MN13 — The Great Mass of Suffering Discourse
Thus have I heard: At one time, the Blessed One was staying at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.
Then several disciples, having dressed in the morning and taken their bowls and outer robes, entered Sāvatthī for alms.
Then it occurred to those disciples:
It is too early to wander for alms in Sāvatthī,
what if we were to go to the park of the wanderers of other sects?
Then those disciples went to the park of the wanderers of other sects; having gone there, they exchanged greetings with those wanderers of other sects;
after exchanging courteous greetings, they sat down to one side.
When they had sat down, those wanderers of other sects said to them: Friend, the ascetic Gotama teaches the full understanding of sensual pleasures, we too teach the full understanding of sensual pleasures; the ascetic Gotama teaches the full understanding of forms, we too teach the full understanding of forms; the ascetic Gotama teaches the full understanding of feelings, we too teach the full understanding of feelings; in this matter, friend, what is the difference, what is the distinction, what is the distinguishing factor between the ascetic Gotama and us:
that is, in the teaching of the Dhamma or in the instruction?
Then those disciples neither approved nor disapproved of the words of those wanderers of other sects; neither approving nor disapproving, they rose from their seats and departed:
We will understand the meaning of this statement in the presence of the Blessed One.
Then those disciples, having wandered for alms in Sāvatthī, after their meal, returned from their alms round and went to the Blessed One; having gone there, they paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. When they had sat down, those disciples said to the Blessed One:
Here, venerable sir, in the morning, having dressed and taken our bowls and outer robes, we entered Sāvatthī for alms.
Then it occurred to us:
It is too early to wander for alms in Sāvatthī,
what if we were to go to the park of the wanderers of other sects?
Then, venerable sir, we went to the park of the wanderers of other sects; having gone there, we exchanged greetings with those wanderers of other sects; after exchanging courteous greetings, we sat down to one side. When we had sat down, those wanderers of other sects said to us: Friend, the ascetic Gotama teaches the full understanding of sensual pleasures, we too teach the full understanding of sensual pleasures.
The ascetic Gotama teaches the full understanding of forms, we too teach the full understanding of forms.
The ascetic Gotama teaches the full understanding of feelings, we too teach the full understanding of feelings.
In this matter, friend, what is the difference, what is the distinction, what is the distinguishing factor between the ascetic Gotama and us, that is, in the teaching of the Dhamma or in the instruction?
Then, venerable sir, we neither approved nor disapproved of the words of those wanderers of other sects; neither approving nor disapproving, we rose from our seats and departed:
We will understand the meaning of this statement in the presence of the Blessed One.
Disciples, those wanderers of other sects who speak thus should be answered thus:
Friend, what is the gratification in sensual pleasures, what is the danger, what is the escape?
What is the gratification in forms, what is the danger, what is the escape?
What is the gratification in feelings, what is the danger, what is the escape?
Being asked thus those wanderers of other sects will not be able to respond satisfactorily, and furthermore, they will come to grief.
Why is that?
Because it is beyond their domain.
I do not see anyone in this world with its gods, Māras, and Brahmās, in this generation with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans, who could satisfy the mind with an answer to these questions, except for the Tathāgata or a disciple of the Tathāgata, or someone who has heard it from them.
And what is the gratification in sensual pleasures?
There are these five cords of sensual pleasure.
What are the five?
Forms cognizable by the eye that are wished for, desired, agreeable, and likeable, connected with sensual desire, and provocative; sounds cognizable by the ear...
odors cognizable by the nose...
tastes cognizable by the tongue...
tangibles cognizable by the body that are wished for, desired, agreeable, and likeable, connected with sensual desire, and provocative:
these are the five cords of sensual pleasure.
Whatever pleasure and joy arise dependent on these five cords of sensual pleasure, that is the gratification in sensual pleasures.
And what is the danger in sensual pleasures?
Here a noble disciple, by whatever means he earns a living:
whether by farming, by trading, by...
Whether as a farmer, as a merchant, as a royal servant, or as a craftsman:
suffering from cold, suffering from heat, tormented by flies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, and creeping things, suffering from hunger and thirst; this too is a visible disadvantage of sensual pleasures, a mass of suffering caused by sensual pleasures, originating from sensual pleasures, dependent on sensual pleasures.
If the wealth of a noble son striving, making effort, and exerting himself does not materialize, he grieves, laments, weeps, beating his breast, and becomes bewildered: My effort was in vain, my striving was fruitless.
This too is a visible disadvantage of sensual pleasures, a mass of suffering caused by sensual pleasures, originating from sensual pleasures, dependent on sensual pleasures.
If the wealth of a noble son striving, making effort, and exerting himself does materialize, he experiences pain and distress in protecting that wealth:
How can I prevent kings from taking it, thieves from taking it, fire from burning it, water from sweeping it away, and unloved heirs from taking it?
While protecting and guarding that wealth, kings take it, thieves take it, fire burns it, water sweeps it away, or unloved heirs take it.
He grieves, laments, weeps, beating his breast, and becomes bewildered:
What I had is no more.
This too is a visible disadvantage of sensual pleasures, a mass of suffering caused by sensual pleasures, originating from sensual pleasures, dependent on sensual pleasures.
Furthermore because of sensual pleasures, originating from sensual pleasures, dependent on sensual pleasures, kings quarrel with kings, nobles with nobles, brahmins with brahmins, householders with householders, mother with son, son with mother, father with son, son with father, brother with brother, brother with sister, sister with brother, friend with friend.
They attack each other with fists, stones, sticks, and knives.
They encounter death or deadly suffering.
This too is a visible disadvantage of sensual pleasures, a mass of suffering caused by sensual pleasures, originating from sensual pleasures, dependent on sensual pleasures.
Furthermore because of sensual pleasures, originating from sensual pleasures, dependent on sensual pleasures, they take up swords and shields, buckle on bows and quivers, and charge into battle with arrows flying, spears flying, and swords flashing.
They are pierced by arrows, speared, and decapitated by swords.
They encounter death or deadly suffering.
This too is a visible disadvantage of sensual pleasures, a mass of suffering caused by sensual pleasures, originating from sensual pleasures, dependent on sensual pleasures.
Furthermore because of sensual pleasures, originating from sensual pleasures, dependent on sensual pleasures, they take up swords and shields, buckle on bows and quivers, and charge into battle with arrows flying, spears flying, and swords flashing.
They are pierced by arrows, speared, and splashed with boiling oil, crushed by elephants, and decapitated by swords.
They encounter death or deadly suffering.
This too is a visible disadvantage of sensual pleasures, a mass of suffering caused by sensual pleasures, originating from sensual pleasures, dependent on sensual pleasures.
Furthermore because of sensual pleasures, originating from sensual pleasures, dependent on sensual pleasures, they break into houses, commit highway robbery, seduce others wives.
Kings have them caught and subjected to various punishments: they are flogged with whips, canes, and clubs; their hands and feet are cut off, their ears and noses are cut off, their ears and noses together are cut off; they are subjected to the porridge pot, the polished shell shave, the Rahus mouth, the fire garland, the hand torch, the grass duty, the bark dress, the antelope, the meat hooks, the coins, the caustic pickling, the rolling pin, the straw seat, they are splashed with boiling oil, devoured by dogs, impaled alive on stakes, and decapitated by swords.
They encounter death or deadly suffering.
This too is a visible disadvantage of sensual pleasures, a mass of suffering caused by sensual pleasures, originating from sensual pleasures, dependent on sensual pleasures.
Because of desire, because of the origin of desire, because of the cause of desire, because of the reason of desire. Again because of desire, because of the origin of desire, because of the cause of desire, because of the reason of desire, people commit misconduct by body, misconduct by speech, and misconduct by mind. Having committed misconduct by body, speech, and mind, after the breaking up of the body, after death, they are reborn in a state of misery, a bad destination, a lower realm, hell. This too is a danger in desires, a mass of suffering caused by desire, originating from desire, caused by desire, because of desire. And what is the escape from desires? It is the removal of desire and passion for desires, the abandoning of desire and passion: this is the escape from desires.
Disciples, if any ascetics or brahmins do not understand as it really is the gratification in desires, the danger in desires, and the escape from desires, they will not themselves fully comprehend desires, nor will they instruct others so that they too fully comprehend desires.
But if any ascetics or brahmins understand as it really is the gratification in desires, the danger in desires, and the escape from desires, they will themselves fully comprehend desires, and they will instruct others so that they too fully comprehend desires.
And what is the gratification in forms? Suppose there is a girl of the noble class, the brahmin class, or the householder class, in her fifteenth or sixteenth year, not too tall, not too short, not too thin, not too fat, not too dark, not too fair. At that time, she is at the height of her beauty.
What do you think does the pleasure and joy that arise in dependence on that beauty and appearance constitute the gratification in forms? Yes, venerable sir. That is the gratification in forms.
And what is the danger in forms? Here suppose one were to see that same girl some years later, eighty, ninety, or a hundred years old, aged, crooked as a roof bracket, bent, leaning on a staff, trembling as she walks, sick, youth gone, with broken teeth, gray hair, wrinkled skin, blotched limbs.
What do you think has her former beauty and appearance vanished, and the danger become evident? Yes, venerable sir. This too is a danger in forms.
Again suppose one were to see that same girl afflicted, suffering, and gravely ill, lying in her own urine and excrement, lifted up by others, laid down by others.
What do you think has her former beauty and appearance vanished, and the danger become evident? Yes, venerable sir. This too is a danger in forms.
Again suppose one were to see that same girl after her death, a corpse thrown aside in a charnel ground, one, two, or three days dead, bloated, livid, and oozing matter. What do you think has her former beauty and appearance vanished, and the danger become evident? Yes, venerable sir. This too is a danger in forms.
Again suppose one were to see that same girl after her death, a corpse thrown aside in a charnel ground, being eaten by crows, hawks, vultures, dogs, jackals, or various other creatures.
What do you think has her former beauty and appearance vanished, and the danger become evident? Yes, venerable sir. This too is a danger in forms.
Again suppose one were to see that same girl after her death, a skeleton with flesh and blood, held together with sinews, a skeleton without flesh and blood, held together with sinews, a skeleton without flesh and blood, scattered in all directions: here a hand bone, there a foot bone, here a thigh bone, there a rib bone, here a hip bone, there a back bone, here a shoulder bone, there a neck bone, here a jaw bone, there a tooth, here a skull. What do you think has her former beauty and appearance vanished, and the danger become evident? Yes, venerable sir. This too is a danger in forms.
Again suppose one were to see that same girl after her death, a skeleton bleached white, the color of shells, a skeleton heaped up, more than a year old, a skeleton disintegrated into fragments. What do you think has her former beauty and appearance vanished, and the danger become evident? Yes, venerable sir. This too is a danger in forms.
What do you think when those beautiful colors have faded away, is the danger evident?
Yes, venerable sir.
This too is the danger in forms.
And what is the escape from forms?
It is the removal and abandonment of desire and lust for forms.
Disciples, whatever ascetics or brahmins do not understand as it really is the gratification, the danger, and the escape in the case of forms, they will not themselves fully comprehend forms, nor will they instruct others so that they can fully comprehend forms.
But whatever ascetics or brahmins do understand as it really is the gratification, the danger, and the escape in the case of forms, they will themselves fully comprehend forms, and they will instruct others so that they can fully comprehend forms.
And what is the gratification in feelings?
Here a disciple, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, enters and dwells in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by applied and sustained thought with rapture and pleasure born of seclusion.
When a disciple enters and dwells in the first jhāna, he does not intend harm for himself, for others, or for both; he feels only a feeling that is free from harm.
I say that this is the highest gratification in feelings.
Again with the subsiding of applied and sustained thought, a disciple enters and dwells in the second jhāna, which has internal confidence and unification of mind, is without applied and sustained thought, and has rapture and pleasure born of concentration.
When a disciple enters and dwells in the second jhāna, he does not intend harm for himself, for others, or for both; he feels only a feeling that is free from harm.
I say that this is the highest gratification in feelings.
Again with the fading away of rapture, a disciple dwells in equanimity, mindful and fully aware, and feels pleasure with the body; he enters and dwells in the third jhāna, of which the noble ones declare: He dwells in equanimity, mindful, and happily.
When a disciple enters and dwells in the third jhāna, he does not intend harm for himself, for others, or for both; he feels only a feeling that is free from harm.
I say that this is the highest gratification in feelings.
Again with the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the previous disappearance of joy and grief, a disciple enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna, which has neither-pain-nor-pleasure and purity of mindfulness due to equanimity.
When a disciple enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna, he does not intend harm for himself, for others, or for both; he feels only a feeling that is free from harm.
I say that this is the highest gratification in feelings.
And what is the danger in feelings?
It is that feelings are impermanent, suffering, and subject to change.
And what is the escape from feelings?
It is the removal and abandonment of desire and lust for feelings.
Disciples, whatever ascetics or brahmins do not understand as it really is the gratification, the danger, and the escape in the case of feelings, they will not themselves fully comprehend feelings, nor will they instruct others so that they can fully comprehend feelings.
But whatever ascetics or brahmins do understand as it really is the gratification, the danger, and the escape in the case of feelings, they will themselves fully comprehend feelings, and they will instruct others so that they can fully comprehend feelings.
The Blessed One said this.
Satisfied, the disciples delighted in the Blessed Ones words.
This is the end of the Discourse on the Mass of Suffering.