Other Translations: Deutsch
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Sutta Nipāta 4.7 Sutta Nipāta 4.7Anthology of Discourses 4.7
Tissametteyyasutta To Tissa-metteyyaWith Tissametteyya
“Methunamanuyuttassa, “For one given over to sexual intercourse,“When someone indulges in sex,”
(iccāyasmā tisso metteyyo) (Tissa-metteyya)said Venerable Tissametteyya,
Vighātaṁ brūhi mārisa; tell the damage, dear sir;“tell us, good fellow: what trouble befalls them?
Sutvāna tava sāsanaṁ, Having heard your teaching,After hearing your instruction,
Viveke sikkhissāmase”. we’ll train in seclusion.”we shall train in seclusion.”
“Methunamanuyuttassa, “In one given over to sexual intercourse,“When someone indulges in sex,”
(metteyyāti bhagavā) (the Buddha)replied the Buddha,
Mussate vāpi sāsanaṁ; the teaching is muddled“they forget their instructions
Micchā ca paṭipajjati, and he practices wrongly:and go the wrong way—
Etaṁ tasmiṁ anāriyaṁ. This is ignoble in him.that is something ignoble in them.
Eko pubbe caritvāna, Whoever once went alone,Someone who formerly lived alone
methunaṁ yo nisevati; but then resorts to sexual intercourseand then resorts to sex
Yānaṁ bhantaṁva taṁ loke, —like a carriage out of control, in the world—is like a chariot careening off-track;
hīnamāhu puthujjanaṁ. is called vile, a person run-of-the-mill.in the world they call them a low, ordinary person.
Yaso kitti ca yā pubbe, His earlier honor & dignity:Their former fame and reputation
hāyate vāpi tassa sā; lost.also fall away.
Etampi disvā sikkhetha, Seeing this, he should train himselfSeeing this, they’d train
methunaṁ vippahātave. to abandon sexual intercourse.to give up sex.
Saṅkappehi pareto so, Overcome by resolves,Oppressed by thoughts,
kapaṇo viya jhāyati; he broods like a miserable wretch.they brood like a wretch.
Sutvā paresaṁ nigghosaṁ, Hearing the scorn of others,When they hear what others are saying,
maṅku hoti tathāvidho. he’s chagrined.that sort is embarrassed.
Atha satthāni kurute, He makes weapons,Then they lash out with verbal daggers
paravādehi codito; attacked by the words of others.when reproached by others.
Esa khvassa mahāgedho, This, for him, is a great entanglement.This is their great blind spot; Gedha is also at AN 5.103:3.2, where the sense is not “entanglement” but “cover from sight”. See Norman’s note on this verse for the apparent confusion between gedha, rodha, and the intermediary godha.
mosavajjaṁ pagāhati. He sinks into lies.they sink to lies.
Paṇḍitoti samaññāto, They thought him wiseThey once were considered astute, A line used of Devadatta at Iti 89:4.1.
ekacariyaṁ adhiṭṭhito; when he committed himself to the life alone,committed to the solitary life.
Athāpi methune yutto, but now that he’s given to sexual intercourseBut then they indulged in sex,
mandova parikissati. they declare him a dullard.dragged along by desire like a dullard. Bodhi follows the commentary and Niddesa in rendering parikissati as “afflicted”, as does Norman with “troubled”, both assuming a contracted parikilissati. But parikissati here is connected with wisdom (or lack thereof), not suffering. Surely we should look to such passages as AN 4.186:2.6, where parikassati is the mind that “drags” a person around. Parikissati is the passive form.
Etamādīnavaṁ ñatvā, Knowing these drawbacks, the sageKnowing this danger
Muni pubbāpare idha; here—before & after—in falling from a former state here, At Pvr 15:7.2, pubbāpara is defined in terms of changing and inconsistent behavior.
Ekacariyaṁ daḷhaṁ kayirā, stays firm in the life alone;a sage would firmly resolve to wander alone,
Na nisevetha methunaṁ. doesn’t resort to sexual intercourse;and would not resort to sex.
Vivekaññeva sikkhetha, would train himself in seclusion—They’d train themselves only in seclusion;
etaṁ ariyānamuttamaṁ; this, for the noble, is highest.this, for the noble ones, is highest.
Na tena seṭṭho maññetha, He wouldn’t, because of that, suppose himself to be better than others:One who’d not think themselves ‘best’ due to that
sa ve nibbānasantike. He’s on the verge of unbinding.has truly drawn near to extinguishment.
Rittassa munino carato, a sage remote, leading his lifePeople tied to sensual pleasures envy them:
Kāmesu anapekkhino; unconcerned for sensual pleasuresthe isolated, wandering sage
Oghatiṇṇassa pihayanti, —one who’s crossed over the flood—envy him,who has crossed the flood,
Kāmesu gadhitā pajā”ti. people enmeshed in sensual pleasures.”unconcerned for sensual pleasures.”
Tissametteyyasuttaṁ sattamaṁ. To Tissa-metteyya, the seventh.vv. 814–823. See also: MN 22; SN 1:20; AN 4:159; AN 5:75–76; AN 7:48; Ud 3:2.