The Buddha explains how acquisitions, respect, and popularity are vicious, bitter, and severe, obstructing the attainment of the unsurpassed safety from the bondage using a simile of a fisherman casting a baited hook.
Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
At Sāvatthi.
“Dāruṇo, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko kaṭuko pharuso antarāyiko anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāya.
“Bhikkhus, |acquisitions::gain, money, profit, possessions [lābhā]|, |respect::honor, accolade, reverence [sakkāra]|, and |popularity::fame, praise [siloka]| are vicious, bitter, and severe; they obstruct the attainment of the unsurpassed safety from bondage.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, bāḷisiko āmisagataṁ baḷisaṁ gambhīre udakarahade pakkhipeyya. Tamenaṁ aññataro āmisacakkhu maccho gileyya. Evañhi so, bhikkhave, maccho gilabaḷiso bāḷisikassa anayaṁ āpanno byasanaṁ āpanno yathākāmakaraṇīyo bāḷisikassa.
Suppose, bhikkhus, a fisherman casts a baited hook into a deep lake. A fish with an eye for bait swallows it. That fish, having swallowed the fisherman’s hook, will meet with misfortune and disaster, and the fisherman could do with it as he wishes.
Bāḷisikoti kho, bhikkhave, mārassetaṁ pāpimato adhivacanaṁ. Baḷisanti kho, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasilokassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ. Yo hi koci, bhikkhave, bhikkhu uppannaṁ lābhasakkārasilokaṁ assādeti nikāmeti, ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, bhikkhu gilabaḷiso mārassa anayaṁ āpanno byasanaṁ āpanno yathākāmakaraṇīyo pāpimato.
Bhikkhus, the term ‘fisherman’ is a designation for Māra the Evil One. The term ‘baited hook’ is a designation for acquisitions, respect, and popularity. Any bhikkhu who relishes and longs for arisen acquisitions, respect, and popularity is called a bhikkhu who has swallowed the hook, who has met with misfortune and disaster, and the Evil One can do with him as he wishes.
Evaṁ dāruṇo kho, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko kaṭuko pharuso antarāyiko anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāya.
Thus, bhikkhus, acquisitions, respect, and popularity are vicious, bitter, and severe; they obstruct the attainment of the unsurpassed safety from bondage.
Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘uppannaṁ lābhasakkārasilokaṁ pajahissāma, na ca no uppanno lābhasakkārasiloko cittaṁ pariyādāya ṭhassatī’ti. Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.
Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will abandon the arisen acquisitions, respect and popularity, and we will not let the arisen acquisitions, respect, and popularity to continue |occupying::obsessing, controlling [pariyādāya]| our minds.’ Thus, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves.”
At Sāvatthi.
“Bhikkhus, |acquisitions::gain, money, profit, possessions [lābhā]|, |respect::honor, accolade, reverence [sakkāra]|, and |popularity::fame, praise [siloka]| are vicious, bitter, and severe; they obstruct the attainment of the unsurpassed safety from bondage.
Suppose, bhikkhus, a fisherman casts a baited hook into a deep lake. A fish with an eye for bait swallows it. That fish, having swallowed the fisherman’s hook, will meet with misfortune and disaster, and the fisherman could do with it as he wishes.
Bhikkhus, the term ‘fisherman’ is a designation for Māra the Evil One. The term ‘baited hook’ is a designation for acquisitions, respect, and popularity. Any bhikkhu who relishes and longs for arisen acquisitions, respect, and popularity is called a bhikkhu who has swallowed the hook, who has met with misfortune and disaster, and the Evil One can do with him as he wishes.
Thus, bhikkhus, acquisitions, respect, and popularity are vicious, bitter, and severe; they obstruct the attainment of the unsurpassed safety from bondage.
Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will abandon the arisen acquisitions, respect and popularity, and we will not let the arisen acquisitions, respect, and popularity to continue |occupying::obsessing, controlling [pariyādāya]| our minds.’ Thus, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves.”
Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
“Dāruṇo, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko kaṭuko pharuso antarāyiko anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāya.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, bāḷisiko āmisagataṁ baḷisaṁ gambhīre udakarahade pakkhipeyya. Tamenaṁ aññataro āmisacakkhu maccho gileyya. Evañhi so, bhikkhave, maccho gilabaḷiso bāḷisikassa anayaṁ āpanno byasanaṁ āpanno yathākāmakaraṇīyo bāḷisikassa.
Bāḷisikoti kho, bhikkhave, mārassetaṁ pāpimato adhivacanaṁ. Baḷisanti kho, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasilokassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ. Yo hi koci, bhikkhave, bhikkhu uppannaṁ lābhasakkārasilokaṁ assādeti nikāmeti, ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, bhikkhu gilabaḷiso mārassa anayaṁ āpanno byasanaṁ āpanno yathākāmakaraṇīyo pāpimato.
Evaṁ dāruṇo kho, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko kaṭuko pharuso antarāyiko anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāya.
Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘uppannaṁ lābhasakkārasilokaṁ pajahissāma, na ca no uppanno lābhasakkārasiloko cittaṁ pariyādāya ṭhassatī’ti. Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.