3.5.8 How to Live a Real Celibate Life? *

…… “And how, O’ friend Gotama, does the life of someone who is living a holy life get torn, spotted, blemished and stained?”

“Here, O’ Brahmin, a certain ascetic or Brahmin claims to lead the holy life correctly; for he does not enter into actual sexual intercourse with women. Yet he agrees to anointing of perfumes or oil by massage, rubbing, bathing and shampooing by women. He enjoys it, desires it and takes satisfaction in it. This is how the life of someone who is living a holy life gets torn, spotted, blemished. This, O’ Brahmin, is called leading an impure holy life. Being bound to the bond of sexuality, he will not be released from birth, ageing and death, not from sorrow, lamentation, suffering and sorrow; he will not be released from suffering.

Furthermore, O’ Brahmin, a certain ascetic or Brahmin claims to lead the holy life correctly; for he does not enter into actual sexual intercourse with women nor does he agree to anointing of perfumes or oil by massage, rubbing, bathing and shampooing by women. Yet he jokes, plays and amuses himself with women. He enjoys it, desires it and takes satisfaction in it. This is how the life of someone who is living a holy life gets torn, spotted, blemished. This, O’ Brahmin, I say, is leading an impure holy life. Being bound to the bond of sexuality, he will not be released from birth, ageing and death, not from sorrow, lamentation, suffering and tribulation; he will not be released from suffering.

Furthermore, O’ Brahmin, a certain ascetic or Brahmin claims to lead the holy life correctly …… and does not joke, play nor amuse himself with women, yet he gazes and stares at women eye to eye. Again this is how the life of someone who is living a holy life gets torn, spotted, blemished. This, O’ Brahmin, I say is leading an impure holy life……

Furthermore, O’ Brahmin, a certain ascetic or Brahmin claims to lead the holy life correctly …… and does not gaze and stare at women eye to eye, yet he listens to the sound of women through a wall or through a fence as they laugh or talk or sing or weep. Again this is how the life of someone who is living a holy life gets torn, spotted, blemished. This, O’ Brahmin, I say is leading an impure holy life……

Furthermore, O’ Brahmin, a certain ascetic or Brahmin claims to lead the holy life correctly …… and does not listen to the sound of women through a wall or through a fence as they laugh or talk or sing or weep, yet he recalls laughs and talks and games that he had with women formerly. Again this is how the life of someone who is living a holy life gets torn, spotted, blemished. This, O’ Brahmin, I say is leading an impure holy life……

Furthermore, O’ Brahmin, a certain ascetic or Brahmin claims to lead the holy life correctly …… and does not recall laughs and talks and games that he had with women formerly, yet he watches a householder or a householder’s son entering upon, indulging, or enjoying fivefold sensual pleasures. Again this is how the life of someone who is living a holy life gets torn, spotted, blemished. This, O’ Brahmin, I say is leading an impure holy life……

Furthermore, O’ Brahmin, a certain ascetic or Brahmin claims to lead the holy life correctly …… and does not watch a householder or a householder’s son entering upon, indulging, or enjoying fivefold sensual pleasures, but he is living the holy life out of the desire to reach devahood: “May I through the merits of my morality, my practises, my austerities, my practising the holy life become a deva or reach devahood!” This he enjoys, desires and takes satisfaction in the thought of it. This is how the life of someone who is living a holy life gets torn, spotted, blemished. This, O’Brahmin, is called leading an impure holy life. Being bound to the bond of sexuality, he will not be released from birth, ageing and death, not from sorrow, lamentation, suffering and sorrow; he will not be released from suffering.

----
* Methunasuttaṃ: Methuna + suttaṃ: sexual intercourse + sutta
Last modified: Monday, 14 December 2015, 8:31 AM