harm in the pleasures of sense.’ They fall into the slough of the pleasures of sense; they consort with nuns, with those whose hair is bound in a topknot; they speak thus: ‘What future peril do those good monks and Brahmans foresee in the pleasures of sense, that they preach the renunciation of the pleasures of sense and proclaim thorough knowledge of the pleasures of sense? Pleasant is it to touch the tender, soft, downy arm of this nun!’ They fall into the slough of the pleasures of sense. Having fallen into the slough of the pleasures of sense, upon dissolution of the body, after death, they are reborn in a state of loss, in a state of suffering, in a state of punishment, in hell. They there experience sharp, bitter sensations of pain. They speak thus: ‘This very future peril do those good monks and Brahmans foresee in the pleasures of sense, that they preach the renunciation of the pleasures of sense and pro claim thorough knowledge of the pleasures of sense. For here we are, because of the pleasures of sense, on account of the pleasures of sense, experiencing sharp, bitter sensations of pain!’ ”

 

last updated: March 2016