“Methunamanuyuttassa,
(iccāyasmā tisso metteyyo)
Vighātaṁ brūhi mārisa;
Sutvāna tava sāsanaṁ,
Viveke sikkhissāmase”.
“For one who engages in |sexual activity::sexual intercourse [methuna]|,”
(thus said the venerable Tissa Metteyya)
“speak of the |vexation::affliction, distress, obstacles [vighāta]|, dear sir;
Having heard your teaching,
we shall practice in |seclusion::solitude [viveka]|.”
“Methunamanuyuttassa,
(metteyyāti bhagavā)
Mussate vāpi sāsanaṁ;
Micchā ca paṭipajjati,
Etaṁ tasmiṁ anāriyaṁ.
“When one engages in sexual activity,
(Metteya,” said the Blessed One)
“even the teaching itself |is forgotten::is disregarded, is not heeded [mussati]|;
And one practices |wrongly::incorrectly, improperly [micchā]|,
this is considered ignoble in him.
Eko pubbe caritvāna,
methunaṁ yo nisevati;
Yānaṁ bhantaṁva taṁ loke,
hīnamāhu puthujjanaṁ.
One who previously lived alone,
but then engages in sexual activity;
Is like a vehicle that is veering off course,
in the world, they call him a |diminished::defeated, deficient, inferior [hīna]| ordinary person.
Yaso kitti ca yā pubbe,
hāyate vāpi tassa sā;
Etampi disvā sikkhetha,
methunaṁ vippahātave.
Whatever fame and renown he previously enjoyed,
these decline and disappear for him;
Having seen these, one should train,
to abandon sexual activity.
Saṅkappehi pareto so,
kapaṇo viya jhāyati;
Sutvā paresaṁ nigghosaṁ,
maṅku hoti tathāvidho.
|Afflicted by::attacked by, overwhelmed by [pareta]| his |intentions::conceptions, notions [saṅkappe]|,
he |broods::obsesses, thinks moodily [jhāyati]| like a |miser::poor, wretch [kapaṇa]|;
Having heard the |criticism::blame, rebuke [nigghosa]| of others,
such a one becomes |troubled::upset, disturbed [maṅku]|.
Atha satthāni kurute,
paravādehi codito;
Esa khvassa mahāgedho,
mosavajjaṁ pagāhati.
Then he prepares |words in retaliation::lit. weapons [in defense], (comm) verbal misconduct [sattha]|,
when incited by the |words of others::philosophical belief of others [paravāda]|;
This is a great thicket for him,
that he sinks into |false speech::lie, untruth [mosavajja]|.
Paṇḍitoti samaññāto,
ekacariyaṁ adhiṭṭhito;
Athāpi methune yutto,
mandova parikissati.
He was regarded as a wise man,
when he was dedicated to |solitary life::going about or living alone [ekacariya]|;
But when he engaged in sexual activity,
like a |dull-witted one::tender, weak, undeveloped [manda]|, he |is dragged through the dirt::is soiled [parikissati]|.
Etamādīnavaṁ ñatvā,
Muni pubbāpare idha;
Ekacariyaṁ daḷhaṁ kayirā,
Na nisevetha methunaṁ.
Having understood this danger,
the sage, here in the before and after;
should steadfastly pursue a solitary life,
and not resort to sexual activity.
Vivekaññeva sikkhetha,
etaṁ ariyānamuttamaṁ;
Na tena seṭṭho maññetha,
sa ve nibbānasantike.
One should train only in seclusion,
this is the supreme path among the Noble Ones;
Not |conceiving::presuming, supposing, imagining, thinking [maññati]| oneself ‘|foremost::best, most important [seṭṭha]|’ because of this,
then one is indeed near to |Nibbāna::complete cooling, letting go of everything, deathless, freedom from calamity, the non-disintegrating [nibbāna]|.
Rittassa munino carato,
Kāmesu anapekkhino;
Oghatiṇṇassa pihayanti,
Kāmesu gadhitā pajā”ti.
As the sage wanders empty of desires,
indifferent to sensual pleasures;
Having crossed the flood, they’re envied,
by those bound to sensual pleasures.