The Word of the Buddha Present Karma-Results -

¶ 11Furthermore, because of sensual pleasures, with sensual pleasures as the cause, source, and basis, kings quarrel with kings, nobles with nobles, brahmins with brahmins, householders with householders; a mother quarrels with her son, and a son with his mother; a father with his son, and a son with his father; a brother with his brother, a brother with his sister, a sister with her brother, a friend with a friend. In their disputes and conflicts, they attack one another with fists, with clods, with sticks, and with weapons, whereby they incur death or deadly suffering. Now this too is a drawback in the case of sensual pleasures—a heap of suffering visible here and now, having sensual pleasures as its cause, sensual pleasures as its source, sensual pleasures as its basis, the cause being simply sensual pleasures.

¶ 12Furthermore, because of sensual pleasures, with sensual pleasures as the cause, the source, and the basis, people take up sword and shield, string bow and quiver, and charge into battle, arrayed on both sides. They plunge into the battle amidst flying arrows, spears, and flashing swords. There, they are pierced by arrows, pierced by spears, and their heads are severed by swords, whereby they incur death or deadly suffering. Now this too is a drawback in the case of sensual pleasures—a heap of suffering visible here and now, having sensual pleasures as its cause, sensual pleasures as its source, sensual pleasures as its basis, the cause being simply sensual pleasures.

¶ 13Again, because of sensual pleasures, with sensual pleasures as the cause, the source, and the basis, people take up sword and shield, string bow and quiver, and charge against ramparts plastered with wet mud, rushing into the fray amid flying arrows, spears, and flashing swords. There, they are pierced by arrows, pierced by spears, doused with boiling liquids, trampled underfoot by charges, and their heads are severed by swords, whereby they incur death or deadly suffering. Now this too is a drawback in the case of sensual pleasures—a heap of suffering visible here and now, having sensual pleasures as its cause, sensual pleasures as its source, sensual pleasures as its basis, the cause being simply sensual pleasures.

¶ 14Furthermore, because of sensual pleasures, with sensual pleasures as the cause, the source, and the basis, people break into houses, plunder wealth, commit burglary, ambush highways, seduce others’ wives, and when they are caught by the authorities, kings subject them to various forms of torture and punishment: they are whipped with lashes, beaten with bamboo canes, struck with clubs; they have their hands cut off, their feet cut off, both their hands and feet cut off, their ears cut off, their nose cut off, their ears and nose cut off. They are subjected to the ‘sour pot,’ the ‘bald shave,’ ‘Rāhu’s mouth,’ the ‘fiery wreath,’ the ‘blazing hand,’ the ‘grass twist,’ wearing the ‘bark dress,’ the ‘black antelope,’ the ‘meat hook,’ the ‘silver coins,’ ‘caustic peeling,’ the ‘spinning bar,’ the ‘straw chair,’ being doused with hot oil, being devoured by dogs, impaled alive on stakes, or having their heads cut off with a sword, whereby they incur death or deadly suffering. Now this too is a drawback in the case of sensual pleasures—a heap of suffering visible here and now, having sensual pleasures as its cause, sensual pleasures as its source, sensual pleasures as its basis, the cause being simply sensual pleasures.