4.7. To Tissametteyya on the Disadvantages of Sex

“Methunamanuyuttassa,

(iccāyasmā tisso metteyyo)

Vighātaṁ brūhi mārisa;

Sutvāna tava sāsanaṁ,

Viveke sikkhissāmase”.

“Methunamanuyuttassa,

(metteyyāti bhagavā)

Mussate vāpi sāsanaṁ;

Micchā ca paṭipajjati,

Etaṁ tasmiṁ anāriyaṁ.

Eko pubbe caritvāna,

methunaṁ yo nisevati;

Yānaṁ bhantaṁva taṁ loke,

hīnamāhu puthujjanaṁ.

Yaso kitti ca yā pubbe,

hāyate vāpi tassa sā;

Etampi disvā sikkhetha,

methunaṁ vippahātave.

Saṅkappehi pareto so,

kapaṇo viya jhāyati;

Sutvā paresaṁ nigghosaṁ,

maṅku hoti tathāvidho.

Atha satthāni kurute,

paravādehi codito;

Esa khvassa mahāgedho,

mosavajjaṁ pagāhati.

Paṇḍitoti samaññāto,

ekacariyaṁ adhiṭṭhito;

Athāpi methune yutto,

mandova parikissati.

Etamādīnavaṁ ñatvā,

Muni pubbāpare idha;

Ekacariyaṁ daḷhaṁ kayirā,

Na nisevetha methunaṁ.

Vivekaññeva sikkhetha,

etaṁ ariyānamuttamaṁ;

Na tena seṭṭho maññetha,

sa ve nibbānasantike.

Rittassa munino carato,

Kāmesu anapekkhino;

Oghatiṇṇassa pihayanti,

Kāmesu gadhitā pajā”ti.

Tissametteyyasuttaṁ sattamaṁ.

SC 1SC Verse 821Tissa
Attached to sexual intercourse:
Sir, tell its disadvantages,
having heard your Teaching then,
secluded we will train ourselves.

SC 2SC Verse 822Buddha
Attached to sexual intercourse,
forgetful of the Teaching then,
wrong things that person practices,
and does what is not Noble.

SC 3SC Verse 823Who formerly fared on alone
but now in sex indulges,
“Low” they say’s that common worldly one,
like vehicle swerving off the track.

SC 4SC Verse 824That one who had renown and fame—
that, for sure, diminishes,
having seen this, train yourself,
renouncing sexual intercourse.

SC 5SC Verse 825Overcome by (lustful) thoughts,
that one broods as a beggar does,
and hearing reproach of others, then
such a person is depressed.

SC 6SC Verse 826For yourself creating “arms”
of others reprimanding words,
so with great entanglement
sinks down into untruthfulness.

SC 7SC Verse 827Well-known as “one who’s wise”
when vowing to the single life,
but later then engaged in sex
will be “a fool defiled”.

SC 8SC Verse 828The disadvantage having known,
the sage, at start and afterwards,
should stablish fast the single life,
having no recourse to sex.

SC 9SC Verse 829So train yourself in solitude,
for that’s the life of Noble Ones,
but not conceive oneself as “best”—
them near indeed to Nirvāṇa.

SC 10SC Verse 830The sage who’s rid of sense-desires,
who to them’s indifferent,
who’s crossed the flood, is envied then,
by those enmeshed with pleasures of sense.