8: The Book of the Eights
6. World (2)
- DG BB TBW © Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi (More copyright information)
1"Bhikkhus, these eight worldly conditions revolve around the world, and the world revolves around these eight worldly conditions. What eight? Gain and loss, disrepute and fame, blame and praise, and pleasure and pain. These eight worldly conditions revolve around the world, and the world revolves around these eight worldly conditions.
2"Bhikkhus, an uninstructed worldling meets gain and loss, disrepute and fame, blame and praise, and pleasure and pain. An instructed noble disciple also meets gain and loss, disrepute and fame, blame and praise, and pleasure and pain. What is the distinction, the disparity, the difference between an instructed noble disciple and an uninstructed worldling with regard to this?"
"Bhante, our teachings are rooted in the Blessed One, guided by the Blessed One, take recourse in the Blessed One. It would be good if the Blessed One would clear up the meaning of this statement. Having heard it from him, the bhikkhus will retain it in mind."
3"Then listen, bhikkhus, and attend closely. I will speak."
"Yes, Bhante," those bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this:
"(1) Bhikkhus, when an uninstructed worldling meets with gain, he does not reflect thus: ‘This gain that I have met is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change.’ He does not understand it as it really is. (2) When he meets with loss … (3) … fame … (4) … disrepute … (5) … blame … (6) … praise … (7) … pleasure … (8) … pain, he does not reflect thus: ‘This pain that I have met is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change.’ He does not understand it as it really is.
4"Gain obsesses his mind, and loss obsesses his mind. Fame obsesses his mind, and disrepute obsesses his mind. Blame obsesses his mind, and praise obsesses his mind. Pleasure obsesses his mind, and pain obsesses his mind. He is attracted to gain and repelled by loss. He is attracted to fame and repelled by disrepute. He is attracted to praise and repelled by blame. He is attracted to pleasure and repelled by pain. Thus involved with attraction and repulsion, he is not freed from birth, from old age and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, dejection, and anguish; he is not freed from suffering, I say.
5"But, bhikkhus, (1) when an instructed noble disciple meets with gain, he reflects thus: ‘This gain that I have met is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change.’ He thus understands it as it really is. (2) When he meets with loss … (3) … fame … (4) … disrepute … (5) … blame … (6) … praise … (7) … pleasure … (8) … pain, he reflects thus: ‘This pain that I have met is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change.’ He thus understands it as it really is.
6"Gain does not obsess his mind, and loss does not obsess his mind. Fame does not obsess his mind, and disrepute does not obsess his mind. Blame does not obsess his mind, and praise does not obsess his mind. Pleasure does not obsess his mind, and pain does not obsess his mind. He is not attracted to gain or repelled by loss. He is not attracted to fame or repelled by disrepute. He is not attracted to praise or repelled by blame. He is not attracted to pleasure or repelled by pain. Having thus discarded attraction and repulsion, he is freed from birth, from old age and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, dejection, and anguish; he is freed from suffering, I say.
"This, bhikkhus, is the distinction, the disparity, the difference between an instructed noble disciple and an uninstructed worldling."
7Gain and loss, disrepute and fame,
blame and praise, pleasure and pain:
these conditions that people meet
are impermanent, transient, and subject to change.
8A wise and mindful person knows them
and sees that they are subject to change.
Desirable conditions don’t excite his mind
nor is he repelled by undesirable conditions.
9He has dispelled attraction and repulsion;
they are gone and no longer present.
Having known the dustless, sorrowless state,
he understands rightly and has transcended existence.
1"Aṭṭhime, bhikkhave, lokadhammā lokaṁ anuparivattanti, loko ca aṭṭha lokadhamme anuparivattati. Katame aṭṭha? Lābho ca, alābho ca, yaso ca, ayaso ca, nindā ca, pasaṁsā ca, sukhañca, dukkhañca. Ime kho, bhikkhave, aṭṭha lokadhammā lokaṁ anuparivattanti, loko ca ime aṭṭha lokadhamme anuparivattati.
2Assutavato, bhikkhave, puthujjanassa uppajjati lābhopi alābhopi yasopi ayasopi nindāpi pasaṁsāpi sukhampi dukkhampi. Sutavatopi, bhikkhave, ariyasāvakassa uppajjati lābhopi alābhopi yasopi ayasopi nindāpi pasaṁsāpi sukhampi dukkhampi. Tatra, bhikkhave, ko viseso ko adhippayāso kiṁ nānākaraṇaṁ sutavato ariyasāvakassa assutavatā puthujjanenā"ti?
"Bhagavaṁmūlakā no, bhante, dhammā bhagavaṁnettikā bhagavaṁpaṭisaraṇā. Sādhu vata, bhante, bhagavantaṁyeva paṭibhātu etassa bhāsitassa attho. Bhagavato sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī"ti.
3"Tena hi, bhikkhave, suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī"ti.
"Evaṁ, bhante"ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:
Assutavato, bhikkhave, puthujjanassa uppajjati lābho. So na iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘uppanno kho me ayaṁ lābho; so ca kho anicco dukkho vipariṇāmadhammo’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti. Uppajjati alābho … pe … uppajjati yaso … uppajjati ayaso … uppajjati nindā … uppajjati pasaṁsā … uppajjati sukhaṁ … uppajjati dukkhaṁ. So na iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘uppannaṁ kho me idaṁ dukkhaṁ; tañca kho aniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhamman’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti.
4Tassa lābhopi cittaṁ pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, alābhopi cittaṁ pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, yasopi cittaṁ pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, ayasopi cittaṁ pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, nindāpi cittaṁ pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, pasaṁsāpi cittaṁ pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, sukhampi cittaṁ pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, dukkhampi cittaṁ pariyādāya tiṭṭhati. So uppannaṁ lābhaṁ anurujjhati, alābhe paṭivirujjhati; uppannaṁ yasaṁ anurujjhati, ayase paṭivirujjhati; uppannaṁ pasaṁsaṁ anurujjhati, nindāya paṭivirujjhati; uppannaṁ sukhaṁ anurujjhati, dukkhe paṭivirujjhati. So evaṁ anurodhavirodhasamāpanno na parimuccati jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi. ‘Na parimuccati dukkhasmā’ti vadāmi.
5Sutavato ca kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvakassa uppajjati lābho. So iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘uppanno kho me ayaṁ lābho; so ca kho anicco dukkho vipariṇāmadhammo’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti. Uppajjati alābho … pe … uppajjati yaso … uppajjati ayaso … uppajjati nindā … uppajjati pasaṁsā … uppajjati sukhaṁ … uppajjati dukkhaṁ. So iti paṭisañcikkhati: ‘uppannaṁ kho me idaṁ dukkhaṁ; tañca kho aniccaṁ dukkhaṁ vipariṇāmadhamman’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.
6Tassa lābhopi cittaṁ na pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, alābhopi cittaṁ na pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, yasopi cittaṁ na pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, ayasopi cittaṁ na pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, nindāpi cittaṁ na pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, pasaṁsāpi cittaṁ na pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, sukhampi cittaṁ na pariyādāya tiṭṭhati, dukkhampi cittaṁ na pariyādāya tiṭṭhati. So uppannaṁ lābhaṁ nānurujjhati, alābhe nappaṭivirujjhati; uppannaṁ yasaṁ nānurujjhati, ayase nappaṭivirujjhati; uppannaṁ pasaṁsaṁ nānurujjhati, nindāya nappaṭivirujjhati; uppannaṁ sukhaṁ nānurujjhati, dukkhe nappaṭivirujjhati. So evaṁ anurodhavirodhavippahīno parimuccati jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi. ‘Parimuccati dukkhasmā’ti vadāmi.
Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhave, viseso ayaṁ adhippayāso idaṁ nānākaraṇaṁ sutavato ariyasāvakassa assutavatā puthujjanenāti.
7Lābho alābho ca yasāyaso ca,
Nindā pasaṁsā ca sukhaṁ dukhañca;
Ete aniccā manujesu dhammā,
Asassatā vipariṇāmadhammā.
8Ete ca ñatvā satimā sumedho,
Avekkhati vipariṇāmadhamme;
Iṭṭhassa dhammā na mathenti cittaṁ,
Aniṭṭhato no paṭighātameti.
9Tassānurodhā atha vā virodhā,
Vidhūpitā atthaṅgatā na santi;
Padañca ñatvā virajaṁ asokaṁ,
Sammappajānāti bhavassa pāragū"ti.
Chaṭṭhaṁ.
