13. Understanding Contempt

Vuttañhetaṁ bhagavatā vuttamarahatāti me sutaṁ:

“Makkhaṁ, bhikkhave, anabhijānaṁ aparijānaṁ tattha cittaṁ avirājayaṁ appajahaṁ abhabbo dukkhakkhayāya.

Makkhañca kho, bhikkhave, abhijānaṁ parijānaṁ tattha cittaṁ virājayaṁ pajahaṁ bhabbo dukkhakkhayāyā”ti.

Etamatthaṁ bhagavā avoca.

Tatthetaṁ iti vuccati:

“Yena makkhena makkhāse,

sattā gacchanti duggatiṁ;

Taṁ makkhaṁ sammadaññāya,

pajahanti vipassino;

Pahāya na punāyanti,

imaṁ lokaṁ kudācanan”ti.

Ayampi attho vutto bhagavatā, iti me sutanti.

Tatiyaṁ.

This was said by the Lord…

“Bhikkhus, one who has not directly known and fully understood contempt, who has not detached his mind from it and abandoned it, is incapable of destroying suffering. But one who has directly known and fully understood contempt, and who has detached his mind from it and abandoned it, is capable of destroying suffering.”

Humankind is possessed by contempt,
Bound by contempt and delighted with being;
Not fully understanding contempt,
They come again to renewal of being.

But those who have abandoned contempt,
And who by destroying contempt are freed,
Have conquered the bondage of contempt
And overcome all suffering.