Aṇguttara Nikāya
Sattaka Nipāta
Mahāyañña-Vagga
Sutta 48
Saṃyoga-Visaṃyoga Dhamma-Pariyāya Suttaṃ
Bondage
Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Proofed against and modified in accordance with the revised edition at dhammatalks.org
Provenance, terms and conditons
[1][pts][upal][olds] "I will teach you a Dhamma discourse on bondage and lack of bondage.
Listen and pay close attention.
I will speak."
"Yes, lord," the monks responded.
The Blessed One said:
"A woman attends inwardly to her feminine faculties, her feminine gestures, her feminine manners, feminine poise, feminine desires, feminine voice, feminine charms.
She is excited by that, delighted by that.
Being excited and delighted by that, she attends outwardly to masculine faculties, masculine gestures, masculine manners, masculine poise, masculine desires, masculine voices, masculine charms.
She is excited by that, delighted by that.
Being excited and delighted by that, she wants to be bonded to what is outside her, wants whatever pleasure and happiness that arise based on that bond.
Delighting, caught up in her femininity, a woman goes into bondage with reference to men.
This is how a woman does not transcend her femininity.
■
"A man attends inwardly to his masculine faculties, masculine gestures, masculine manners, masculine poise, masculine desires, masculine voice, masculine charms.
He is excited by that, delighted by that.
Being excited and delighted by that, he attends outwardly to feminine faculties, feminine gestures, feminine manners, feminine poise, feminine desires, feminine voices, feminine charms.
He is excited by that, delighted by that.
Being excited and delighted by that, he wants to be bonded to what is outside him, wants whatever pleasure and happiness that arise based on that bond.
Delighting, caught up in his masculinity, a man goes into bondage with reference to women.
This is how a man does not transcend his masculinity.
§
"And how is there lack of bondage?
A woman does not attend inwardly to her feminine faculties... feminine charms.
She is not excited by that, not delighted by that... does not attend outwardly to masculine faculties... masculine charms.
She is not excited by that, not delighted by that... does not want to be bonded to what is outside her, does not want whatever pleasure and happiness that arise based on that bond.
Not delighting, not caught up in her femininity, a woman does not go into bondage with reference to men.
This is how a woman transcends her femininity.
■
"A man does not attend inwardly to his masculine faculties... masculine charms.
He is not excited by that, not delighted by that... does not attend outwardly to feminine faculties... feminine charms.
He is not excited by that, not delighted by that... does not want to be bonded to what is outside him, does not want whatever pleasure and happiness that arise based on that bond.
Not delighting, not caught up in his masculinity, a man does not go into bondage with reference to women.
This is how a man transcends his masculinity.
"This is how there is lack of bondage.
And this is the Dhamma discourse on bondage and lack of bondage."
Of Related Interest:
MN 13–14;
AN 5:75—76;
AN 10:13;
Sn 4:7;
Thag 6:9;
Thig 5:2;
Thig 5:4;