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A fair trade
I'll make a trade:
aging for the Ageless,
burning for the Unbound:
the highest peace,
the unexcelled rest
from the yoke.
If, by forsaking
a limited ease,
he would see
an abundance of ease,
the enlightened man
would forsake
the limited ease
for the sake
of the abundant.
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Contrary to popular opinion
Then Ven. Ananda, together with Tapussa the
householder, went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him,
sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One: 'Tapussa
the householder, here, has said to me, 'Venerable Ananda, sir, we are
householders who indulge in sensuality, delight in sensuality, enjoy sensuality,
rejoice in sensuality. For us — indulging in sensuality, delighting in
sensuality, enjoying sensuality, rejoicing in sensuality — renunciation seems
like a sheer drop-off. Yet I've heard that in this doctrine & discipline the
hearts of the very young monks leap up at renunciation, grow confident,
steadfast, & firm, seeing it as peace. So right here is where this doctrine
& discipline is contrary to the great mass of people: i.e., [this issue of]
renunciation.''
'So it is, Ananda. So it is. Even I myself, before my Awakening, when I was
still an unawakened Bodhisatta, thought: 'Renunciation is good. Seclusion is
good.' But my heart didn't leap up at renunciation, didn't grow confident,
steadfast, or firm, seeing it as peace. The thought occurred to me: 'What is the
cause, what is the reason, why my heart doesn't leap up at renunciation, doesn't
grow confident, steadfast, or firm, seeing it as peace?' Then the thought
occurred to me: 'I haven't seen the drawback of
sensual pleasures; I haven't pursued [that theme]. I haven't understood the
reward of renunciation; I haven't familiarized myself with it. That's why my
heart doesn't leap up at renunciation, doesn't grow confident, steadfast, or
firm, seeing it as peace.'
'Then the thought occurred to me: 'If, having seen the drawback of sensual
pleasures, I were to pursue that theme; and if, having understood the reward of
renunciation, I were to familiarize myself with it, there's the possibility that
my heart would leap up at renunciation, grow confident, steadfast, & firm,
seeing it as peace.'
'So at a later time, having seen the drawback of sensual pleasures, I pursued
that theme; having understood the reward of renunciation, I familiarized myself
with it. My heart leaped up at renunciation, grew confident, steadfast, &
firm, seeing it as peace. Then, quite withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from
unskillful qualities, I entered & remained in the first
jhana: rapture & pleasure born from withdrawal, accompanied by directed
thought & evaluation...'
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Bliss
[The Buddha:] 'Is it true, Bhaddiya that, on going to a forest, to the
foot of a tree, or to an empty dwelling, you repeatedly exclaim, 'What bliss!
What bliss!'?'
[Ven. Bhaddiya:] 'Yes, lord.'
'What meaning do you have in mind that you repeatedly exclaim, 'What bliss!
What bliss!'?'
'Before, when I was a householder, maintaining the bliss of kingship, I had
guards posted within and without the royal apartments, within and without the
city, within and without the countryside. But even though I was thus guarded,
thus protected, I dwelled in fear — agitated, distrustful, and afraid. But now,
on going alone to a forest, to the foot of a tree, or to an empty dwelling, I
dwell without fear, unagitated, confident, and unafraid — unconcerned,
unruffled, my wants satisfied, with my mind like a wild deer.
This is the meaning I have in mind that I repeatedly exclaim, 'What bliss! What
bliss!''
Then, on realizing the significance of that, the Blessed One on that occasion
exclaimed:
In whom there exists
no provocation,
& for whom becoming & non-becoming
are overcome,
he is one — beyond fear,
blissful,
without grief,
whom the devas can't see.
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A sound night's sleep
[The Buddha:] 'Now, what do you think: Suppose a householder or
householder's son has a house with a gabled roof, plastered inside & out,
draft-free, with close-fitting door & windows shut against the wind. Inside
he has a horse-hair couch spread with a long-fleeced coverlet, a white wool
coverlet, an embroidered coverlet, a rug of kadali-deer hide, with a canopy
above, & red cushions on either side. And there a lamp would be burning, and
his four wives, with their many charms, would be attending to him. Would he
sleep in ease, or not? Or how does this strike you?'
[Hatthaka of Alavi:] 'Yes, lord, he would sleep in ease. Of those in
the world who sleep in ease, he would be one.'
'But what do you think, young man. Might there arise in that householder or
householder's son any bodily fevers or fevers of mind born of passion so that —
burned with those passion-born fevers — he would sleep miserably?'
'Yes, lord.'
'As for those passion-born fevers — burned with which the householder or
householder's son would sleep miserably — that passion has been abandoned by the
Tathagata, its root destroyed, like an uprooted palm tree, deprived of the
conditions of existence, not destined for future arising. Therefore he sleeps in
ease.
'Now, what do you think, young man. Might there arise in that householder or
householder's son any bodily fevers or fevers of mind born of aversion so that —
burned with those aversion-born fevers — he would sleep miserably?'
'Yes, lord.'
'As for those aversion-born fevers — burned with which the householder or
householder's son would sleep miserably — that aversion has been abandoned by
the Tathagata, its root destroyed, like an uprooted palm tree, deprived of the
conditions of existence, not destined for future arising. Therefore he sleeps in
ease.
'Now, what do you think, young man. Might there arise in that householder or
householder's son any bodily fevers or fevers of mind born of delusion so that —
burned with those delusion-born fevers — he would sleep miserably?'
'Yes, lord.'
'As for those delusion-born fevers — burned with which the householder or
householder's son would sleep miserably — that delusion has been abandoned by
the Tathagata, its root destroyed, like an uprooted palm tree, deprived of the
conditions of existence, not destined for future arising. Therefore he sleeps in
ease.'
Always, always,
he sleeps in ease:
the brahman totally unbound,
who doesn't adhere
to sensual pleasures,
who's without acquisitions
& cooled.
Having cut all ties
& subdued fear in the heart,
calmed,
he sleeps in ease,
having reached peace
of awareness.
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Rest
'Subject to birth, subject to aging,
subject to death,
run-of-the-mill people
are repelled by those who suffer
from that to which they are subject.
And if I were to be repelled
by beings subject to these things,
it would not be fitting for me,
living as they do.'
As I maintained this attitude —
knowing the Dhamma
without acquisitions —
I overcame all intoxication
with health, youth, & life
as one who sees
renunciation as rest.
For me, energy arose,
Unbinding was clearly seen.
There's now no way
I could partake of sensual pleasures.
Having followed the holy life,
I will not return.
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Fearless
'There is the case of the person who has abandoned passion, desire, fondness,
thirst, fever, and craving for sensuality. Then he comes down with a serious
disease. As he comes down with a serious disease, the thought does not occur to
him, 'O, those beloved sensual pleasures will be taken from me, and I will be
taken from them!' He does not grieve, is not tormented; does not weep, beat his
breast, or grow delirious. This is a person who, subject to death, is not afraid
or in terror of death.'
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