At Savatti…
“Monks, isn’t poverty suffering in the world for a person who enjoys worldly pleasures?”
“Yes, Bhante.”
“Monks, a poor, penniless person falls into debt. Isn’t being in debt also suffering in the world for a person who enjoys worldly pleasures?”
“Yes, Bhante.”
“Monks, a poor person who has fallen into debt owes interest payments. Isn’t the interest also suffering in the world for a person who enjoys worldly pleasures?”
“Yes, Bhante.”
“Monks, a poor person who has fallen into debt and owes interest payments does not pay interest on time. He gets a warning. Isn’t being warned suffering in the world for a person who enjoys worldly pleasures?”
“Yes, Bhante.”
“Monks, when a poor person fails to pay after getting a warning, he’s prosecuted. Isn’t being prosecuted suffering in the world for a person who enjoys worldly pleasures?”
“Yes, Bhante.”
“Monks, when a poor person fails to pay after being prosecuted, he’s imprisoned. Isn’t being imprisoned suffering in the world for a person who enjoys worldly pleasures?”
“Yes, Bhante.”
“So, Monks,
- poverty is suffering in the world for a person who enjoys worldly pleasures.
- Falling into debt is suffering in the world for a person who enjoys worldly pleasures.
- Owing interest is suffering in the world for a person who enjoys worldly pleasures.
- Getting warnings is suffering in the world for a person who enjoys worldly pleasures.
- Prosecution is suffering in the world for a person who enjoys worldly pleasures.
- And imprisonment is suffering in the world for a person who enjoys worldly pleasures.
“In the same way, monks, whoever has no faith with regard to wholesome qualities, has no shame of wrongdoing , has no fear of wrongdoing , has no energy with regard to wholesome qualities, and has no wisdom with regard to wholesome qualities is called poor and penniless in the training of the Noble One.
“Monks, since he has no faith, shame, fear, energy, or wisdom with regard to wholesome qualities, he does bad things with his body, speech, and mind. This is how he’s in debt, I say.
“In order to cover up the bad things done by body, speech, and mind he harbors evil wishes. He wishes, ‘May no-one find me out!’ He plans with the thought, ‘May no-one find me out!’ He speaks with the thought, ‘May no-one find me out!’ And he acts with the thought, ‘May no-one find me out!’ This is how he pays interest, I say.
Dhamma friends say this about him: ‘This friend acts like this, and behaves like that.’ This is how he’s warned, I say.
When he goes to a forest, the root of a tree, or an empty hut, he’s tormented by remorseful, unwholesome thoughts. This is how he’s prosecuted, I say.
“Monks, that poor, penniless person has done bad things with his body, speech, and mind. As a result, when his body breaks up, after death, he’s trapped in the prison of hell or the animal world.
“Monks, I don’t see a single prison that’s as brutal, as vicious, and such an obstacle to reaching the supreme freedom, Nibbāna as the prison of hell or the animal world.
In the world, poverty and debt are considered suffering. A poor person who has fallen into debt is troubled even when he spends the money he’s borrowed.
As a result, he’s prosecuted, or even thrown in jail. Such imprisonment is true suffering for someone who longs for pleasure and possessions.
In the same way, in the noble one’s training whoever has no faith, no shame, no fear and no insight into evil deeds,
After doing bad things by body, speech, and mind, he wishes, ‘May no-one find me out!’
His behavior is creepy in body, speech, and mind. He piles up bad deeds on and on, life after life.
That unwise evil-doer, knowing his own misdeeds, is a poor person who has fallen into debt, and who still has trouble even when he spends the money he’s borrowed.
And when in a village or forest he’s followed by painful thoughts, which are born of remorse.
That unwise evil-doer, knowing his own misdeeds, is born as an animal or as a hell being, and trapped there. Such imprisonment is true suffering, from which a wise person is released.
The wise person earns wealth righteously and shares it with others with a pleasant mind. That faithful lay person wins both worlds:
He gains welfare and benefit in this life, and happiness in the next. This is how generosity and merit grow in a lay person.
In the same way, in the noble one’s training, whoever is grounded in faith, with shame and fear of wrongdoing , and whoever is wise, and virtuous,
He is said to live happily in the noble one’s training. After gaining spiritual bliss of first three jhānas, he gains equanimity in the fourth jhāna,
Having given up the five hindrances, being constantly energetic, wise, mindful and unified in the mind, he enters the jhānas.
Truly knowing in this way the end of all fetters, by not grasping in any way, his mind is rightly freed from defilements.
For the rightly freed one, the knowledge comes with the end of the fetters of rebirth, ‘My freedom is unshakable.’
This is the ultimate knowledge. This is the supreme happiness. Sorrowless, stainless, and secure state, Arahantship: this is the highest freedom from debt.”
