{"id":"mn45","title":"The Shorter Discourse on Taking Up Practices","languageCodes":["en","pi"],"languageNotes":{"en":"Bhikkhu Sujato · CC0","pi":"Mahāsaṅgīti edition · SuttaCentral"},"chapters":[{"id":"mn45","title":"The Shorter Discourse on Taking Up Practices","units":[{"id":"mn45:0","sourceIds":["mn45:0.1","mn45:0.2"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Majjhima Nikāya 45\nCūḷadhammasamādānasutta","en":"Middle Discourses 45\nThe Shorter Discourse on Taking Up Practices"}},{"id":"mn45:1","sourceIds":["mn45:1.1","mn45:1.2","mn45:1.3","mn45:1.4","mn45:1.5","mn45:1.6"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Evaṁ me sutaṁ—\nekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.\nTatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:\n“bhikkhavo”ti.\n“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.\nBhagavā etadavoca:","en":"So I have heard.\nAt one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.\nThere the Buddha addressed the mendicants,\n“Mendicants!”\n“Venerable sir,” they replied.\nThe Buddha said this:"}},{"id":"mn45:2","sourceIds":["mn45:2.1","mn45:2.2","mn45:2.3","mn45:2.4","mn45:2.5","mn45:2.6"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"“cattārimāni, bhikkhave, dhammasamādānāni.\nKatamāni cattāri?\nAtthi, bhikkhave, dhammasamādānaṁ paccuppannasukhaṁ āyatiṁ dukkhavipākaṁ;\natthi, bhikkhave, dhammasamādānaṁ paccuppannadukkhañceva āyatiñca dukkhavipākaṁ;\natthi, bhikkhave, dhammasamādānaṁ paccuppannadukkhaṁ āyatiṁ sukhavipākaṁ;\natthi, bhikkhave, dhammasamādānaṁ paccuppannasukhañceva āyatiñca sukhavipākaṁ.","en":"“Mendicants, there are these four ways of taking up practices.\nWhat four?\nThere is a way of taking up practices that is pleasant now but results in future pain.\nThere is a way of taking up practices that is painful now and results in future pain.\nThere is a way of taking up practices that is painful now but results in future pleasure.\nThere is a way of taking up practices that is pleasant now and results in future pleasure."}},{"id":"mn45:3","sourceIds":["mn45:3.1","mn45:3.2","mn45:3.3","mn45:3.4","mn45:3.5","mn45:3.6","mn45:3.7","mn45:3.8","mn45:3.9","mn45:3.10","mn45:3.11","mn45:3.12"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Katamañca, bhikkhave, dhammasamādānaṁ paccuppannasukhaṁ āyatiṁ dukkhavipākaṁ?\nSanti, bhikkhave, eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino:\n‘natthi kāmesu doso’ti.\nTe kāmesu pātabyataṁ āpajjanti.\nTe kho moḷibaddhāhi paribbājikāhi paricārenti.\nTe evamāhaṁsu:\n‘kiṁsu nāma te bhonto samaṇabrāhmaṇā kāmesu anāgatabhayaṁ sampassamānā kāmānaṁ pahānamāhaṁsu, kāmānaṁ pariññaṁ paññapenti?\nSukho imissā paribbājikāya taruṇāya mudukāya lomasāya bāhāya samphasso’ti te kāmesu pātabyataṁ āpajjanti.\nTe kāmesu pātabyataṁ āpajjitvā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjanti.\nTe tattha dukkhā tibbā kharā kaṭukā vedanā vedayanti.\nTe evamāhaṁsu:\n‘idaṁ kho te bhonto samaṇabrāhmaṇā kāmesu anāgatabhayaṁ sampassamānā kāmānaṁ pahānamāhaṁsu, kāmānaṁ pariññaṁ paññapenti, ime hi mayaṁ kāmahetu kāmanidānaṁ dukkhā tibbā kharā kaṭukā vedanā vedayāmā’ti.","en":"And what is the way of taking up practices that is pleasant now but results in future pain?\nThere are some ascetics and brahmins who have this doctrine and view:\n‘There’s nothing wrong with sensual pleasures.’\nThey throw themselves into sensual pleasures,\ncavorting with female wanderers with jeweled bands in their hair.\nThey say,\n‘What future danger do those ascetics and brahmins see in sensual pleasures that they speak of giving up sensual pleasures, and advocate the complete understanding of sensual pleasures?\nPleasant is the touch of this female wanderer’s arm, tender, soft, and downy!’ And they throw themselves into sensual pleasures.\nWhen their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell.\nAnd there they feel painful, sharp, severe, acute feelings.\nThey say,\n‘This is that future danger that those ascetics and brahmins saw. For it is because of sensual pleasures that I’m feeling painful, sharp, severe, acute feelings.’"}},{"id":"mn45:4","sourceIds":["mn45:4.1","mn45:4.2","mn45:4.3","mn45:4.4","mn45:4.5","mn45:4.6","mn45:4.7","mn45:4.8","mn45:4.9","mn45:4.10","mn45:4.11","mn45:4.12","mn45:4.13","mn45:4.14","mn45:4.15","mn45:4.16","mn45:4.17","mn45:4.18","mn45:4.19","mn45:4.20","mn45:4.21","mn45:4.22","mn45:4.23","mn45:4.24","mn45:4.25","mn45:4.26","mn45:4.27","mn45:4.28","mn45:4.29","mn45:4.30","mn45:4.31","mn45:4.32","mn45:4.33","mn45:4.34"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, gimhānaṁ pacchime māse māluvāsipāṭikā phaleyya.\nAtha kho taṁ, bhikkhave, māluvābījaṁ aññatarasmiṁ sālamūle nipateyya.\nAtha kho, bhikkhave, yā tasmiṁ sāle adhivatthā devatā sā bhītā saṁviggā santāsaṁ āpajjeyya.\nAtha kho, bhikkhave, tasmiṁ sāle adhivatthāya devatāya mittāmaccā ñātisālohitā ārāmadevatā vanadevatā rukkhadevatā osadhitiṇavanappatīsu adhivatthā devatā saṅgamma samāgamma evaṁ samassāseyyuṁ:\n‘mā bhavaṁ bhāyi, mā bhavaṁ bhāyi;\nappeva nāmetaṁ māluvābījaṁ moro vā gileyya, mago vā khādeyya, davaḍāho vā ḍaheyya, vanakammikā vā uddhareyyuṁ, upacikā vā uṭṭhaheyyuṁ, abījaṁ vā panassā’ti.\nAtha kho taṁ, bhikkhave, māluvābījaṁ neva moro gileyya, na mago khādeyya, na davaḍāho ḍaheyya, na vanakammikā uddhareyyuṁ, na upacikā uṭṭhaheyyuṁ, bījañca panassa taṁ pāvussakena meghena abhippavuṭṭhaṁ sammadeva viruheyya.\nSāssa māluvālatā taruṇā mudukā lomasā vilambinī, sā taṁ sālaṁ upaniseveyya.\nAtha kho, bhikkhave, tasmiṁ sāle adhivatthāya devatāya evamassa:\n‘kiṁsu nāma te bhonto mittāmaccā ñātisālohitā ārāmadevatā vanadevatā rukkhadevatā osadhitiṇavanappatīsu adhivatthā devatā māluvābīje anāgatabhayaṁ sampassamānā saṅgamma samāgamma evaṁ samassāsesuṁ:\n“mā bhavaṁ bhāyi mā bhavaṁ bhāyi,\nappeva nāmetaṁ māluvābījaṁ moro vā gileyya, mago vā khādeyya, davaḍāho vā ḍaheyya, vanakammikā vā uddhareyyuṁ, upacikā vā uṭṭhaheyyuṁ, abījaṁ vā panassā”ti;\nsukho imissā māluvālatāya taruṇāya mudukāya lomasāya vilambiniyā samphasso’ti.\nSā taṁ sālaṁ anuparihareyya.\nSā taṁ sālaṁ anupariharitvā upari viṭabhiṁ kareyya.\nUpari viṭabhiṁ karitvā oghanaṁ janeyya.\nOghanaṁ janetvā ye tassa sālassa mahantā mahantā khandhā te padāleyya.\nAtha kho, bhikkhave, tasmiṁ sāle adhivatthāya devatāya evamassa:\n‘idaṁ kho te bhonto mittāmaccā ñātisālohitā ārāmadevatā vanadevatā rukkhadevatā osadhitiṇavanappatīsu adhivatthā devatā māluvābīje anāgatabhayaṁ sampassamānā saṅgamma samāgamma evaṁ samassāsesuṁ:\n“mā bhavaṁ bhāyi mā bhavaṁ bhāyi, appeva nāmetaṁ māluvābījaṁ moro vā gileyya, mago vā khādeyya, davaḍāho vā ḍaheyya, vanakammikā vā uddhareyyuṁ, upacikā vā uṭṭhaheyyuṁ abījaṁ vā panassā”ti.\nYañcāhaṁ māluvābījahetu dukkhā tibbā kharā kaṭukā vedanā vedayāmī’ti.\nEvameva kho, bhikkhave, santi eke samaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṁvādino evaṁdiṭṭhino ‘natthi kāmesu doso’ti.\nTe kāmesu pātabyataṁ āpajjanti.\nTe moḷibaddhāhi paribbājikāhi paricārenti.\nTe evamāhaṁsu:\n‘kiṁsu nāma te bhonto samaṇabrāhmaṇā kāmesu anāgatabhayaṁ sampassamānā kāmānaṁ pahānamāhaṁsu, kāmānaṁ pariññaṁ paññapenti?\nSukho imissā paribbājikāya taruṇāya mudukāya lomasāya bāhāya samphasso’ti.\nTe kāmesu pātabyataṁ āpajjanti.\nTe kāmesu pātabyataṁ āpajjitvā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjanti.\nTe tattha dukkhā tibbā kharā kaṭukā vedanā vedayanti.\nTe evamāhaṁsu:\n‘idaṁ kho te bhonto samaṇabrāhmaṇā kāmesu anāgatabhayaṁ sampassamānā kāmānaṁ pahānamāhaṁsu, kāmānaṁ pariññaṁ paññapenti.\nIme hi mayaṁ kāmahetu kāmanidānaṁ dukkhā tibbā kharā kaṭukā vedanā vedayāmā’ti.\nIdaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, dhammasamādānaṁ paccuppannasukhaṁ āyatiṁ dukkhavipākaṁ.","en":"Suppose that in the last month of summer a camel’s foot creeper pod were to burst open\nand a seed were to fall at the root of a sal tree.\nThen the deity haunting that sal tree would become apprehensive and nervous.\nBut their friends and colleagues, relatives and kin—deities of the parks, forests, trees, and those who haunt the herbs, grass, and big trees—would come together to reassure them,\n‘Do not fear, sir, do not fear!\nHopefully that seed will be swallowed by a peacock, or eaten by a deer, or burnt by a forest fire, or picked up by a lumberjack, or eaten by termites, or it may not even be fertile.’\nBut none of these things happened. And the seed was fertile, so that when the monsoon clouds soaked it with rain, it sprouted.\nAnd the creeper wound its tender, soft, and downy tendrils around that sal tree.\nThen the deity thought,\n‘What future danger did my friends see when they said:\n“Do not fear, sir, do not fear!\nHopefully that seed will be swallowed by a peacock, or eaten by a deer, or burnt by a forest fire, or picked up by a lumberjack, or eaten by termites, or it may not even be fertile.”\nPleasant is the touch of this creeper’s tender, soft, and downy tendrils.’\nThen the creeper enfolded the sal tree,\nmade a canopy over it,\ndraped a curtain around it,\nand split apart all the main branches.\nThen the deity thought,\n‘This is the future danger that my friends saw!\nIt’s because of that camel’s foot creeper seed that I’m feeling painful, sharp, severe, acute feelings.’\nIn the same way, there are some ascetics and brahmins who have this doctrine and view: ‘There’s nothing wrong with sensual pleasures’ …\nThis is called the way of taking up practices that is pleasant now but results in future pain."}},{"id":"mn45:5","sourceIds":["mn45:5.1","mn45:5.2","mn45:5.3","mn45:5.4","mn45:5.5","mn45:5.6","mn45:5.7","mn45:5.8","mn45:5.9","mn45:5.10","mn45:5.11","mn45:5.12","mn45:5.13","mn45:5.14","mn45:5.15","mn45:5.16"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Katamañca, bhikkhave, dhammasamādānaṁ paccuppannadukkhañceva āyatiñca dukkhavipākaṁ?\nIdha, bhikkhave, ekacco acelako hoti muttācāro hatthāpalekhano, naehibhaddantiko, natiṭṭhabhaddantiko, nābhihaṭaṁ, na uddissakataṁ, na nimantanaṁ sādiyati,\nso na kumbhimukhā paṭiggaṇhāti, na kaḷopimukhā paṭiggaṇhāti, na eḷakamantaraṁ, na daṇḍamantaraṁ, na musalamantaraṁ, na dvinnaṁ bhuñjamānānaṁ, na gabbhiniyā, na pāyamānāya, na purisantaragatāya, na saṅkittīsu, na yattha sā upaṭṭhito hoti, na yattha makkhikā saṇḍasaṇḍacārinī, na macchaṁ, na maṁsaṁ, na suraṁ, na merayaṁ, na thusodakaṁ pivati.\nSo ekāgāriko vā hoti ekālopiko, dvāgāriko vā hoti dvālopiko …pe… sattāgāriko vā hoti sattālopiko.\nEkissāpi dattiyā yāpeti, dvīhipi dattīhi yāpeti … sattahipi dattīhi yāpeti.\nEkāhikampi āhāraṁ āhāreti, dvīhikampi āhāraṁ āhāreti … sattāhikampi āhāraṁ āhāreti. Iti evarūpaṁ addhamāsikampi pariyāyabhattabhojanānuyogamanuyutto viharati.\nSo sākabhakkho vā hoti, sāmākabhakkho vā hoti, nīvārabhakkho vā hoti, daddulabhakkho vā hoti, haṭabhakkho vā hoti, kaṇabhakkho vā hoti, ācāmabhakkho vā hoti, piññākabhakkho vā hoti, tiṇabhakkho vā hoti, gomayabhakkho vā hoti, vanamūlaphalāhāro yāpeti pavattaphalabhojī.\nSo sāṇānipi dhāreti, masāṇānipi dhāreti, chavadussānipi dhāreti, paṁsukūlānipi dhāreti, tirīṭānipi dhāreti, ajinampi dhāreti, ajinakkhipampi dhāreti, kusacīrampi dhāreti, vākacīrampi dhāreti, phalakacīrampi dhāreti, kesakambalampi dhāreti, vāḷakambalampi dhāreti, ulūkapakkhampi dhāreti,\nkesamassulocakopi hoti, kesamassulocanānuyogamanuyutto,\nubbhaṭṭhakopi hoti, āsanapaṭikkhitto,\nukkuṭikopi hoti ukkuṭikappadhānamanuyutto,\nkaṇṭakāpassayikopi hoti, kaṇṭakāpassaye seyyaṁ kappeti,\nsāyatatiyakampi udakorohanānuyogamanuyutto viharati.\nIti evarūpaṁ anekavihitaṁ kāyassa ātāpanaparitāpanānuyogamanuyutto viharati.\nSo kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjati.\nIdaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, dhammasamādānaṁ paccuppannadukkhañceva āyatiñca dukkhavipākaṁ.","en":"And what is the way of taking up practices that is painful now and results in future pain?\nIt’s when someone goes naked, ignoring conventions. They lick their hands, and don’t come or wait when called. They don’t consent to food brought to them, or food prepared on their behalf, or an invitation for a meal.\nThey don’t receive anything from a pot or bowl; or from someone who keeps sheep, or who has a weapon or a shovel in their home; or where a couple is eating; or where there is a woman who is pregnant, breastfeeding, or who lives with a man; or where there’s a hound waiting or flies buzzing. They accept no fish or meat or beer or wine, and drink no fermented gruel.\nThey go to just one house for alms, taking just one mouthful, or two houses and two mouthfuls, up to seven houses and seven mouthfuls.\nThey feed on one saucer a day, two saucers a day, up to seven saucers a day.\nThey eat once a day, once every second day, up to once a week, and so on, even up to once a fortnight. They live committed to the practice of eating food at set intervals.\nThey eat herbs, millet, wild rice, poor rice, water lettuce, rice bran, scum from boiling rice, sesame flour, grass, or cow dung. They survive on forest roots and fruits, or eating fallen fruit.\nThey wear robes of sunn hemp, mixed hemp, corpse-wrapping cloth, rags, lodh tree bark, antelope hide (whole or in strips), kusa grass, bark, wood-chips, human hair, horse-tail hair, or owls’ wings.\nThey tear out their hair and beard, committed to this practice.\nThey constantly stand, turning down seats.\nThey squat, committed to the endeavor of squatting.\nThey lie on a mat of thorns, making a mat of thorns their bed.\nThey’re devoted to ritual bathing three times a day, including at dusk.\nAnd so they live committed to practicing these various ways of mortifying and tormenting the body.\nWhen their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell.\nThis is called the way of taking up practices that is painful now and results in future pain."}},{"id":"mn45:6","sourceIds":["mn45:6.1","mn45:6.2","mn45:6.3","mn45:6.4","mn45:6.5","mn45:6.6","mn45:6.7"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Katamañca, bhikkhave, dhammasamādānaṁ paccuppannadukkhaṁ āyatiṁ sukhavipākaṁ?\nIdha, bhikkhave, ekacco pakatiyā tibbarāgajātiko hoti, so abhikkhaṇaṁ rāgajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti;\npakatiyā tibbadosajātiko hoti, so abhikkhaṇaṁ dosajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti;\npakatiyā tibbamohajātiko hoti, so abhikkhaṇaṁ mohajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti.\nSo sahāpi dukkhena, sahāpi domanassena, assumukhopi rudamāno paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carati.\nSo kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjati.\nIdaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, dhammasamādānaṁ paccuppannadukkhaṁ āyatiṁ sukhavipākaṁ.","en":"And what is the way of taking up practices that is painful now but results in future pleasure?\nIt’s when someone is ordinarily full of acute greed, hate, and delusion. They often feel the pain and sadness that greed, hate, and delusion bring.\nThey lead the full and pure spiritual life in pain and sadness, weeping, with tearful faces.\nWhen their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.\nThis is called the way of taking up practices that is painful now but results in future pleasure."}},{"id":"mn45:7","sourceIds":["mn45:7.1","mn45:7.2","mn45:7.3","mn45:7.4","mn45:7.5","mn45:7.6","mn45:7.7","mn45:7.8","mn45:7.9","mn45:7.10","mn45:7.11","mn45:7.12","mn45:7.13","mn45:7.14"],"kind":"text","text":{"pi":"Katamañca, bhikkhave, dhammasamādānaṁ paccuppannasukhañceva āyatiñca sukhavipākaṁ?\nIdha, bhikkhave, ekacco pakatiyā na tibbarāgajātiko hoti, so na abhikkhaṇaṁ rāgajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti;\npakatiyā na tibbadosajātiko hoti, so na abhikkhaṇaṁ dosajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti;\npakatiyā na tibbamohajātiko hoti, so na abhikkhaṇaṁ mohajaṁ dukkhaṁ domanassaṁ paṭisaṁvedeti.\nSo vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṁ savicāraṁ vivekajaṁ pītisukhaṁ paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.\nVitakkavicārānaṁ vūpasamā ajjhattaṁ sampasādanaṁ cetaso ekodibhāvaṁ avitakkaṁ avicāraṁ samādhijaṁ pītisukhaṁ dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ …pe…\ntatiyaṁ jhānaṁ …\ncatutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati.\nSo kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjati.\nIdaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, dhammasamādānaṁ paccuppannasukhañceva āyatiñca sukhavipākaṁ.\nImāni kho, bhikkhave, cattāri dhammasamādānānī”ti.\nIdamavoca bhagavā.\nAttamanā te bhikkhū bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandunti.\nCūḷadhammasamādānasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ pañcamaṁ.","en":"And what is the way of taking up practices that is pleasant now and results in future pleasure?\nIt’s when someone is not ordinarily full of acute greed, hate, and delusion. They rarely feel the pain and sadness that greed, hate, and delusion bring.\nQuite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, they enter and remain in the first absorption …\nsecond absorption …\nthird absorption …\nfourth absorption.\nWhen their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.\nThis is called the way of taking up practices that is pleasant now and results in future pleasure.\nThese are the four ways of taking up practices.”\nThat is what the Buddha said.\nSatisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said."}}]}],"sourceRevision":"afdafa92450cfe7573b280da50382888323666d2","sourceUrl":"https://suttacentral.net/mn45/en/sujato","licence":"CC0 1.0","licenceUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/","editionNote":"Full supplied source file; inherited abbreviations are preserved. Not a reconstructed expansion of every repetition. No Malay or Mandarin translation is implied."}