Thus have I heard—At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling in Sāvatthi, in Jeta‘s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s park. There, the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: “Bhikkhus.”
“Venerable sir,” those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this:
“Bhikkhus, there are four cases of |taking up practices::committing to actions, habitually engaging in things [dhammasamādānā]|. What are the four? 1) There is the case of taking up practices that is pleasant now but ripens as |suffering::discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering [dukkha]| in the future. 2) There is the case of taking up practices that is painful now and ripens as suffering in the future. 3) There is the case of taking up practices that is painful now but ripens as a |pleasant abiding::contentment, ease, happiness [sukha]| in the future. 4) There is the case of taking up practices that is pleasant now and ripens as a pleasant abiding in the future.
1) What, bhikkhus, is the case of taking up practices that is pleasant now but ripens as suffering in the future? Bhikkhus, there are certain ascetics and brahmins who hold this doctrine and view: ‘There is no |fault::error, mistake, wrong [dosa]| in sensual pleasures.’ They plunge into sensual pleasures and consort with female wanderers who wear their hair bound up in a topknot. They say thus: ‘What future danger do these respected ascetics and brahmins see in sensual pleasures when they speak of abandoning sensual pleasures and describe the |full understanding::complete comprehension [pariñña]| of sensual pleasures? Pleasant is the touch of this female wanderer’s tender, soft, delicate arm.’ Thus, they plunge into sensual pleasures. Having plunged into sensual pleasures, at the breakup of the body, after death, are reborn in a |state of loss::in a state of misery [apāya]|, in a bad destination, in the |realms of downfall::in realms of misery [vinipāta]|, in |hell::a place of intense suffering, lit. no good fortune [niraya]|. There they experience painful, |agonizing::intense suffering, anguish [tibba]|, piercing feelings. Then they exclaim: ‘This is the future danger those respected ascetics and brahmins saw in sensual pleasures when they spoke of abandoning sensual pleasures and described the full understanding of sensual pleasures. For it is by reason of sensual pleasures, owing to sensual pleasures, that we are now experiencing painful, agonizing, piercing feelings.’
“Bhikkhus, suppose that in the last month of the hot season, the seed pod of a |māluvā::a fast-growing, parasitic vine that climbs onto trees. As it grows, it tightens its grip, restricting the host tree’s growth and often strangling it to death. [māluvā]| creeper were to ripen and fall at the foot of a Sal tree. Then, bhikkhus, the deity dwelling in that Sal tree would become frightened, agitated, and alarmed; but then that Sal tree inhabiting deity would be consoled by its friends, companions, kin and relatives—by the deities of groves, the deities of forests, the deities of trees, and the deities inhabiting medicinal herbs, grasses, and forest plants—who would assemble and reassure it, saying: ‘Do not be afraid, good sir! Do not be afraid! Perhaps a peacock will swallow that seed, or a deer will eat it, or a wildfire will burn it, or a woodsman will uproot it, or termites will destroy it, or perhaps the seed itself will perish.’ Yet, bhikkhus, it happens that neither does a peacock swallow it, nor does a deer eat it, nor does a wildfire burn it, nor does a woodsman uproot it, nor do termites destroy it, and the seed, drenched by the rain of the monsoon clouds, sprouts and takes root. Then, that māluvā creeper, tender, soft, and delicate, extends itself around the Sal tree. Then, bhikkhus, the deity dwelling in that Sal tree reflects: ‘Seeing what future danger in the māluva creeper seed did my friends, companions, kin, and relatives—the deities of groves, the deities of forests, the deities of trees, and the deities residing in herbs, grasses, and forest plants—assemble and console me, saying: “Do not be afraid, good sir! Do not be afraid! Perhaps a peacock will swallow that seed, or a deer will eat it, or a wildfire will burn it, or a woodsman will uproot it, or termites will destroy it, or perhaps the seed itself will perish.” Pleasant is the touch of this tender, soft, and delicate māluva creeper.’ Then, that māluvā creeper gradually overgrows the Sal tree. Having overgrown the Sal tree, it forms a canopy above it, produces a dense tangle, and weighs it down. Weighed down by the creeper, the large and massive branches of the Sal tree split and break apart. Then, bhikkhus, the deity dwelling in that Sal tree laments: ‘Indeed, this is why my friends, companions, kin, and relatives—the deities of groves, the deities of forests, the deities of trees, and the deities residing in herbs, grasses, and forest plants—seeing future danger in the parasitic māluvā creeper seed, assembled and consoled me, saying: “Do not be afraid, good sir! Do not be afraid! Perhaps a peacock will swallow that seed, or a deer will eat it, or a wildfire will burn it, or a woodsman will uproot it, or termites will destroy it, or perhaps the seed itself will perish.” But because of this parasitic māluvā creeper seed, I now experience painful, agonizing, piercing feelings.’
So too, bhikkhus, there are certain ascetics and brahmins who hold this doctrine and view: ‘There is no fault in sensual pleasures.’ They plunge into sensual pleasures and consort with female wanderers who wear their hair bound up in a topknot. They say thus: ‘What future danger do these respected ascetics and brahmins see in sensual pleasures when they speak of abandoning sensual pleasures and describe the full understanding of sensual pleasures? Pleasant is the touch of this female wanderer’s tender, soft, delicate arm.’ Thus, they plunge into sensual pleasures. Having plunged into sensual pleasures, at the breakup of the body, after death, are reborn in a state of loss, in a bad destination, in the realms of downfall, in hell. There they experience painful, agonizing, piercing feelings. Then they exclaim: ‘This is the future danger those respected ascetics and brahmins saw in sensual pleasures when they spoke of abandoning sensual pleasures and described the full understanding of sensual pleasures. For it is by reason of sensual pleasures, owing to sensual pleasures, that we are now experiencing painful, agonizing, piercing feelings.’
2) Bhikkhus, what is a case of taking up practices that are painful now and ripen as suffering in the future? Here, bhikkhus, someone becomes a naked ascetic, rejects social norms, licks their hands, does not respond when called, does not stop when asked, does not accept food brought or food specially made and does not consent to an invitation for a meal. He receives nothing from a pot, from a bowl, inside a doorway, near a stick, near a club, from two eating together, from a pregnant woman, from a nursing woman, from a woman in the midst of men, from where food is advertised to be distributed, from where a dog is waiting, from where flies are buzzing. He does not eat fish or meat, does not drink alcohol, fermented liquor, or sour gruel. He keeps to one house, to one morsel; he keeps to two houses, to two morsels... he keeps to seven houses, to seven morsels. He sustains himself on one handful, or two handfuls, upto seven handfuls a day. He takes food once a day, once every two days... once every seven days; thus even up to once every fortnight, he dwells pursuing the practice of taking food at stated intervals.
He subsists on raw greens, or on wild millet, or on wild red rice, or on bark parings, or on water plants and slime, or on rice husk powder, or on rice water and pot scum, or on ground sesame, or on grass, or on cow dung. He sustains himself on forest roots and fruits, and eats only naturally occurring fruit.
He wears garments made of hemp, hemp-mixed cloth, shrouds, refuse rags, tree bark, antelope hides, strips of antelope hide, woven kusa grass, bark fiber, strips of wood, human hair blankets, horsehair blankets, or owl feathers. He plucks out his hair and beard and is devoted to the practice of plucking them out. He remains continuously standing, rejecting seats. He practices squatting as an ascetic discipline, remaining devoted to the squatting posture. He sleeps on a bed of thorns. He bathes three times daily, engaging in ritual bathing. Thus, in various ways, he is devoted to the practice of torturing and mortifying the body. Having done so, at the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in a state of loss, in a bad destination, in the realms of downfall, in hell. Bhikkhus, this is called taking up practices that are painful now and ripen as suffering in the future.
3) Bhikkhus, what is a case of taking up practices that are painful now but ripen as a pleasant abiding in the future? Here, bhikkhus, someone is |with a strong lustful disposition::who has strong lust, who has intense desire [tibbarāgajātika]|, and he frequently experiences pain and |mental distress::dejection, depression, unhappiness, grief, negative state of mind [domanassa]| born from lust. He is |with a strong aversive disposition::who has strong ill-will, who has intense hatred [tibbadosajātika]|, and he frequently experiences pain and mental distress born from hatred. He is |with a strong deluded disposition::who has strong delusion, who has intense ignorance [tibbamohajātika]|, and he frequently experiences pain and mental distress born from delusion. Yet, despite the pain, despite the distress, even with tears streaming down his face, crying, he lives the complete and purified spiritual life. Having done so, at the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in a good destination, in the heavenly world. Bhikkhus, this is called taking up practices that are painful now but ripen as a pleasant abiding in the future.
4) Bhikkhus, what is a case of taking up practices that are pleasant now and ripen as a pleasant abiding in the future? Here, bhikkhus, someone is not with a strong lustful disposition, so he does not frequently experience pain and mental distress born from lust. He is not with a strong aversive disposition, so he does not frequently experience pain and mental distress born from hatred. He is not with a strong deluded disposition, so he does not frequently experience pain and mental distress born from delusion.
Quite secluded from sensual pleasures and |unwholesome::unhealthy, unskillful, unbeneficial, or karmically unprofitable [akusala]| mental states, he enters and dwells in the first jhāna, which is |accompanied by reflection::with thinking [savitakka]| and |examination::with investigation, evaluation [savicāra]|, |born from seclusion::secluded from the defilements [vivekaja]|, and is |filled with joyful pleasure::imbued with joy and happiness, with delight and ease, sometimes experienced as an intense joy or pleasure, rapture [pītisukha]|.
Further, with the |settling::calming, conciliation, subsiding [vūpasama]| of reflection and examination, the bhikkhu enters and dwells in the second jhāna, which is characterized by internal |tranquility::calming, settling, confidence [sampasādana]| and |unification::singleness, integration [ekodibhāva]| of mind, is without reflection and examination, |born from collectedness::born from a stable mind [samādhija]|, and is filled with joyful pleasure.
Further, with the fading away of joyful pleasure, he dwells in a |state of equanimity::mental poised, mentally balanced, equanimous, non-reactive, disregarding [upekkhaka]|, |mindful and fully aware::attentive and completely comprehending [sata + sampajāna]|, experiencing |ease::comfort, contentedness, happiness, pleasure [sukha]| with the body. He enters and dwells in the third jhāna, which the noble ones describe as, ‘one who dwells equanimous, mindful, and at ease.’
With the abandoning of ease and |discontentment::discomfort, unpleasantness, something unsatisfactory, stress [dukkha]|, and with the settling down of |joy and sorrow::craving and aversion, pleasure and displeasure, satisfaction and dissatisfaction, gladness and dejection, positive state of mind and negative state of mind [somanassadomanassa]|, he enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna, which is characterized by purification of |mindfulness::clear comprehension and full awareness of body, felt experiences, mind, and mental qualities [sati]| through |equanimity::mental poise, mental balance, equipoise, non-reactivity, composure [upekkhā]|, experiencing a feeling which is neither-painful-nor-pleasant. Having done so, at the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in a good destination, in the heavenly world. Bhikkhus, this is called taking up practices that are pleasant now and ripen as a pleasant abiding in the future.
The Blessed One said this. Those bhikkhus were satisfied and rejoiced in the Blessed One’s words.