A deity asks the Buddha what wears out and what does not decay, what is the wrong way, what is the stain on the spiritual life, and what are the six fissures in the world where one's wealth does not last.
“Kiṁ jīrati kiṁ na jīrati,
kiṁsu uppathoti vuccati;
Kiṁsu dhammānaṁ paripantho,
kiṁsu rattindivakkhayo;
Kiṁ malaṁ brahmacariyassa,
kiṁ sinānamanodakaṁ.
[A deity asked]: “What gets worn out, what does not decay?
What is said to be the |wrong way::off course, lit. up road [uppatha]|?
What is the obstacle to the |truth::truth behind the teaching, reality [dhamma]|?
What experiences disintegration day and night?
What is the stain of the |spiritual life::a life of celibacy, contemplation, and ethical discipline lived for the sake of liberation; oriented toward inner development rather than sensual pleasures [brahmacariya]|?
What is the bath without water?
Kati lokasmiṁ chiddāni,
yattha vittaṁ na tiṭṭhati;
Bhagavantaṁ puṭṭhumāgamma,
kathaṁ jānemu taṁ mayan”ti.
How many fissures are there in the world,
where one’s wealth does not last?
We have come to ask you, Blessed One:
how are we to understand this?”
“Rūpaṁ jīrati maccānaṁ,
nāmagottaṁ na jīrati;
Rāgo uppathoti vuccati.
[The Blessed One]: “The physical form of the mortals gets worn out,
their |name::mental objects of consciousness, mentality, factors of feeling, perception, intention, contact and attention [nāma]| and |lineage::ancestry, family clan [gotta]| do not decay;
|Passion::intense desire, strong emotion, infatuation, obsession, lust [rāga]| is said to be the wrong way.
Lobho dhammānaṁ paripantho,
Vayo rattindivakkhayo;
Itthī malaṁ brahmacariyassa,
Etthāyaṁ sajjate pajā;
Tapo ca brahmacariyañca,
Taṁ sinānamanodakaṁ.
|Greed::a grasping mental quality of craving, possessiveness, or lustful wanting that clings to objects or experiences; it fuels attachment and obstructs renunciation and contentment [lobha]| is the obstacle to truth.
Lifespan experiences disintegration day and night.
|Opposite gender::lit. feminine gender [itthī]| is the stain of the spiritual life,
in which this generation |is entangled::is attached, lit. is stuck [sajjati]|.
|Spiritual practice::austerity, ascetic practice [tapa]| and the spiritual life—
that is the bath without water.
Cha lokasmiṁ chiddāni,
yattha vittaṁ na tiṭṭhati;
Ālasyañca pamādo ca,
anuṭṭhānaṁ asaṁyamo;
Niddā tandī ca te chidde,
sabbaso taṁ vivajjaye”ti.
There are six fissures in the world,
where one’s wealth does not last;
|Laziness::A mental quality characterized by unwillingness, aversion, or lack of motivation to exert effort in wholesome activities. It reflects an inner resistance to energy and discipline, the seed from which idleness arises. It leads to stagnation, missed opportunities for growth, and failure to cultivate beneficial states. [ālasya]|, |negligence::carelessness, heedlessness [pamāda]|,
|not making effort::inaction, lack of energy to do work [anuṭṭhāna]|, |non-restraint::lack of self-control [asaṁyama]|;
Sleeping too much and |sluggishness::sloth, tiredness [tandī]|—
avoid these fissures in every way.”
[A deity asked]: “What gets worn out, what does not decay?
What is said to be the |wrong way::off course, lit. up road [uppatha]|?
What is the obstacle to the |truth::truth behind the teaching, reality [dhamma]|?
What experiences disintegration day and night?
What is the stain of the |spiritual life::a life of celibacy, contemplation, and ethical discipline lived for the sake of liberation; oriented toward inner development rather than sensual pleasures [brahmacariya]|?
What is the bath without water?
How many fissures are there in the world,
where one’s wealth does not last?
We have come to ask you, Blessed One:
how are we to understand this?”
[The Blessed One]: “The physical form of the mortals gets worn out,
their |name::mental objects of consciousness, mentality, factors of feeling, perception, intention, contact and attention [nāma]| and |lineage::ancestry, family clan [gotta]| do not decay;
|Passion::intense desire, strong emotion, infatuation, obsession, lust [rāga]| is said to be the wrong way.
|Greed::a grasping mental quality of craving, possessiveness, or lustful wanting that clings to objects or experiences; it fuels attachment and obstructs renunciation and contentment [lobha]| is the obstacle to truth.
Lifespan experiences disintegration day and night.
|Opposite gender::lit. feminine gender [itthī]| is the stain of the spiritual life,
in which this generation |is entangled::is attached, lit. is stuck [sajjati]|.
|Spiritual practice::austerity, ascetic practice [tapa]| and the spiritual life—
that is the bath without water.
There are six fissures in the world,
where one’s wealth does not last;
|Laziness::A mental quality characterized by unwillingness, aversion, or lack of motivation to exert effort in wholesome activities. It reflects an inner resistance to energy and discipline, the seed from which idleness arises. It leads to stagnation, missed opportunities for growth, and failure to cultivate beneficial states. [ālasya]|, |negligence::carelessness, heedlessness [pamāda]|,
|not making effort::inaction, lack of energy to do work [anuṭṭhāna]|, |non-restraint::lack of self-control [asaṁyama]|;
Sleeping too much and |sluggishness::sloth, tiredness [tandī]|—
avoid these fissures in every way.”
“Kiṁ jīrati kiṁ na jīrati,
kiṁsu uppathoti vuccati;
Kiṁsu dhammānaṁ paripantho,
kiṁsu rattindivakkhayo;
Kiṁ malaṁ brahmacariyassa,
kiṁ sinānamanodakaṁ.
Kati lokasmiṁ chiddāni,
yattha vittaṁ na tiṭṭhati;
Bhagavantaṁ puṭṭhumāgamma,
kathaṁ jānemu taṁ mayan”ti.
“Rūpaṁ jīrati maccānaṁ,
nāmagottaṁ na jīrati;
Rāgo uppathoti vuccati.
Lobho dhammānaṁ paripantho,
Vayo rattindivakkhayo;
Itthī malaṁ brahmacariyassa,
Etthāyaṁ sajjate pajā;
Tapo ca brahmacariyañca,
Taṁ sinānamanodakaṁ.
Cha lokasmiṁ chiddāni,
yattha vittaṁ na tiṭṭhati;
Ālasyañca pamādo ca,
anuṭṭhānaṁ asaṁyamo;
Niddā tandī ca te chidde,
sabbaso taṁ vivajjaye”ti.