AN 5.55 Mother and Son

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

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

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

as a monk and a nun.

They wanted to see each other often.

The mother wanted to see her son often,

and the son his mother.

Seeing each other often, they became close.

Being so close, they became intimate.

And being intimate, lust overcame them.

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

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

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“Mendicants, how could that futile man imagine that

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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You might chat with someone who has knife in hand.

You might even chat with a goblin.

You might sit close by a viper,

whose bite would take your life.

But never should you chat

one on one with a lady.

They captivate the unmindful

with a glance and a smile.

Or scantily clad,

they speak charming words.

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

even if she’s injured or dead.

These five kinds of sensual stimulation

are apparent in a woman’s body:

sights, sounds, tastes, smells,

and touches so delightful.

Those swept away by the flood of sensual pleasures,

not comprehending them,

are governed by transmigration—

time and destination, and life after life.

But those who fully understand sensual pleasures

live fearing nothing from any quarter.

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

having reached the ending of defilements.”

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Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

Tena kho pana samayena 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 paṭiseviṁsu.

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

“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:

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

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

Itthirūpe, bhikkhave, sattā rattā giddhā gathitā mucchitā ajjhosannā.

Te dīgharattaṁ socanti itthirūpavasānugā.

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.

Itthiphoṭṭhabbe, bhikkhave, sattā rattā giddhā gathitā mucchitā ajjhosannā.

Te dīgharattaṁ socanti itthiphoṭṭhabbavasānugā.

Itthī, bhikkhave, gacchantīpi purisassa cittaṁ pariyādāya tiṭṭhati;

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

Yañhi taṁ, bhikkhave, sammā vadamāno vadeyya:

‘samantapāso mārassā’ti mātugāmaṁyeva sammā vadamāno vadeyya:

‘samantapāso mārassā’ti.

Sallape asihatthena,

pisācenāpi sallape;

Āsīvisampi āsīde,

yena daṭṭho na jīvati;

Na tveva eko ekāya,

mātugāmena sallape.

Muṭṭhassatiṁ tā bandhanti,

pekkhitena sitena ca;

Athopi dunnivatthena,

mañjunā bhaṇitena ca;

Neso jano svāsīsado,

api ugghātito mato.

Pañca kāmaguṇā ete,

itthirūpasmiṁ dissare;

Rūpā saddā rasā gandhā,

phoṭṭhabbā ca manoramā.

Tesaṁ kāmoghavūḷhānaṁ,

kāme aparijānataṁ;

Kālaṁ gati bhavābhavaṁ,

saṁsārasmiṁ purakkhatā.

Ye ca kāme pariññāya,

caranti akutobhayā;

Te ve pāraṅgatā loke,

ye pattā āsavakkhayan”ti.

Pañcamaṁ.