6. Nīvaraṇavagga

Aṅguttara Nikāya 5.55

Numbered Discourses 5.55

6. Nīvaraṇavagga

6. Hindrances

Mātāputtasutta

Mother and Son

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Tena kho pana samayena sāvatthiyaṁ ubho mātāputtā vassāvāsaṁ upagamiṁsu—

Now, at that time a mother and son had both entered the rainy season residence at Sāvatthī,

bhikkhu ca bhikkhunī ca.

as a monk and a nun.

Te aññamaññassa abhiṇhaṁ dassanakāmā ahesuṁ.

They wanted to see each other often.

Mātāpi puttassa abhiṇhaṁ dassanakāmā ahosi;

The mother wanted to see her son often,

puttopi mātaraṁ abhiṇhaṁ dassanakāmo ahosi.

and the son his mother.

Tesaṁ abhiṇhaṁ dassanā saṁsaggo ahosi.

Seeing each other often, they became close.

Saṁsagge sati vissāso ahosi.

Being so close, they became intimate.

Vissāse sati otāro ahosi.

And being intimate, lust overcame them.

Te otiṇṇacittā sikkhaṁ apaccakkhāya dubbalyaṁ anāvikatvā methunaṁ dhammaṁ paṭiseviṁsu.

With their minds swamped by lust, without resigning the training and declaring their inability to continue, they had sex.

Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ:

Then several mendicants went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened.

“idha, bhante, sāvatthiyaṁ ubho mātāputtā vassāvāsaṁ upagamiṁsu—

bhikkhu ca bhikkhunī ca, te aññamaññassa abhiṇhaṁ dassanakāmā ahesuṁ, mātāpi puttassa abhiṇhaṁ dassanakāmā ahosi, puttopi mātaraṁ abhiṇhaṁ dassanakāmo ahosi.

Tesaṁ abhiṇhaṁ dassanā saṁsaggo ahosi, saṁsagge sati vissāso ahosi, vissāse sati otāro ahosi, te otiṇṇacittā sikkhaṁ apaccakkhāya dubbalyaṁ anāvikatvā methunaṁ dhammaṁ paṭiseviṁsū”ti.

“Kiṁ nu so, bhikkhave, moghapuriso maññati:

“Mendicants, how could that futile man imagine that

‘na mātā putte sārajjati, putto vā pana mātarī’ti?

a mother cannot lust for her son, or that a son cannot lust for his mother?

Nāhaṁ, bhikkhave, aññaṁ ekarūpampi samanupassāmi evaṁ rajanīyaṁ evaṁ kamanīyaṁ evaṁ madanīyaṁ evaṁ bandhanīyaṁ evaṁ mucchanīyaṁ evaṁ antarāyakaraṁ anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāya yathayidaṁ, bhikkhave, itthirūpaṁ.

Compared to the sight of a woman, I do not see a single sight that is so arousing, sensuous, intoxicating, captivating, and infatuating, and such an obstacle to reaching the supreme sanctuary from the yoke.

Itthirūpe, bhikkhave, sattā rattā giddhā gathitā mucchitā ajjhosannā.

Sentient beings are lustful, greedy, tied, infatuated, and attached to the sight of a woman.

Te dīgharattaṁ socanti itthirūpavasānugā.

They sorrow for a long time under the sway of a woman’s sight.

Nāhaṁ, bhikkhave, aññaṁ ekasaddampi … ekagandhampi … ekarasampi … ekaphoṭṭhabbampi samanupassāmi evaṁ rajanīyaṁ evaṁ kamanīyaṁ evaṁ madanīyaṁ evaṁ bandhanīyaṁ evaṁ mucchanīyaṁ evaṁ antarāyakaraṁ anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāya yathayidaṁ, bhikkhave, itthiphoṭṭhabbaṁ.

Compared to the sound … smell … taste … touch of a woman, I do not see a single touch that is so arousing, sensuous, intoxicating, captivating, and infatuating, and such an obstacle to reaching the supreme sanctuary from the yoke.

Itthiphoṭṭhabbe, bhikkhave, sattā rattā giddhā gathitā mucchitā ajjhosannā.

Sentient beings are lustful, greedy, tied, infatuated, and attached to the touch of a woman.

Te dīgharattaṁ socanti itthiphoṭṭhabbavasānugā.

They sorrow for a long time under the sway of a woman’s touch.

Itthī, bhikkhave, gacchantīpi purisassa cittaṁ pariyādāya tiṭṭhati;

When a woman walks, she occupies a man’s mind.

ṭhitāpi …pe… nisinnāpi … sayānāpi … hasantīpi … bhaṇantīpi … gāyantīpi … rodantīpi … ugghātitāpi … matāpi purisassa cittaṁ pariyādāya tiṭṭhati.

When a woman stands … sits … lies down … laughs … speaks … sings … cries … is injured, she occupies a man’s mind. Even when a woman is dead, she occupies a man’s mind.

Yañhi taṁ, bhikkhave, sammā vadamāno vadeyya:

For if anyone should be rightly called ‘an all-round snare of Māra’, it’s ladies.

‘samantapāso mārassā’ti mātugāmaṁyeva sammā vadamāno vadeyya:

‘samantapāso mārassā’ti.

Sallape asihatthena,

You might chat with someone who has knife in hand.

pisācenāpi sallape;

You might even chat with a goblin.

Āsīvisampi āsīde,

You might sit close by a viper,

yena daṭṭho na jīvati;

whose bite would take your life.

Na tveva eko ekāya,

But never should you chat

mātugāmena sallape.

one on one with a lady.

Muṭṭhassatiṁ tā bandhanti,

They captivate the unmindful

pekkhitena sitena ca;

with a glance and a smile.

Athopi dunnivatthena,

Or scantily clad,

mañjunā bhaṇitena ca;

they speak charming words.

Neso jano svāsīsado,

It’s not good to sit with such a person,

api ugghātito mato.

even if she’s injured or dead.

Pañca kāmaguṇā ete,

These five kinds of sensual stimulation

itthirūpasmiṁ dissare;

are apparent in a woman’s body:

Rūpā saddā rasā gandhā,

sights, sounds, tastes, smells,

phoṭṭhabbā ca manoramā.

and touches so delightful.

Tesaṁ kāmoghavūḷhānaṁ,

Those swept away by the flood of sensual pleasures,

kāme aparijānataṁ;

not comprehending them,

Kālaṁ gati bhavābhavaṁ,

are governed by transmigration—

saṁsārasmiṁ purakkhatā.

time and destination, and life after life.

Ye ca kāme pariññāya,

But those who fully understand sensual pleasures

caranti akutobhayā;

live fearing nothing from any quarter.

Te ve pāraṅgatā loke,

They are those in the world who’ve crossed over,

ye pattā āsavakkhayan”ti.

having reached the ending of defilements.”

Pañcamaṁ.