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- Anguttara Nikaya VIII.6
- Lokavipatti Sutta
- The Failings of the World
- For free distribution only, as a gift of Dhamma
"Monks, these eight worldly conditions spin after the world, and the world spins
after these eight worldly conditions. Which eight? Gain, loss, status, disgrace, censure,
praise, pleasure, & pain. These are the eight worldly conditions that spin after the
world, and the world spins after these eight worldly conditions.
"For an uninstructed run-of-the-mill person there arise gain, loss, status,
disgrace, censure, praise, pleasure, & pain. For a well-instructed noble disciple
there also arise gain, loss, status, disgrace, censure, praise, pleasure, & pain. So
what difference, what distinction, what distinguishing factor is there between the
well-instructed noble disciple and the uninstructed run-of-the-mill person?"
"For us, lord, the teachings have the Blessed One as their root, their guide,
& their refuge. It would be good if the Blessed One himself would explicate the
meaning of this statement. Having heard it from the Blessed One, the monks will remember
it."
"In that case, monks, listen & pay close attention. I will speak."
"As you say, lord," the monks responded.
The Blessed One said, "Gain arises for an uninstructed run-of-the-mill person. He
does not reflect, 'Gain has arisen for me. It is inconstant, stressful, & subject to
change.' He does not discern it as it actually is.
"Loss arises...Status arises...Disgrace arises...Censure arises...Praise
arises...Pleasure arises...
"Pain arises. He does not reflect, 'Pain has arisen for me. It is inconstant,
stressful, & subject to change.' He does not discern it as it actually is.
"His mind remains consumed with the gain. His mind remains consumed with the
loss...with the status...the disgrace...the censure...the praise...the pleasure. His mind
remains consumed with the pain.
"He welcomes the arisen gain and rebels against the arisen loss. He welcomes the
arisen status and rebels against the arisen disgrace. He welcomes the arisen praise and
rebels against the arisen censure. He welcomes the arisen pleasure and rebels against the
arisen pain. As he is thus engaged in welcoming & rebelling, he is not released from
birth, aging, or death; from sorrows, lamentations, pains, distresses, or despairs. He is
not released, I tell you, from suffering & stress.
"Now, gain arises for a well-instructed noble disciple. He reflects, 'Gain has
arisen for me. It is inconstant, stressful, & subject to change.' He discerns it as it
actually is.
"Loss arises...Status arises...Disgrace arises...Censure arises...Praise
arises...Pleasure arises...
"Pain arises. He reflects, 'Pain has arisen for me. It is inconstant, stressful,
& subject to change.' He discerns it as it actually is.
"His mind does not remain consumed with the gain. His mind does not remain
consumed with the loss...with the status...the disgrace...the censure...the praise...the
pleasure. His mind does not remain consumed with the pain.
"He does not welcome the arisen gain, or rebel against the arisen loss. He does
not welcome the arisen status, or rebel against the arisen disgrace. He does not welcome
the arisen praise, or rebel against the arisen censure. He does not welcome the arisen
pleasure, or rebel against the arisen pain. As he thus abandons welcoming & rebelling,
he is released from birth, aging, & death; from sorrows, lamentations, pains,
distresses, & despairs. He is released, I tell you, from suffering & stress.
"This is the difference, this the distinction, this the distinguishing factor
between the well-instructed noble disciple and the uninstructed run-of-the-mill
person."
Gain/loss,
status/disgrace,
censure/praise,
pleasure/pain:
these conditions among human beings
are inconstant,
impermanent,
subject to change.
Knowing this, the wise person, mindful,
ponders these changing conditions.
Desirable things don't charm the mind,
undesirable ones bring no resistance.
His welcoming
& rebelling are scattered,
gone to their end,
do not exist.
Knowing the dustless, sorrowless state,
he discerns rightly,
has gone, beyond becoming,
to the Further Shore.