41.



On a certain occasion the Buddha discoursed to the householder Potaliya on the folly of gratifying the lusts of the flesh. Said he:

"Suppose, householder, a dog overcome by hunger and weakness were to come up to a cow-killer's slaughter-house, and the dexterous cow-killer or his assistant were to throw the dog a skeleton, smeared with blood, scraped clean of flesh, not to be desired, by no means to be desired. What do you think about that, householder? Could that dog, by gnawing at that skeleton, smeared with blood, scraped clean of flesh, not to be desired, by no means to be desired, subdue his hunger and weakness?"

"By no means, Reverend Sir." "Why not?" "Because, Reverend Sir, that skeleton is smeared with blood, scraped clean of flesh, not to be desired, by no means to be desired, insomuch that that dog would suffer weariness and distress."

"Precisely so, householder," the Noble Disciple reflects as follows:

With the parable of the Skeleton have the lusts of the flesh been described by the Exalted One,--full of pain, full of despair,--manifold the disadvantages thereof!

"Thus, with Right Knowledge, perceiving this truth in its fulness, he utterly abandons that form of Indifference which is associated with Diversity, which depends on Diversity, and cultivates that form of Indifference which is associated with Unity, which depends on Unity, wherein longings for the baits of the world cease utterly, without leaving a trace.

"Suppose, householder, a vulture or a falcon or a heron were to rise up with a piece of meat, and vultures and falcons and herons, one after another, were to fly after him and peck at him and seek to make him disgusted. What do you think about that, householder? In case that vulture or falcon or heron did not very quickly let go of that piece of meat, would he not, because of it, incur death or mortal pain?"

"Yes indeed, Reverend Sir."

"Precisely so, householder," the Noble Disciple reflects as follows:

With the parable of the Piece of Meat have the lusts of the flesh been described by the Exalted One...

"Suppose, householder, a man were to carry a blazing torch of grass against the wind. What do you think about that, householder? In case that man did not very quickly let go of that blazing torch of grass, would not that blazing torch of grass burn his hand or burn his arm or burn some other major or minor member of his body? and would he not, because of it, incur death or mortal pain?"

"Yes indeed, Reverend Sir."

"Precisely so, householder," the Noble Disciple reflects as follows:

With the parable of the Torch of Grass have the lusts of the flesh been described by the Exalted One...

"Suppose, householder, there were a pit of red-hot coals, as deep as the height of a man, full of red-hot coals, free from flames, free from smoke, and a man were to approach,--desiring to live, not desiring to die,--desiring pleasure, averse to pain,--and two powerful men were to seize him with their several arms and were to drag him down to that pit of red-hot coals. What do you think about that, householder? Would not that man writhe and twist his body thus and so?"

"Yes indeed, Reverend Sir." "And why?" "Because, Reverend Sir, that man would know full well: 'In case I fall into that pit of red-hot coals, because of it I shall incur death or mortal pain.'"

"Precisely so, householder," the Noble Disciple reflects as follows:

With the parable of the Pit of Red-hot Coals have the lusts of the flesh been described by the Exalted One...

"Suppose, householder, a man were to see in a dream the delights of the grove, the delights of the forest, the delights of cleared ground, the delights of the lotus-pond; and suppose that, upon awakening, he were to see nothing at all.

"Precisely so, householder," the Noble Disciple reflects as follows:

With the parable of the Dream have the lusts of the flesh been described by the Exalted One...

"Suppose, householder, a man were to borrow goods,--a vehicle, a statue, a magnificent cluster of jewels,--and preceded and surrounded by those borrowed goods, were to enter among the shops; and suppose people, seeing him, were to speak thus: 'A possessor indeed is that man! Thus, say we all, possessors possess possessions!' And suppose the owners, wherever they happened to see him, were to recover their own. What do you think about that, householder? Would not that man soon get his fill of acting differently from his fellows?"

"Yes indeed, Reverend Sir. And why? Because, Reverend Sir, owners are in the habit of recovering their own."

"Precisely so, householder, the Noble Disciple reflects as follows:

With the parable of the Borrowed Goods have the lusts of the flesh been described by the Exalted One...

"Suppose, householder, not far from some village or market-town there were a deep forest-grove, and in that forest-grove there were a tree abounding in fruit, laden with fruit; and suppose a man were to approach, wanting fruit, seeking fruit, searching for fruit, and were to plunge into that forest-grove and were to see that tree abounding in fruit, laden with fruit; and suppose the following thought were to occur to him: 'This tree indeed abounds in fruit, is laden with fruit, but no fruit at all has fallen to the ground. However, I know how to climb a tree. Suppose I were to climb this tree, eat as much as I want, and fill a fold of my garment!' And suppose he were to climb that tree, were to cat as much as he wanted, and were to fill a fold of his garment.

"Suppose then a second man were to approach, wanting fruit, seeking fruit, searching for fruit, and suppose he had a sharp axe; and suppose he were to plunge into that forest-grove and were to see that tree abounding in fruit, laden with fruit; and suppose the following thought were to occur to him: 'This tree indeed abounds in fruit, is laden with fruit, but no fruit at all has fallen to the ground. Now I do not know how to climb a tree. Suppose I were to chop this tree down at the roots, eat as much as I want, and fill a fold of my garment!' And suppose he were to chop that tree down at the roots!

"What do you think about that, householder? In case that man who came first and climbed the tree did not very quickly climb down, would not that tree, as it fell, break his hand or break his foot or break some other major or minor member of his body? and would he not, because of it, incur death or mortal pain?"

"Yes indeed, Reverend Sir."

"Precisely so, householder," the Noble Disciple reflects as follows:

With the parable of the Fruit of the Tree have the lusts of the flesh been described by the Exalted One,--full of pain, full of despair,--manifold the disadvantages thereof!

"Thus, with Right Knowledge, perceiving this truth in its fulness, he utterly abandons that form of Indifference which is associated with Diversity, which depends on Diversity, and cultivates that form of Indifference which is associated with Unity, which depends on Unity, wherein longings for the baits of the world cease utterly, without leaving a trace."