36.4. Vực Thẳm (Pàtàla)

“Assutavā, bhikkhave, puthujjano yaṁ vācaṁ bhāsati:

‘atthi mahāsamudde pātālo’ti.

Taṁ kho panetaṁ, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano asantaṁ avijjamānaṁ evaṁ vācaṁ bhāsati:

‘atthi mahāsamudde pātālo’ti.

Sārīrikānaṁ kho etaṁ, bhikkhave, dukkhānaṁ vedanānaṁ adhivacanaṁ yadidaṁ ‘pātālo’ti.

Assutavā, bhikkhave, puthujjano sārīrikāya dukkhāya vedanāya phuṭṭho samāno socati kilamati paridevati urattāḷiṁ kandati sammohaṁ āpajjati.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ‘assutavā puthujjano pātāle na paccuṭṭhāsi, gādhañca nājjhagā’.

Sutavā ca kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako sārīrikāya dukkhāya vedanāya phuṭṭho samāno neva socati, na kilamati, na paridevati, na urattāḷiṁ kandati, na sammohaṁ āpajjati.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ‘sutavā ariyasāvako pātāle paccuṭṭhāsi, gādhañca ajjhagā’ti.

Yo etā nādhivāseti,

uppannā vedanā dukhā;

Sārīrikā pāṇaharā,

yāhi phuṭṭho pavedhati.

Akkandati parodati,

dubbalo appathāmako;

Na so pātāle paccuṭṭhāsi,

atho gādhampi nājjhagā.

Yo cetā adhivāseti,

uppannā vedanā dukhā;

Sārīrikā pāṇaharā,

yāhi phuṭṭho na vedhati;

Sa ve pātāle paccuṭṭhāsi,

atho gādhampi ajjhagā”ti.

Catutthaṁ.

SC 1“Bhikkhus, when the uninstructed worldling makes the statement, ‘In the great ocean there is a bottomless abyss,’ he makes such a statement about something that is nonexistent and unreal. This, bhikkhus, is rather a designation for painful bodily feelings, that is, ‘bottomless abyss.’

SC 2“When the uninstructed worldling is contacted by a painful bodily feeling, he sorrows, grieves, and laments; he weeps and beats his breast and becomes distraught. This is called an uninstructed worldling who has not risen up in the bottomless abyss, one who has not gained a foothold.

SC 3“But, bhikkhus, when the instructed noble disciple is contacted by a painful bodily feeling, he does not sorrow, grieve, or lament; he does not weep and beat his breast and become distraught. This is called an instructed noble disciple who has risen up in the bottomless abyss, one who has gained a foothold.”

SC 4One who cannot endure
The arisen painful feelings,
Bodily feelings that sap one’s life,
Who trembles when they touch him,
A weakling of little strength
Who weeps out loud and wails:
He has not risen up in the bottomless abyss,
Nor has he even gained a foothold. sn.iv.207

SC 5But one who is able to endure them—
The arisen painful feelings,
Bodily feelings that sap one’s life—
Who trembles not when they touch him:
He has risen up in the bottomless abyss,
And he has also gained a foothold.