At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling among the |Mallas::name of the people of Malla, Mallans; lit. wrestlers [mallā]|, in a town of the Mallas named Uruvelakappa. Then Bhadraka the |headman::head of the village, chieftain [gāmaṇi]| approached the Blessed One. Having drawn near, he paid homage to to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated there, Bhadraka the headman said to the Blessed One:
“Venerable sir, it would be good if the Blessed One were to teach me the |arising::source, appearance, origination [samudaya]| and the |passing away::disappearance, vanishing, subsiding [atthaṅgama]| of |suffering::discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering [dukkha]|.”
“If, headman, I were to teach you the arising and the passing away of suffering in relation to the past, saying: ‘It was like this in the past,’ then there might arise |doubt::uncertainty, perplexity, hesitation—especially in relation to faith, truth, or decision-making on the path [kaṅkhā]| or |confusion::uncertainty, indecision, deluded thinking, mental cloudiness [vimati]| in you. And if I were to teach you the arising and the passing away of suffering in relation to the future, saying: ‘It will be like this in the future,’ there too, doubt or confusion might arise in you. But as I sit right here and you are seated right there, headman, I shall teach you the arising and the passing away of suffering. Listen to this, and pay close attention, I will speak.”
“Yes, venerable sir,” Bhadraka the headman assented to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this:
“What do you think, headman? Are there any people here in Uruvelakappa who, if they were executed, imprisoned, fined, or blamed, it would cause you sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair?”
“Yes, venerable sir, there are people in Uruvelakappa who, if they were executed, imprisoned, fined, or blamed, it would cause me sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair.”
“But, headman, are there any people here in Uruvelakappa who, if they were executed, imprisoned, fined, or blamed, it would not cause you sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair?”
“Yes, venerable sir, there are people in Uruvelakappa who, if they were executed, imprisoned, fined, or blamed, it would not cause me sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair.”
“What, headman, is the cause, what is the reason why, when some people of Uruvelakappa are executed, imprisoned, fined, or blamed, it causes sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair to arise in you?”
“Venerable sir, it is because I have |desire and attachment::desire-passion, sensual craving [chandarāga]| towards those people of Uruvelakappa that, if they were executed, imprisoned, fined, or blamed, it would cause me sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair. But venerable sir, it is because I have no desire and attachment towards those other people of Uruvelakappa that, if they were executed, imprisoned, fined, or blamed, it would not cause me sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair.”
“Headman, by means of this principle that is seen, understood, immediately attained, penetrated, apply the method to the past and to the future thus: ‘Whatever suffering arose in the past, all that arose rooted in desire, with desire as its source; for desire is the root of suffering. Whatever suffering will arise in the future, all that will arise rooted in desire, with desire as its source; for desire is the root of suffering.’”
“It is wonderful, venerable sir, it is marvelous, venerable sir. How well this has been stated by the Blessed One: ‘Whatever suffering arises, all of it arises rooted in desire, based on desire. For desire is the root of suffering.’
Venerable sir, I have a boy named Ciravāsī who stays at an outside residence. Early in the morning, venerable sir, having risen, I dispatch a man, saying: ‘Go, my good man, find out how the boy Ciravāsī is.’ And, venerable sir, until that man returns, I remain anxious: ‘I hope nothing afflicts the boy Ciravāsī!’”
“What do you think, headman? If your son Ciravāsī were executed, imprisoned, fined, or blamed, would it cause you sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair?”
“Venerable sir, if my son Ciravāsī were executed, imprisoned, fined, or blamed, my very life might be altered—how could sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair not arise in me?”
“So, headman, by this method too it should be understood: ‘Whatever suffering arises, all of it arises rooted in desire, based on desire. For desire is the root of suffering.’
What do you think, headman? Before you saw Ciravāsī’s mother or heard about her, did you have any desire, |passion::intense desire, strong emotion, infatuation, obsession, lust [rāga]|, or |affection::dearness, fondness [pema]| for her?”
“No, venerable sir.”
“Was it, headman, because of seeing her or hearing about her that this desire, passion, or affection arose in you for Ciravāsī’s mother?”
“Yes, venerable sir.”
“What do you think, headman? If Ciravāsī’s mother were executed, imprisoned, fined, or blamed, would it cause you sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair?”
“Venerable sir, if Ciravāsī’s mother were executed, imprisoned, fined, or blamed, my very life might be altered—how could sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair not arise in me?”
“So, headman, by this method too it should be understood: ‘Whatever suffering arises, all of it arises rooted in desire, based on desire. For desire is the root of suffering.’”