99. （九九）苦阴经

I have heard thus:

At one time, the Buddha was traveling in the country of Śrāvastī, staying at the Jeta Grove Anāthapiṇḍada-ārāma.

At that time, after the midday meal, the bhikṣus gathered in the Dharma hall to discuss various matters. Then, in the middle of the day, many non-Buddhist practitioners leisurely approached the bhikṣus, exchanged greetings, and sat to one side. They said to the bhikṣus, "Virtuous ones! The Śramaṇa Gautama teaches the knowledge and elimination of desire, the knowledge and elimination of form, and the knowledge and elimination of perception. We also teach the knowledge and elimination of desire, the knowledge and elimination of form, and the knowledge and elimination of perception. What is the superiority and difference between the two knowledges and eliminations of the Śramaṇa Gautama and us?"

Then, the bhikṣus heard what the many non-Buddhist practitioners said. They neither agreed nor disagreed, but rose silently and left, thinking, "We shall learn about this from the World-Honored One." They then went to where the Buddha was, bowed their heads at his feet, sat to one side, and told the Buddha everything they had discussed with the many non-Buddhist practitioners.

At that time, the World-Honored One told the bhikṣus, "You should have asked the many non-Buddhist practitioners like this: 'Virtuous ones! What is the taste of desire? What are the afflictions of desire? What is the way out of desire? What is the taste of form? What are the afflictions of form? What is the way out of form? What is the taste of perception? What are the afflictions of perception? What is the way out of perception?' Bhikṣus! If you had asked like this, they would have become even more angry and contentious upon hearing it, and would have certainly risen from their seats in silence and left. Why is that? I do not see in this world, among the gods, Māra, Brahmā, śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, or any other assembly, anyone who can understand and explain this meaning. Only the Tathāgata, the Tathāgata's disciples, or those who have heard it from them can do so."

The Buddha said, "What is the taste of desire? It means the pleasure and joy arising from the five sense pleasures. This is the ultimate taste of desire, nothing surpasses it. But the afflictions are very many.

What are the afflictions of desire? Noble sons, they live by their skills, such as farming, commerce, writing, mathematics, counting, carving seals, composing, calligraphy, studying scriptures, being brave generals, or serving the king. When cold, they are cold; when hot, they are hot. They are hungry, thirsty, tired, bitten by mosquitoes and flies. They work like this to seek wealth. If those noble sons do not obtain wealth through such means, they will give rise to suffering, sorrow, distress, and delusion, saying, 'It was all in vain, the effort was fruitless.' If those noble sons obtain wealth through such means, they will cherish, guard, and hide it. Why is that? 'I do not want this wealth to be taken by the king, robbed by thieves, burned by fire, rot, lost, or not yield any profit. Or if I engage in various activities, they may not succeed.' If they guard and hide it like this, and it is taken by the king, robbed by thieves, burned by fire, rot, or lost, they will give rise to suffering, sorrow, distress, and delusion, saying, 'What was long cherished is lost.' This is the present suffering aggregate, caused by desire, conditioned by desire, and based on desire.

Furthermore, because of desire, for the sake of desire, and based on desire, mothers quarrel with their children, children quarrel with their mothers, fathers with sons, brothers with brothers, sisters with sisters, and relatives with relatives. After quarreling like this, mothers speak ill of their children, children speak ill of their mothers, fathers speak ill of their sons, brothers speak ill of their brothers, sisters speak ill of their sisters, and relatives speak ill of each other. How much more so with others? This is the present suffering aggregate, caused by desire, conditioned by desire, and based on desire.

Furthermore, because of desire, for the sake of desire, and based on desire, kings quarrel with other kings, brahmins quarrel with other brahmins, householders quarrel with other householders, commoners quarrel with other commoners, countries quarrel with other countries. Because of this mutual hatred, they harm each other with various weapons, either by punching, throwing stones, beating with sticks, or cutting with swords. When they fight, they may die or be terrified, suffering extreme pain. This is the present suffering aggregate, caused by desire, conditioned by desire, and based on desire.

Furthermore, because of desire, for the sake of desire, and based on desire, they put on armor, wear robes, carry spears and bows and arrows, or hold swords and shields, and enter into battle formations. They fight with elephants, horses, chariots, or infantry. They fight with men or women. When they fight, they may die or be terrified, suffering extreme pain. This is the present suffering aggregate, caused by desire, conditioned by desire, and based on desire.

Furthermore, because of desire, for the sake of desire, and based on desire, they put on armor, wear robes, carry spears and bows and arrows, or hold swords and shields, and go to conquer other countries, attacking cities and breaking through strongholds. They fight with each other, beating drums and blowing horns, shouting loudly, or hitting with hammers, spears, sharp wheels, or arrows, or throwing stones, or using large crossbows, or sprinkling molten copper beads. When they fight, they may die or be terrified, suffering extreme pain. This is the present suffering aggregate, caused by desire, conditioned by desire, and based on desire.

Furthermore, because of desire, for the sake of desire, and based on desire, they put on armor, wear robes, carry spears and bows and arrows, or hold swords and shields, and enter villages, towns, countries, or cities, digging through walls and opening up hidden treasures, robbing and stealing, cutting off royal roads, or going to other lanes, destroying villages, harming towns, annihilating countries, and breaking through cities. There, they may be caught by the king's men and subjected to various tortures, having their hands cut off, feet cut off, or both hands and feet cut off, ears cut off, noses cut off, or both ears and noses cut off, or being cut and sliced, having their beards and hair pulled out, or being wrapped in cloth and burned, or being wrapped in grass and burned, or being placed in an iron donkey's belly, or being put in an iron pig's mouth, or being placed in an iron tiger's mouth and burned, or being put in an iron cauldron or a copper cauldron and boiled, or being cut into pieces, or being pierced with sharp stakes, or being hooked with iron hooks, or being laid on an iron bed and poured with boiling oil, or being seated on an iron mortar and pounded with an iron pestle, or being bitten by dragons and snakes, or being whipped with whips, or being beaten with sticks, or being struck with clubs, or being impaled alive on a high pole, or having their heads cut off. There, they may die or be terrified, suffering extreme pain. This is the present suffering aggregate, caused by desire, conditioned by desire, and based on desire.

Furthermore, because of desire, for the sake of desire, and based on desire, they engage in evil bodily, verbal, and mental actions. Later, when they become ill and lie down on a bed or sit or lie on the ground, suffering afflicts their bodies, and they experience extreme, unbearable suffering. If they have engaged in evil bodily, verbal, and mental actions, those actions will cover them at the time of death, like the shadow of a mountain blocking the ground as the sun is about to set. In the same way, if they have engaged in evil bodily, verbal, and mental actions, those actions will cover them. They will think: 'My past evil actions are covering me. I did not create any meritorious deeds, but only evil ones. If there were a place where people who do evil and violent acts only for the sake of sin, who do not create merit or practice goodness, have no fear, no refuge, and no place to go, I would definitely be born there.' From this, they will have regret. Those who regret will die unwholesomely and pass away without merit. This is the present suffering aggregate, caused by desire, conditioned by desire, and based on desire.

Furthermore, because of desire, for the sake of desire, and based on desire, they engage in evil bodily, verbal, and mental actions. Because of those evil bodily, verbal, and mental actions, when their bodies disintegrate and their lives end, they will definitely go to a bad place and be born in hell. This is the future suffering aggregate, caused by desire, conditioned by desire, and based on desire. This is called the danger of desire.

What is the way out of desire? It is to cut off desire, to abandon desire, to extinguish desire, to completely eliminate desire, to cross over desire, and to escape from desire. This is called the way out of desire. If there are śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who do not know the taste of desire, the danger of desire, and the way out of desire as they truly are, they will not be able to eliminate their own desires, let alone be able to eliminate the desires of others. If there are śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who know the taste of desire, the danger of desire, and the way out of desire as they truly are, they will be able to eliminate their own desires and also be able to eliminate the desires of others.

What is the taste of form? When a kṣatriya, brāhmaṇa, householder, or artisan woman is fourteen or fifteen years old, her beauty is at its peak. If, because of that beauty, one gives rise to pleasure and joy, this is the ultimate taste of form, nothing surpasses it. But the dangers are very many.

"What are the dangers of form? If one sees that beautiful person later on, when they are extremely old, with white hair and falling teeth, hunched back and crooked legs, walking with a cane, their youthful vigor declining, their life nearing its end, their body trembling, and their faculties decaying, what do you think? If there was beauty in them before, is it not a danger when it disappears?"

"Yes, it is."

"Furthermore, if one sees that beautiful person sick, lying in bed, or sitting or lying on the ground, with suffering pressing on their body, experiencing extreme suffering, what do you think? If there was beauty in them before, is it not a danger when it disappears?" "Yes, it is."

"Furthermore, if one sees that beautiful person dead, from one to six or seven days, pecked by crows and kites, eaten by jackals and wolves, burned by fire, or buried in the ground, completely rotten and decayed, what do you think? If there was beauty in them before, is it not a danger when it disappears?" "Yes, it is."

"Yes, it is."

"Furthermore, if one sees that beautiful person's bones, blue in color, rotten and decayed, half of the bones and joints lying on the ground, what do you think? If there was beauty in them before, is it not a danger when it disappears?" "Yes, it is."

"Yes, it is."

"Furthermore, if one sees that beautiful person's bones, separated from skin, flesh, and blood, only connected by tendons, what do you think? If there was beauty in them before, is it not a danger when it disappears?" "Yes, it is."

"Yes, it is."

"Furthermore, if one sees that beautiful person's bones, the joints separated and scattered in all directions, the foot bones, shin bones, thigh bones, hip bones, spine bones, shoulder bones, neck bones, and skull bones each in different places, what do you think? If there was beauty in them before, is it not a danger when it disappears?" "Yes, it is."

"Yes, it is."

"Furthermore, if one sees that beautiful person's bones, white like a conch, blue like a pigeon's color, red like blood smeared, rotten and broken into powder, what do you think? If there was beauty in them before, is it not a danger when it disappears?" "Yes, it is."

"Yes, it is."

"This is called the danger of form."

What is the way out of form? If one abandons form, discards form, extinguishes form, and transcends form, that is called the way out of form. If there are śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who do not truly know the taste, danger, and way out of form, they will not be able to eliminate their own form, let alone be able to eliminate the form of others. If there are śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who truly know the taste, danger, and way out of form, they will be able to eliminate their own form and also be able to eliminate the form of others.

What is the taste of awakening? A bhikṣu, having abandoned desire and evil and unwholesome dharmas, attains and abides in the fourth dhyāna. At that time, he does not think of harming himself, nor does he think of harming others. If he does not think of harming, that is called the taste of the bliss of awakening. Why is that? Because not thinking of harming leads to the attainment of bliss. This is called the taste of awakening.

What are the dangers of awakening? Awakening is a dharmic state of impermanence, suffering, and cessation. This is called the dangers of awakening.

"What is the way out of awakening? To cut off awakening, to abandon awakening, to extinguish awakening, to exhaust awakening, to transcend awakening, this is called the way out of awakening. If there are śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who do not truly know the taste, dangers, and way out of awakening, they will not be able to cut off their own awakening, let alone be able to cut off the awakening of others. If there are śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who truly know the taste, dangers, and way out of awakening, they will be able to cut it off for themselves and also be able to cut it off for others."

The Buddha spoke thus. Those bhikṣus, having heard the Buddha's words, rejoiced and upheld them.