Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

7: The Book of the Sevens

51. Union

1"Bhikkhus, I will teach you a Dhamma exposition on union and disengagement. [n.1516] Saṁyogavisaṁyogaṁ dhammapariyāyaṁ. The title might also have been rendered "connection and disconnection." Listen ….

"And what is that Dhamma exposition on union and disengagement?

2"A woman, bhikkhus, attends internally to her feminine faculty, her feminine comportment, her feminine appearance, her feminine aspect, her feminine desire, her feminine voice, her feminine ornamentation. [n.1517] In Pāli: itthikuttaṁ, itthākappaṁ, itthividhaṁ, itthicchandaṁ, itthissaraṁ, itthālaṅkāraṁ. Apparently it is these seven terms, and their masculine counterparts (with purisa in place of itthi), that explain the inclusion of this sutta in the Sevens. I translate on the basis of the glosses offered by Mp. She becomes excited by these and takes delight in them. Excited by them, taking delight in them, she attends externally to a man's masculine faculty, his masculine comportment, his masculine appearance, his masculine aspect, his masculine desire, his masculine voice, his masculine ornamentation. She becomes excited by these and takes delight in them. Excited by them, taking delight in them, she desires union externally, and she also desires the pleasure and joy that arise on account of such union. Beings who are delighted with their femininity enter upon union with men. It is in this way that a woman does not transcend her femininity.

3"A man, bhikkhus, attends internally to his masculine faculty, his masculine comportment, his masculine appearance, his masculine aspect, his masculine desire, his masculine voice, his masculine ornamentation. He becomes excited by these and takes delight in them. Excited by them, taking delight in them, he attends externally to a woman's feminine faculty, her feminine comportment, her feminine appearance, her feminine aspect, her feminine desire, her feminine voice, her feminine ornamentation. He becomes excited by these and takes delight in them. Excited by them, taking delight in them, he desires union externally, and he also desires the pleasure and joy that arise on account of such union. Beings who are delighted with their masculinity enter upon union with women. It is in this way that a man does not transcend his masculinity. This is how union comes about.


4And how does disengagement come about?

"A woman, bhikkhus, does not attend internally to her feminine faculty … to her feminine ornamentation. She does not become excited by these or take delight in them. Not excited by them, not taking delight in them, she does not attend externally to a man's masculine faculty … his masculine ornamentation. She does not become excited by these or take delight in them. Not excited by them, not taking delight in them, she does not desire union externally, nor does she desire the pleasure and joy that arise on account of such union. Beings who are not delighted with their femininity become disengaged from men. It is in this way that a woman transcends her femininity.

"5A man, bhikkhus, does not attend internally to his masculine faculty … his masculine ornamentation. He does not become excited by these or take delight in them. Not excited by them, not taking delight in them, he does not attend externally to a woman's feminine faculty … her feminine ornamentation. He does not become excited by these or take delight in them. Not excited by them, not taking delight in them, he does not desire union externally, nor does he desire the pleasure and joy that arise on account of such union. Beings who are not delighted with their masculinity become disengaged from women. It is in this way that a man transcends his masculinity.

"This is how disengagement comes about.

"This, bhikkhus, is the Dhamma exposition on union and disengagement."

1"Saṁyogavisaṁyogaṁ vo, bhikkhave, dhammapariyāyaṁ desessāmi. Taṁ suṇātha … pe … katamo ca so, bhikkhave, saṁyogo visaṁyogo dhammapariyāyo?

2Itthī, bhikkhave, ajjhattaṁ itthindriyaṁ manasi karoti – itthikuttaṁ itthākappaṁ itthividhaṁ itthicchandaṁ itthissaraṁ itthālaṅkāraṁ. Sā tattha rajjati tatrābhiramati. Sā tattha rattā tatrābhiratā bahiddhā purisindriyaṁ manasi karoti – purisakuttaṁ purisākappaṁ purisavidhaṁ purisacchandaṁ purisassaraṁ purisālaṅkāraṁ. Sā tattha rajjati tatrābhiramati. Sā tattha rattā tatrābhiratā bahiddhā saṁyogaṁ ākaṅkhati. Yañcassā saṁyogapaccayā uppajjati sukhaṁ somanassaṁ tañca ākaṅkhati. Itthatte, bhikkhave, abhiratā sattā purisesu saṁyogaṁ gatā. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, itthī itthattaṁ nātivattati.

3Puriso, bhikkhave, ajjhattaṁ purisindriyaṁ manasi karoti – purisakuttaṁ purisākappaṁ purisavidhaṁ purisacchandaṁ purisassaraṁ purisālaṅkāraṁ. So tattha rajjati tatrābhiramati. So tattha ratto tatrābhirato bahiddhā itthindriyaṁ manasi karoti – itthikuttaṁ itthākappaṁ itthividhaṁ itthicchandaṁ itthissaraṁ itthālaṅkāraṁ. So tattha rajjati tatrābhiramati. So tattha ratto tatrābhirato bahiddhā saṁyogaṁ ākaṅkhati. Yañcassa saṁyogapaccayā uppajjati sukhaṁ somanassaṁ tañca ākaṅkhati. Purisatte, bhikkhave, abhiratā sattā itthīsu saṁyogaṁ gatā. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puriso purisattaṁ nātivattati. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, saṁyogo hoti.


4Kathañca, bhikkhave, visaṁyogo hoti?

Itthī, bhikkhave, ajjhattaṁ itthindriyaṁ na manasi karoti – itthikuttaṁ itthākappaṁ itthividhaṁ itthicchandaṁ itthissaraṁ itthālaṅkāraṁ. Sā tattha na rajjati, sā tatra nābhiramati. Sā tattha arattā tatra anabhiratā bahiddhā purisindriyaṁ na manasi karoti – purisakuttaṁ purisākappaṁ purisavidhaṁ purisacchandaṁ purisassaraṁ purisālaṅkāraṁ. Sā tattha na rajjati, tatra nābhiramati. Sā tattha arattā tatra anabhiratā bahiddhā saṁyogaṁ nākaṅkhati. Yañcassā saṁyogapaccayā uppajjati sukhaṁ somanassaṁ tañca nākaṅkhati. Itthatte, bhikkhave, anabhiratā sattā purisesu visaṁyogaṁ gatā. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, itthī itthattaṁ ativattati.

5Puriso, bhikkhave, ajjhattaṁ purisindriyaṁ na manasi karoti – purisakuttaṁ purisākappaṁ purisavidhaṁ purisacchandaṁ purisassaraṁ purisālaṅkāraṁ. So tattha na rajjati, so tatra nābhiramati. So tattha aratto tatra anabhirato bahiddhā itthindriyaṁ na manasi karoti – itthikuttaṁ itthākappaṁ itthividhaṁ itthicchandaṁ itthissaraṁ itthālaṅkāraṁ. So tattha na rajjati, tatra nābhiramati. So tattha aratto tatra anabhirato bahiddhā saṁyogaṁ nākaṅkhati. Yañcassa saṁyogapaccayā uppajjati sukhaṁ somanassaṁ tañca nākaṅkhati. Purisatte, bhikkhave, anabhiratā sattā itthīsu visaṁyogaṁ gatā. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puriso purisattaṁ ativattati.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, visaṁyogo hoti.

Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhave, saṁyogo visaṁyogo dhammapariyāyo"ti.


Aṭṭhamaṁ.

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