Exploring the Path - Pāli Course

While the Methunasuttaṃ, introduced in the next lesson² elaborates on possible mental engrossments and intricate thought processes that are involved with passion, this present Rūpādivaggo is a simple sutta! It is selected on the one hand because it is fun reading! Reciting the Rūpādivaggo presents excellent, simple practise of being learned by heart at leisure and is further a great training in memorizing.

But on the other hand the Rūpādivaggo proves the solid truth that passion – kāmacchanda - is not only the first of the five nīvaraṇa³ - but also one - if not the deepest – impurity, difficult to master. Today’s world indifferently verifies the strong attraction that any kind of reference to sexuality stirs by misusing it for stimulating advertisements, rousing media and it’s so called sexual freedom, where everything imaginable is within reach of a mouse click. By reading, reciting and learning this sutta a meditator gets reminded of the dangers sensual pleasures implicate. These are highlighted with various similes in the Potaliyasutta⁴: One of these compares sensual desires with a burning torch made of grass that is about to set the man holding it in flames, another with a pit filled with glowing charcoal: ‘‘Seyyathāpi, gahapati, puriso ādittaṃ⁵ tiṇukkaṃ ādāya paṭivātaṃ gaccheyya. Taṃ kiṃ maññasi, gahapati, sace so puriso taṃ ādittaṃ tiṇukkaṃ na khippameva paṭinissajjeyya⁶ tassa sā ādittā tiṇukkā hatthaṃ vā daheyya bāhuṃ vā daheyya aññataraṃ vā aññataraṃ vā aṅgapaccaṅgaṃ daheyya, so tatonidānaṃ⁷ maraṇaṃ vā nigaccheyya maraṇamattaṃ vā dukkha’’nti? - “Imagine, householder, a man who has taken up a torch made of burning grass and is walking against the wind. Now, what do you think, householder, if that man didn’t immediately let go of that burning grass wouldn’t it burn his hand, burn his arm, burn one or the other of his limbs, and subsequently death or deathly suffering may occur to him because of this?”

‘‘Evaṃ, bhante’’. - “Certainly, Bhante!”

‘‘Evameva kho, gahapati, ariyasāvako iti paṭisañcikkhati – ‘tiṇukkūpamā⁸ kāmā vuttā bhagavatā bahudukkhā bahupāyāsā, ādīnavo ettha bhiyyo’ti. – ”Householder, in the same way a noble disciple reflects in this way: ‘Sensual pleasures have been compared with a torch made of burning grass by the Bhagava, that prompts much suffering and immense despair, the danger therin is even more.’ - Evametaṃ yathābhūtaṃ sammappaññāya disvā yāyaṃ upekkhā nānattā nānattasitā taṃ abhinivajjetvā⁹, yāyaṃ upekkhā ekattā ekattasitā¹⁰ yattha sabbaso lokāmisūpādānā¹¹ aparisesā nirujjhanti tamevūpekkhaṃ bhāveti.” – Having fathomed this in its real nature with proper wisdom he forestalls the equanimity that is diverse and based on diversity and establishes equanimity based on diversity, depending on diversity and establishes equanimity based in unity, depending on unity where all clinging to the worldly bait utterly ceases without any remainder”

‘‘Seyyathāpi, gahapati, aṅgārakāsu¹² sādhikaporisā, pūrā aṅgārānaṃ vītaccikānaṃ vītadhūmānaṃ¹³. Atha puriso āgaccheyya jīvitukāmo amaritukāmo sukhakāmo dukkhappaṭikkūlo. Tamenaṃ dve balavanto purisā nānābāhāsu¹⁴ gahetvā aṅgārakāsuṃ upakaḍḍheyyuṃ¹⁵. Taṃ kiṃ maññasi, gahapati, api nu so puriso iticiticeva¹⁶ kāyaṃ sannāmeyyā¹⁷ ’’ti? - “Imagine, householder, a hole deeper than the height of a man filled with glowing smokeless charcoal. Imagine further a man approaching it who enjoys life, doesn’t desire death but yearns for happiness and loathes misery. Now, there were two strong men taking him by his arms and dragging him towards that pit filled with charcoal. Now what do you think, householder wouldn’t that man bend his body in this or that way?”

‘‘Evaṃ, bhante’’. - “Certainly, Bhante!”

‘‘Taṃ kissa hetu’’? - “And on what grounds?”

‘‘Viditañhi, bhante, tassa purisassa imañcāhaṃ aṅgārakāsuṃ papatissāmi, tatonidānaṃ maraṇaṃ vā nigacchissāmi maraṇamattaṃ vā dukkha’’nti. - “Because that man knows, Bhante: ‘I will fall down in this hole filled with charcoals and I will subsequently undergo death or deathly suffering because of this.” ‘‘Evameva kho, gahapati, ariyasāvako iti paṭisañcikkhati – ‘aṅgārakāsūpamā kāmā vuttā bhagavatā bahudukkhā bahupāyāsā, ādīnavo ettha bhiyyo’ti.” – ”Householder, in the same way a noble disciple reflects in this way: ‘Sensual pleasures have been compared with a hole filled with charcoal by the Bhagava, that prompts much suffering and immense despair, the danger therein is even more’. - Evametaṃ yathābhūtaṃ sammappaññāya disvā yāyaṃ upekkhā nānattā nānattasitā taṃ abhinivajjetvā, yāyaṃ upekkhā ekattā ekattasitā yattha sabbaso lokāmisūpādānā aparisesā nirujjhanti tamevūpekkhaṃ bhāveti. - Having fathomed this in its real nature with proper wisdom he forestalls equanimity based on diversity, depending on diversity and establishes equanimity based in unity, depending on unity where all clinging to the worldly bait utterly ceases without any remainder.”
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