1“Mendicants, when a mendicant truly understands the origin and ending of all things that entail suffering, then they’ve seen sensual pleasures in such a way that they have no underlying tendency for desire, affection, infatuation, and passion for sensual pleasures. And they’ve awakened to a way of conduct and a way of living such that, when they live in that way, bad, unskillful qualities of desire and grief don’t overwhelm them.

2And how does a mendicant truly understand the origin and ending of all things that entail suffering?

‘Such is form, such is the origin of form, such is the ending of form. Such is feeling … perception … choices … consciousness, such is the origin of consciousness, such is the ending of consciousness.’ That’s how a mendicant truly understands the origin and ending of all things that entail suffering.

3And how has a mendicant seen sensual pleasures in such a way that they have no underlying tendency for desire, affection, infatuation, and passion for sensual pleasures?

Suppose there was a pit of glowing coals deeper than a man’s height, filled with glowing coals that neither flamed nor smoked. Then a person would come along who wants to live and doesn’t want to die, who wants to be happy and recoils from pain. Then two strong men grab would grab each arm and drag them towards the pit of glowing coals. They’d writhe and struggle to and fro. Why is that? For that person knows, ‘If I fall in that pit of glowing coals, that will result in my death or deadly pain.’

In the same way, when a mendicant has seen sensual pleasures as like a pit of glowing coals, they have no underlying tendency for desire, affection, infatuation, and passion for sensual pleasures.

4And how has a mendicant awakened to a way of conduct and a way of living such that, when they live in that way, bad, unskillful qualities of desire and grief don’t overwhelm them?

Suppose a person was to enter a thicket full of thorns. They’d have thorns in front and behind, to the left and right, below and above. So they’d go forward mindfully and come back mindfully, thinking, ‘May I not get any thorns!’

In the same way, whatever in the world seems nice and pleasant is called a thorn in the training of the noble one. When they understand what a thorn is, they should understand restraint and lack of restraint.

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5And how is someone unrestrained?

Take a mendicant who sees a sight with the eye. If it’s pleasant they hold on to it, but if it’s unpleasant they dislike it. They live with mindfulness of the body unestablished and their heart restricted. And they don’t truly understand the freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom where those arisen bad, unskillful qualities cease without anything left over They hear a sound … smell an odor … taste a flavor … feel a touch … know a thought with the mind. If it’s pleasant they hold on to it, but if it’s unpleasant they dislike it. They live with mindfulness of the body unestablished and a limited heart. And they don’t truly understand the freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom where those arisen bad, unskillful qualities cease without anything left over.

This is how someone is unrestrained.

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6And how is someone restrained?

Take a mendicant who sees a sight with the eye. If it’s pleasant they don’t hold on to it, and if it’s unpleasant they don’t dislike it. They live with mindfulness of the body established and a limitless heart. And they truly understand the freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom where those arisen bad, unskillful qualities cease without anything left over. They hear a sound … smell an odor … taste a flavor … feel a touch … know a thought with the mind. If it’s pleasant they don’t hold on to it, and if it’s unpleasant they don’t dislike it. They live with mindfulness of the body established and a limitless heart. And they truly understand the freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom where those arisen bad, unskillful qualities cease without anything left over.

This is how someone is restrained.

7Though that mendicant conducts themselves and lives in this way, every so often they might lose mindfulness, and bad, unskillful memories and thoughts prone to fetters arise. If this happens, their mindfulness is slow to come up, but they quickly give them up, get rid of, eliminate, and obliterate those thoughts.

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8Suppose there was an iron cauldron that had been heated all day, and a person let two or three drops of water fall onto it. The drops would be slow to fall, but they’d quickly dry up and evaporate.

In the same way, though that mendicant conducts themselves and lives in this way, every so often they might lose mindfulness, and bad, unskillful memories and thoughts prone to fetters arise. If this happens, their mindfulness is slow to come up, but they quickly give them up, get rid of, eliminate, and obliterate those thoughts.

This is how a mendicant has awakened to a way of conduct and a way of living such that, when they live in that way, bad, unskillful qualities of desire and grief don’t overwhelm them.

While that mendicant conducts themselves in this way and lives in this way, it may be that rulers or their ministers, friends or colleagues, relatives or family would invite them to accept wealth, saying, ‘Please, mister, why let these ocher robes torment you? Why follow the practice of shaving your head and carrying an alms bowl? Come, return to a lesser life, enjoy wealth, and make merit!’

But it’s simply impossible for a mendicant who conducts themselves in this way and lives in this way to reject the training and return to a lesser life.

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9Suppose that, although the Ganges river slants, slopes, and inclines to the east, a large crowd were to come along with a spade and basket, saying: ‘We’ll make this Ganges river slant, slope, and incline to the west!’

What do you think, mendicants? Would they still succeed?”

“No, sir. Why is that? The Ganges river slants, slopes, and inclines to the east. It’s not easy to make it slant, slope, and incline to the west. That large crowd will eventually get weary and frustrated.”

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“In the same way, while that mendicant conducts themselves in this way and lives in this way, it may be that rulers or their ministers, friends or colleagues, relatives or family should invite them to accept wealth, saying, ‘Please, mister, why let these ocher robes torment you? Why follow the practice of shaving your head and carrying an alms bowl? Come, return to a lesser life, enjoy wealth, and make merit!’

But it’s simply impossible for a mendicant who conducts themselves in this way and lives in this way to reject the training and return to a lesser life.

Why is that? Because for a long time that mendicant’s mind has slanted, sloped, and inclined to seclusion. So it’s impossible for them to return to a lesser life.”

1"Yato kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sabbesaṁyeva dukkhadhammānaṁ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti. Tathā kho panassa kāmā diṭṭhā honti, yathāssa kāme passato, yo kāmesu kāmacchando kāmasneho kāmamucchā kāmapariḷāho, so nānuseti. Tathā kho panassa cāro ca vihāro ca anubuddho hoti, yathā carantaṁ vihārantaṁ abhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā nānusenti.

2Kathañca, bhikkhave, sabbesaṁyeva dukkhadhammānaṁ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti?

‘Iti rūpaṁ, iti rūpassa samudayo, iti rūpassa atthaṅgamo; iti vedanā … iti saññā … iti saṅkhārā … iti viññāṇaṁ, iti viññāṇassa samudayo, iti viññāṇassa atthaṅgamo’ti – evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sabbesaṁyeva dukkhadhammānaṁ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.

3Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno kāmā diṭṭhā honti? Yathāssa kāme passato, yo kāmesu kāmacchando kāmasneho kāmamucchā kāmapariḷāho, so nānuseti.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, aṅgārakāsu sādhikaporisā puṇṇā aṅgārānaṁ vītaccikānaṁ vītadhūmānaṁ. Atha puriso āgaccheyya jīvitukāmo amaritukāmo sukhakāmo dukkhapaṭikūlo. Tamenaṁ dve balavanto purisā nānābāhāsu gahetvā, taṁ aṅgārakāsuṁ upakaḍḍheyyuṁ. So iticīticeva kāyaṁ sannāmeyya. Taṁ kissa hetu? Ñātañhi, bhikkhave, tassa purisassa imañcāhaṁ aṅgārakāsuṁ papatissāmi, tatonidānaṁ maraṇaṁ vā nigacchissāmi maraṇamattaṁ vā dukkhanti.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno aṅgārakāsūpamā kāmā diṭṭhā honti, yathāssa kāme passato, yo kāmesu kāmacchando kāmasneho kāmamucchā kāmapariḷāho, so nānuseti.

4Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno cāro ca vihāro ca anubuddho hoti, yathā carantaṁ vihārantaṁ abhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā nānussavanti?

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, puriso bahukaṇṭakaṁ dāyaṁ paviseyya. Tassa puratopi kaṇṭako, pacchatopi kaṇṭako, uttaratopi kaṇṭako, dakkhiṇatopi kaṇṭako, heṭṭhatopi kaṇṭako, uparitopi kaṇṭako. So satova abhikkameyya, satova paṭikkameyya: ‘mā maṁ kaṇṭako’ti.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, yaṁ loke piyarūpaṁ sātarūpaṁ, ayaṁ vuccati ariyassa vinaye kaṇṭako"ti. Iti viditvā saṁvaro ca asaṁvaro ca veditabbo.

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5Kathañca, bhikkhave, asaṁvaro hoti?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā piyarūpe rūpe adhimuccati, appiyarūpe rūpe byāpajjati, anupaṭṭhitakāyassati ca vihārati parittacetaso, tañca cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, yatthassa te uppannā pāpakā akusalā dhammā aparisesā nirujjhanti … pe … jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā … pe … manasā dhammaṁ viññāya piyarūpe dhamme adhimuccati, appiyarūpe dhamme byāpajjati, anupaṭṭhitakāyassati ca vihārati parittacetaso, tañca cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti yatthassa te uppannā pāpakā akusalā dhammā aparisesā nirujjhanti.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, asaṁvaro hoti.

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6Kathañca, bhikkhave, saṁvaro hoti?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā piyarūpe rūpe nādhimuccati, appiyarūpe rūpe na byāpajjati, upaṭṭhitakāyassati ca vihārati appamāṇacetaso, tañca cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, yatthassa te uppannā pāpakā akusalā dhammā aparisesā nirujjhanti … pe … jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā … pe … manasā dhammaṁ viññāya piyarūpe dhamme nādhimuccati, appiyarūpe dhamme na byāpajjati, upaṭṭhitakāyassati ca vihārati appamāṇacetaso, tañca cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, yatthassa te uppannā pāpakā akusalā dhammā aparisesā nirujjhanti.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, saṁvaro hoti.

7Tassa ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno evaṁ carato evaṁ vihārato kadāci karahaci satisammosā uppajjanti, pāpakā akusalā sarasaṅkappā saṁyojaniyā, dandho, bhikkhave, satuppādo. Atha kho naṁ khippameva pajahati vinodeti byantīkaroti anabhāvaṁ gameti.

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8Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, puriso divasaṁsantatte ayokaṭāhe dve vā tīṇi vā udakaphusitāni nipāteyya. Dandho, bhikkhave, udakaphusitānaṁ nipāto, atha kho naṁ khippameva parikkhayaṁ pariyādānaṁ gaccheyya.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, tassa ce bhikkhuno evaṁ carato, evaṁ vihārato kadāci karahaci satisammosā uppajjanti pāpakā akusalā sarasaṅkappā saṁyojaniyā, dandho, bhikkhave, satuppādo. Atha kho naṁ khippameva pajahati vinodeti byantīkaroti anabhāvaṁ gameti.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno cāro ca vihāro ca anubuddho hoti; yathā carantaṁ vihārantaṁ abhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā nānussavanti.

Tañce, bhikkhave, bhikkhuṁ evaṁ carantaṁ evaṁ vihārantaṁ rājāno vā rājamahāmattā vā mittā vā amaccā vā ñātī vā sālohitā vā, bhogehi abhihaṭṭhuṁ pavāreyyuṁ: ‘ehi, bho purisa, kiṁ te ime kāsāvā anudahanti, kiṁ muṇḍo kapālamanucarasi, ehi hīnāyāvattitvā bhoge ca bhuñjassu, puññāni ca karohī’ti.

So vata, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ caranto evaṁ vihāranto sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattissatīti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

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9Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, gaṅgā nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā. Atha mahājanakāyo āgaccheyya kuddālapiṭakaṁ ādāya: ‘mayaṁ imaṁ gaṅgaṁ nadiṁ pacchāninnaṁ karissāma pacchāpoṇaṁ pacchāpabbhāran’ti.

Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, api nu kho so mahājanakāyo gaṅgaṁ nadiṁ pacchāninnaṁ kareyya pacchāpoṇaṁ pacchāpabbhāran"ti?

"No hetaṁ, bhante". "Taṁ kissa hetu"? "Gaṅgā, bhante, nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā; sā na sukarā pacchāninnā kātuṁ pacchāpoṇā pacchāpabbhārā. Yāvadeva ca pana so mahājanakāyo kilamathassa vighātassa bhāgī assā"ti.

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"Evameva kho, bhikkhave, tañce bhikkhuṁ evaṁ carantaṁ evaṁ vihārantaṁ rājāno vā rājamahāmattā vā mittā vā amaccā vā ñātī vā sālohitā vā bhogehi abhihaṭṭhuṁ pavāreyyuṁ: ‘ehi, bho purisa, kiṁ te ime kāsāvā anudahanti, kiṁ muṇḍo kapālamanucarasi, ehi hīnāyāvattitvā bhoge ca bhuñjassu, puññāni ca karohī’ti.

So vata, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ caranto evaṁ vihāranto sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattissatīti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

Taṁ kissa hetu? Yañhi taṁ, bhikkhave, cittaṁ dīgharattaṁ vivekaninnaṁ vivekapoṇaṁ vivekapabbhāraṁ, tathā hīnāyāvattissatīti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjatī"ti.

Sattamaṁ.