The Buddha explains how understanding the gratification, drawback, and escape in regard to acquisitions, respect, and popularity leads to personal experience and attainment of the goal of asceticism or brahminhood in this very life.
Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
At Sāvatthi.
“Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā lābhasakkārasilokassa assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ nappajānanti, na me te, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā samaṇesu vā samaṇasammatā brāhmaṇesu vā brāhmaṇasammatā, na ca pana te āyasmantā sāmaññatthaṁ vā brahmaññatthaṁ vā diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharanti.
“Bhikkhus, whoever among ascetics or brahmins do not understand, as they truly are, the |gratification::satisfaction, pleasure, enjoyment, sweetness [assāda]|, the |drawback::disadvantage, unsatisfactoriness, inadequacy, danger [ādīnava]|, and the |escape::way out, remedy [nissaraṇa]| in regard to |acquisitions::gain, money, profit, possessions [lābhā]|, |respect::honor, accolade, reverence [sakkāra]|, and |popularity::fame, praise [siloka]|—they, bhikkhus, are not recognized by me as ascetics among ascetics or as brahmins among brahmins. Moreover, those venerable ones do not, in this very life, |personally experience::realize for oneself [sacchikatvā]| and attain the goal of asceticism or the goal of brahminhood through |direct knowledge::experiential realization [abhiññā]| and |abiding::dwelling, remaining, staying [viharati]| in it.
Ye ca kho keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā lābhasakkārasilokassa assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ pajānanti, te ca kho me, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā samaṇesu ceva samaṇasammatā brāhmaṇesu ca brāhmaṇasammatā, te ca panāyasmanto sāmaññatthañca brahmaññatthañca diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharantī”ti.
But bhikkhus, whoever among ascetics or brahmins understand, as they truly are, the gratification, the drawback, and the escape in regard to acquisitions, respect, and popularity—they, bhikkhus, are recognized by me as ascetics among ascetics and as brahmins among brahmins. Moreover, those venerable ones, in this very life, personally experience and attain the goal of asceticism or the goal of brahminhood through directly knowing and abiding in it.”
At Sāvatthi.
“Bhikkhus, whoever among ascetics or brahmins do not understand, as they truly are, the |gratification::satisfaction, pleasure, enjoyment, sweetness [assāda]|, the |drawback::disadvantage, unsatisfactoriness, inadequacy, danger [ādīnava]|, and the |escape::way out, remedy [nissaraṇa]| in regard to |acquisitions::gain, money, profit, possessions [lābhā]|, |respect::honor, accolade, reverence [sakkāra]|, and |popularity::fame, praise [siloka]|—they, bhikkhus, are not recognized by me as ascetics among ascetics or as brahmins among brahmins. Moreover, those venerable ones do not, in this very life, |personally experience::realize for oneself [sacchikatvā]| and attain the goal of asceticism or the goal of brahminhood through |direct knowledge::experiential realization [abhiññā]| and |abiding::dwelling, remaining, staying [viharati]| in it.
But bhikkhus, whoever among ascetics or brahmins understand, as they truly are, the gratification, the drawback, and the escape in regard to acquisitions, respect, and popularity—they, bhikkhus, are recognized by me as ascetics among ascetics and as brahmins among brahmins. Moreover, those venerable ones, in this very life, personally experience and attain the goal of asceticism or the goal of brahminhood through directly knowing and abiding in it.”
Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
“Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā lābhasakkārasilokassa assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ nappajānanti, na me te, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā samaṇesu vā samaṇasammatā brāhmaṇesu vā brāhmaṇasammatā, na ca pana te āyasmantā sāmaññatthaṁ vā brahmaññatthaṁ vā diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharanti.
Ye ca kho keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā lābhasakkārasilokassa assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ pajānanti, te ca kho me, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā samaṇesu ceva samaṇasammatā brāhmaṇesu ca brāhmaṇasammatā, te ca panāyasmanto sāmaññatthañca brahmaññatthañca diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharantī”ti.