“Sukhumālo ahaṁ, bhikkhave, paramasukhumālo accantasukhumālo.
“I was delicately nurtured, |bhikkhus,::::| most delicately nurtured, exceedingly delicately nurtured.
Mama sudaṁ, bhikkhave, pitu nivesane pokkharaṇiyo kāritā honti. Ekattha sudaṁ, bhikkhave, uppalaṁ vappati, ekattha padumaṁ, ekattha puṇḍarīkaṁ, yāvadeva mamatthāya. Na kho panassāhaṁ, bhikkhave, akāsikaṁ candanaṁ dhāremi. Kāsikaṁ, bhikkhave, su me taṁ veṭhanaṁ hoti, kāsikā kañcukā, kāsikaṁ nivāsanaṁ, kāsiko uttarāsaṅgo. Rattindivaṁ kho pana me su taṁ, bhikkhave, setacchattaṁ dhārīyati: ‘mā naṁ phusi sītaṁ vā uṇhaṁ vā tiṇaṁ vā rajo vā ussāvo vā’ti.
In my father’s residence, |bhikkhus,::::| lotus ponds were made for me. In one place, blue lotuses bloomed, in one place red lotuses, in one place white lotuses, just for my enjoyment. And I did not use sandalwood unless it came from Kāsi. My turban, my jacket, my lower garment, and my upper robe were made of cloth from Kāsi. Day and night a white canopy was held over me so that I would not be touched by cold, heat, grass, dust, or dew.
Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, tayo pāsādā ahesuṁ—eko hemantiko, eko gimhiko, eko vassiko. So kho ahaṁ, bhikkhave, vassike pāsāde vassike cattāro māse nippurisehi tūriyehi paricārayamāno na heṭṭhāpāsādaṁ orohāmi.
I had three mansions|, bhikkhus::::|—one for the winter, one for the summer, and one for the rains. For the four months of the rains, |bhikkhus,::::| I stayed in the rains mansion, being entertained by musicians, none of whom were male, and I did not leave the mansion.
Yathā kho pana, bhikkhave, aññesaṁ nivesane dāsakammakaraporisassa kaṇājakaṁ bhojanaṁ dīyati bilaṅgadutiyaṁ, evamevassu me, bhikkhave, pitu nivesane dāsakammakaraporisassa sālimaṁsodano dīyati.
While in the residences of others, the servants, workers, and staff are given meals of broken rice and sour gruel, in my father’s residence, the servants, workers, and staff were given choice hill rice, meat, and boiled rice.
Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, evarūpāya iddhiyā samannāgatassa evarūpena ca sukhumālena etadahosi: ‘assutavā kho puthujjano attanā jarādhammo samāno jaraṁ anatīto paraṁ jiṇṇaṁ disvā aṭṭīyati harāyati jigucchati attānaṁyeva atisitvā, ahampi khomhi jarādhammo jaraṁ anatīto. Ahañceva kho pana jarādhammo samāno jaraṁ anatīto paraṁ jiṇṇaṁ disvā aṭṭīyeyyaṁ harāyeyyaṁ jiguccheyyaṁ na metaṁ assa patirūpan’ti. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, iti paṭisañcikkhato yo yobbane yobbanamado so sabbaso pahīyi.
Endowed with such wealth|, bhikkhus,::::| and such delicate nurturing, it occurred to me: ‘An uninstructed ordinary person, being |subject to aging::liable to grow old [jarādhamma]|, not exempt from aging, sees another person aged, and is distressed, ashamed, and disgusted, overlooking themselves. But I too am subject to aging, not exempt from aging. If I, being subject to aging, not exempt from aging, were to see another person aged and be distressed, ashamed, and disgusted, that would not be proper for me.’ As I reflected in this way, |bhikkhus,::::| my |intoxication with youth::pride of one’s youth [yobbanamada]| was completely abandoned.
Assutavā kho puthujjano attanā byādhidhammo samāno byādhiṁ anatīto paraṁ byādhitaṁ disvā aṭṭīyati harāyati jigucchati attānaṁyeva atisitvā: ‘ahampi khomhi byādhidhammo byādhiṁ anatīto, ahañceva kho pana byādhidhammo samāno byādhiṁ anatīto paraṁ byādhikaṁ disvā aṭṭīyeyyaṁ harāyeyyaṁ jiguccheyyaṁ, na metaṁ assa patirūpan’ti. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, iti paṭisañcikkhato yo ārogye ārogyamado so sabbaso pahīyi.
An uninstructed ordinary person, being |subject to illness::liable to get sick [byādhidhamma]|, not exempt from illness, sees another person ill, and is distressed, ashamed, and disgusted, overlooking themselves: ‘I too am subject to illness, not exempt from illness. If I, being subject to illness, not exempt from illness, were to see another person ill and be distressed, ashamed, and disgusted, that would not be proper for me.’ As I reflected in this way, |bhikkhus,::::| my |intoxication with health::pride in one’s health [ārogyamada]| was completely abandoned.
Assutavā kho puthujjano attanā maraṇadhammo samāno maraṇaṁ anatīto paraṁ mataṁ disvā aṭṭīyati harāyati jigucchati attānaṁyeva atisitvā: ‘ahampi khomhi maraṇadhammo, maraṇaṁ anatīto, ahaṁ ceva kho pana maraṇadhammo samāno maraṇaṁ anatīto paraṁ mataṁ disvā aṭṭīyeyyaṁ harāyeyyaṁ jiguccheyyaṁ, na metaṁ assa patirūpan’ti. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, iti paṭisañcikkhato yo jīvite jīvitamado so sabbaso pahīyīti.
An uninstructed ordinary person, being |subject to death::liable to die [maraṇadhamma]|, not exempt from death, sees another person dead, and is distressed, ashamed, and disgusted, overlooking themselves: ‘I too am subject to death, not exempt from death. If I, being subject to death, not exempt from death, were to see another person dead and be distressed, ashamed, and disgusted, that would not be proper for me.’ As I reflected in this way, |bhikkhus,::::| my intoxication with life was completely abandoned.
Tayome, bhikkhave, madā. Katame tayo? Yobbanamado, ārogyamado, jīvitamado.
There are|, bhikkhus,::::| these three intoxications. What three? Intoxication with youth, intoxication with health, and intoxication with life.
Yobbanamadamatto vā, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano kāyena duccaritaṁ carati, vācāya duccaritaṁ carati, manasā duccaritaṁ carati. So kāyena duccaritaṁ caritvā, vācāya duccaritaṁ caritvā, manasā duccaritaṁ caritvā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjati.
Intoxicated with youth, |bhikkhus,::::| an uninstructed ordinary person engages in misconduct by body, engages in misconduct by speech, and engages in misconduct by mind. Having engaged in misconduct by body, by speech, and by mind, upon the breaking up of the body after death, they are reborn in a state of loss, in a bad destination, in a realm of downfall, in hell.
Ārogyamadamatto vā, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano …pe…
Intoxicated with health, |bhikkhus,::::| an uninstructed ordinary person ...
jīvitamadamatto vā, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano kāyena duccaritaṁ carati, vācāya duccaritaṁ carati, manasā duccaritaṁ carati. So kāyena duccaritaṁ caritvā, vācāya duccaritaṁ caritvā, manasā duccaritaṁ caritvā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjati.
Intoxicated with life, |bhikkhus,::::| an uninstructed ordinary person engages in misconduct by body, engages in misconduct by speech, and engages in misconduct by mind. Having engaged in misconduct by body, by speech, and by mind, upon the breaking up of the body after death, they are reborn in a state of loss, in a bad destination, in a realm of downfall, in hell.
Yobbanamadamatto vā, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattati. Ārogyamadamatto vā, bhikkhave, bhikkhu …pe… jīvitamadamatto vā, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattatīti.
Intoxicated with youth, |bhikkhus,::::| a bhikkhu abandons the training and reverts back to lay life. Intoxicated with health, |bhikkhus,::::| a bhikkhu ... Intoxicated with life, |bhikkhus,::::| a bhikkhu abandons the training and reverts back to lay life.
Byādhidhammā jarādhammā,
atho maraṇadhammino;
Yathādhammā tathāsantā,
jigucchanti puthujjanā.
Subject to illness, subject to aging,
and also subject to death;
worldlings are |repulsed::disgusted [jigucchati]| by those,
who exist in accordance with their nature.
Ahañce taṁ jiguccheyyaṁ,
evaṁdhammesu pāṇisu;
Na metaṁ patirūpassa,
mama evaṁ vihārino.
If I were to be repulsed,
with beings who have such a nature;
it would not be proper for me,
since I too have the same nature.
Sohaṁ evaṁ viharanto,
ñatvā dhammaṁ nirūpadhiṁ;
Ārogye yobbanasmiñca,
jīvitasmiñca ye madā.
While I was dwelling thus,
having known the state |free from attachment::free from grasping, not taking as mine, not appropriating [nirūpadhi]|;
all intoxications with health, with youth,
and intoxication with life—
Sabbe made abhibhosmi,
Nekkhamme daṭṭhu khemataṁ;
Tassa me ahu ussāho,
Nibbānaṁ abhipassato.
I completely overcame all these intoxications,
having seen security in |renunciation::going out state, rejection of sensual pleasure [nekkhamma]|;
|perseverance::strenuous and continuous exertion [ussāha]| then arose in me,
as I clearly saw |Nibbāna::complete cooling, letting go of everything, deathless, freedom from calamity, the non-disintegrating; lit. blowing away [nibbāna]|.
Nāhaṁ bhabbo etarahi,
Kāmāni paṭisevituṁ;
Anivatti bhavissāmi,
Brahmacariyaparāyaṇo”ti.
Now I am incapable
of indulging in sensual pleasures;
I will |not be turning back::not be returning [anivatti]| now,
taking refuge in the |spiritual life::a life of celibacy, contemplation, and ethical discipline lived for the sake of liberation; oriented toward inner development rather than sensual pleasures [brahmacariya]|.”