Iṇasutta — Reader

Debt

Iṇasutta

“Mendicants, isn’t poverty suffering in the world for a person who enjoys sensual pleasures?” “Yes, sir.” “When a poor, penniless person falls into debt, isn’t being in debt also suffering in the world for a person who enjoys sensual pleasures?” “Yes, sir.”

“Dāliddiyaṁ, bhikkhave, dukkhaṁ lokasmiṁ kāmabhogino”ti? “Evaṁ, bhante”. “Yampi, bhikkhave, daliddo assako anāḷhiko iṇaṁ ādiyati, iṇādānampi, bhikkhave, dukkhaṁ lokasmiṁ kāmabhogino”ti? “Evaṁ, bhante”.

“When a poor person who has fallen into debt agrees to pay interest, isn’t the interest also suffering in the world for a person who enjoys sensual pleasures?” “Yes, sir.” “When a poor person who has fallen into debt and agreed to pay interest fails to pay it when it falls due, they get a warning. Isn’t being warned suffering in the world for a person who enjoys sensual pleasures?”

“Yampi, bhikkhave, daliddo assako anāḷhiko iṇaṁ ādiyitvā vaḍḍhiṁ paṭissuṇāti, vaḍḍhipi, bhikkhave, dukkhā lokasmiṁ kāmabhogino”ti? “Evaṁ, bhante”. “Yampi, bhikkhave, daliddo assako anāḷhiko vaḍḍhiṁ paṭissuṇitvā kālābhataṁ vaḍḍhiṁ na deti, codentipi naṁ; codanāpi, bhikkhave, dukkhā lokasmiṁ kāmabhogino”ti?

“Yes, sir.” “When a poor person fails to pay after getting a warning, they’re prosecuted. Isn’t being prosecuted suffering in the world for a person who enjoys sensual pleasures?” “Yes, sir.”

“Evaṁ, bhante”. “Yampi, bhikkhave, daliddo assako anāḷhiko codiyamāno na deti, anucarantipi naṁ; anucariyāpi, bhikkhave, dukkhā lokasmiṁ kāmabhogino”ti? “Evaṁ, bhante”.

“When a poor person fails to pay after being prosecuted, they’re imprisoned. Isn’t being imprisoned suffering in the world for a person who enjoys sensual pleasures?” “Yes, sir.” “So mendicants, poverty, debt, interest, warnings, prosecution, and imprisonment are suffering in the world for those who enjoy sensual pleasures.

“Yampi, bhikkhave, daliddo assako anāḷhiko anucariyamāno na deti, bandhantipi naṁ; bandhanampi, bhikkhave, dukkhaṁ lokasmiṁ kāmabhogino”ti? “Evaṁ, bhante”. “Iti kho, bhikkhave, dāliddiyampi dukkhaṁ lokasmiṁ kāmabhogino, iṇādānampi dukkhaṁ lokasmiṁ kāmabhogino, vaḍḍhipi dukkhā lokasmiṁ kāmabhogino, codanāpi dukkhā lokasmiṁ kāmabhogino, anucariyāpi dukkhā lokasmiṁ kāmabhogino, bandhanampi dukkhaṁ lokasmiṁ kāmabhogino;

In the same way, whoever has no faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom when it comes to skillful qualities is called poor and penniless in the training of the Noble One. Since they have no faith, conscience, prudence, energy, or wisdom when it comes to skillful qualities, they do bad things by way of body, speech, and mind.

evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, yassa kassaci saddhā natthi kusalesu dhammesu, hirī natthi kusalesu dhammesu, ottappaṁ natthi kusalesu dhammesu, vīriyaṁ natthi kusalesu dhammesu, paññā natthi kusalesu dhammesu— ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ariyassa vinaye daliddo assako anāḷhiko. Sa kho so, bhikkhave, daliddo assako anāḷhiko saddhāya asati kusalesu dhammesu, hiriyā asati kusalesu dhammesu, ottappe asati kusalesu dhammesu, vīriye asati kusalesu dhammesu, paññāya asati kusalesu dhammesu, kāyena duccaritaṁ carati, vācāya duccaritaṁ carati, manasā duccaritaṁ carati.

This is how they’re in debt, I say. In order to conceal the bad things they do by way of body, speech, and mind they harbor corrupt wishes. They wish, plan, speak, and act with the thought: ‘May no one find me out!’

Idamassa iṇādānasmiṁ vadāmi. So tassa kāyaduccaritassa paṭicchādanahetu pāpikaṁ icchaṁ paṇidahati. ‘Mā maṁ jaññū’ti icchati, ‘mā maṁ jaññū’ti saṅkappati, ‘mā maṁ jaññū’ti vācaṁ bhāsati, ‘mā maṁ jaññū’ti kāyena parakkamati. So tassa vacīduccaritassa paṭicchādanahetu …pe… so tassa manoduccaritassa paṭicchādanahetu …pe… ‘mā maṁ jaññū’ti kāyena parakkamati.

This is how they pay interest, I say. Good-hearted spiritual companions say this about them: ‘This venerable acts like this, and behaves like that.’ This is how they’re warned, I say.

Idamassa vaḍḍhiyā vadāmi. Tamenaṁ pesalā sabrahmacārī evamāhaṁsu: ‘ayañca so āyasmā evaṅkārī evaṁsamācāro’ti. Idamassa codanāya vadāmi.

When they go to a wilderness, the root of a tree, or an empty hut, they’re beset by remorseful, unskillful thoughts. This is how they’re prosecuted, I say. That poor, penniless person has done bad things by way of body, speech, and mind. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re trapped in the prison of hell or the animal realm.

Tamenaṁ araññagataṁ vā rukkhamūlagataṁ vā suññāgāragataṁ vā vippaṭisārasahagatā pāpakā akusalavitakkā samudācaranti. Idamassa anucariyāya vadāmi. Sa kho so, bhikkhave, daliddo assako anāḷhiko kāyena duccaritaṁ caritvā vācāya duccaritaṁ caritvā manasā duccaritaṁ caritvā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā nirayabandhane vā bajjhati tiracchānayonibandhane vā.

I don’t see a single prison that’s as grim, as vicious, and such an obstacle to reaching the supreme sanctuary from the yoke as the prison of hell or the animal realm. Poverty is said to be suffering in the world, and so is being in debt. A poor person who has fallen into debt

Nāhaṁ, bhikkhave, aññaṁ ekabandhanampi samanupassāmi evaṁdāruṇaṁ evaṅkaṭukaṁ evaṁantarāyakaraṁ anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāya, yathayidaṁ, bhikkhave, nirayabandhanaṁ vā tiracchānayonibandhanaṁ vāti. Dāliddiyaṁ dukkhaṁ loke, iṇādānañca vuccati; Daliddo iṇamādāya,

frets even when spending the loan. And then they’re prosecuted, or even thrown in jail. Such imprisonment is true suffering

bhuñjamāno vihaññati. Tato anucaranti naṁ, bandhanampi nigacchati; Etañhi bandhanaṁ dukkhaṁ,

for someone who prays for pleasure and possessions. In the same way, in the Noble One’s training whoever has no faith, no conscience or prudence,

kāmalābhābhijappinaṁ. Tatheva ariyavinaye, saddhā yassa na vijjati; Ahirīko anottappī,

contemplates bad deeds. After doing bad things by way of body, speech, and mind,

pāpakammavinibbayo. Kāyaduccaritaṁ katvā, vacīduccaritāni ca; Manoduccaritaṁ katvā,

they wish, ‘May no one find me out!’ Their behavior is creepy by body, speech, and mind. They pile up bad deeds

‘mā maṁ jaññū’ti icchati. So saṁsappati kāyena, vācāya uda cetasā; Pāpakammaṁ pavaḍḍhento,

on and on, life after life. That simpleton evildoer, knowing their own misdeeds, is a poor person who has fallen into debt,

tattha tattha punappunaṁ. So pāpakammo dummedho, jānaṁ dukkaṭamattano; Daliddo iṇamādāya,

and frets even when spending the loan. And when in village or wilderness they’re prosecuted by painful mental plans,

bhuñjamāno vihaññati. Tato anucaranti naṁ, saṅkappā mānasā dukhā; Gāme vā yadi vāraññe,

which are born of remorse. That simpleton evildoer, knowing their own misdeeds, goes to one of the animal realms,

yassa vippaṭisārajā. So pāpakammo dummedho, jānaṁ dukkaṭamattano; Yonimaññataraṁ gantvā,

or is trapped in hell. Such imprisonment is true suffering, from which the attentive are released. With confident heart, they give

niraye vāpi bajjhati. Etañhi bandhanaṁ dukkhaṁ, yamhā dhīro pamuccati; Dhammaladdhehi bhogehi,

with wealth that is properly earned. That faithful householder of discernment holds a winning hand on both counts: welfare and benefit in this life,

dadaṁ cittaṁ pasādayaṁ. Ubhayattha kaṭaggāho, saddhassa gharamesino; Diṭṭhadhammahitatthāya,

and happiness in lives to come. This is how, for a householder, merit grows by generosity. In the same way, in the Noble One’s training,

samparāyasukhāya ca; Evametaṁ gahaṭṭhānaṁ, cāgo puññaṁ pavaḍḍhati. Tatheva ariyavinaye,

whoever is grounded in faith, with conscience and prudence, wise, and ethically restrained, is said to live happily

saddhā yassa patiṭṭhitā; Hirīmano ca ottappī, paññavā sīlasaṁvuto. Eso kho ariyavinaye,

in the Noble One’s training. After gaining pleasure not of the flesh, they concentrate on equanimity. They give up the five hindrances,

‘sukhajīvī’ti vuccati; Nirāmisaṁ sukhaṁ laddhā, upekkhaṁ adhitiṭṭhati. Pañca nīvaraṇe hitvā,

constantly energetic, and enter the absorptions, unified, alert, and mindful. Truly knowing in this way

niccaṁ āraddhavīriyo; Jhānāni upasampajja, ekodi nipako sato. Evaṁ ñatvā yathābhūtaṁ,

regards the ending of all fetters, by not grasping in any way, their mind is rightly freed. To that unaffected one, rightly freed

sabbasaṁyojanakkhaye; Sabbaso anupādāya, sammā cittaṁ vimuccati. Tassa sammā vimuttassa,

with the end of the fetters of continued existence, the knowledge comes: ‘My freedom is unshakable.’ This is the ultimate knowledge.

ñāṇañce hoti tādino; ‘Akuppā me vimuttī’ti, bhavasaṁyojanakkhaye. Etaṁ kho paramaṁ ñāṇaṁ,

This is the supreme happiness. Sorrowless, stainless, secure: this is the highest freedom from debt.”

etaṁ sukhamanuttaraṁ; Asokaṁ virajaṁ khemaṁ, etaṁ ānaṇyamuttaman”ti. Tatiyaṁ.