Aṇguttara Nikāya
VIII. Aṭṭhaka Nipāta
VI. Gotamī Vagga aka Sa-ādhāna Vagga
The Book of Eights
Sutta 56
Bhaya Suttaṃ
Fear — A Name for Sensuality
Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds
Once upon a time The Lucky Man, Sāvatthi Town revisiting.
There, to the Beggars gathered round he said:
"Beggars!"
And the beggars responding, "Bhante!" the Lucky Man said this:
"'Fear', beggars, is a deeper way of speaking of sensuality;
'pain', beggars, is a deeper way of speaking of sensuality;
'sickness', beggars, is a deeper way of speaking of sensuality;
'a cancer', beggars, is a deeper way of speaking of sensuality;
'a stabbing', beggars, is a deeper way of speaking of sensuality;
'relations', beggars, is a deeper way of speaking of sensuality;
'a mire', beggars, is a deeper way of speaking of sensuality;
'a womb', beggars, is a deeper way of speaking of sensuality.
And why, beggars, is 'fear' a deeper way of speaking of sensuality?
Whoever is impassioned by lust for sensuality,
bound by lustful wishing,
is not even released from fear in this visible thing,
is certainly not released from fear in his future states.
Therefore is 'fear' a deeper way of speaking of sensuality.
And why, beggars, is 'pain' a deeper way of speaking of sensuality?
Whoever is impassioned by lust for sensuality,
bound by lustful wishing,
is not even released from pain in this visible thing,
is certainly not released from pain in his future states.
Therefore is 'pain' a deeper way of speaking of sensuality.
And why, beggars, is 'sickness' a deeper way of speaking of sensuality?
Whoever is impassioned by lust for sensuality,
bound by lustful wishing,
is not even released from sickness in this visible thing,
is certainly not released from sickness in his future states.
Therefore is 'sickness' a deeper way of speaking of sensuality.
And why, beggars, is 'a cancer' a deeper way of speaking of sensuality?
Whoever is impassioned by lust for sensuality,
bound by lustful wishing,
is not even released from cancer in this visible thing,
is certainly not released cancer in his future states.
Therefore is 'a cancer' a deeper way of speaking of sensuality.
And why, beggars, is 'a stab' a deeper way of speaking of sensuality?
Whoever is impassioned by lust for sensuality,
bound by lustful wishing,
is not even released from being stabbed in this visible thing,
is certainly not released from being stabbed in his future states.
Therefore is 'a stab' a deeper way of speaking of sensuality.
And why, beggars, is 'relations' a deeper way of speaking of sensuality?
Whoever is impassioned by lust for sensuality,
bound by lustful wishing,
is not even released from relations in this visible thing,
is certainly not released from relations in his future states.
Therefore is 'relations' a deeper way of speaking of sensuality.
And why, beggars, is 'the mire' a deeper way of speaking of sensuality?
Whoever is impassioned by lust for sensuality,
bound by lustful wishing,
is not even released from the mire in this visible thing,
is certainly not released from the mire in his future states.
Therefore is 'the mire' a deeper way of speaking of sensuality.
And why, beggars, is 'the womb' a deeper way of speaking of sensuality?
Whoever is impassioned by lust for sensuality,
bound by lustful wishing,
is not even released from the womb in this visible thing,
is certainly not released from the womb in his future states.
Therefore is 'the womb' a deeper way of speaking of sensuality."
Fear, pain, sickness,
and a cancer,
relations, a mire and a womb — each
'sensuality' are called —
as common people
beset by forms delightful,
further wombs beget.
But when a beggar, ardent,
self-awareness not neglecting,
this painful mired-path surpasses,
a people quaking at birth and aging
is what he sees there.
