1“Mendicants, isn’t poverty suffering in the world for a person who enjoys sensual pleasures?”

“Yes, sir.”

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2“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.”

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3“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.”

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4“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?”

“Yes, sir.”

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5“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.”

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6“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.”

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7“So mendicants, poverty, debt, interest, warnings, prosecution, and imprisonment are suffering in the world for those who enjoy sensual pleasures.

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.

8Since 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. This is how they’re in debt, I say.

9In order to conceal the bad things they do by way of body, speech, and mind they harbour corrupt wishes. They wish, plan, speak, and act with the thought: ‘May no-one find me out!’ This is how they pay interest, I say.

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10Good-hearted spiritual companions say this about them: ‘This venerable acts like this, and behaves like that.’ This is how they’re warned, I say.

11When 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.

12That 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. I don’t see a single prison that’s as brutal, as vicious, and such an obstacle to reaching the supreme sanctuary as the prison of hell or the animal realm.

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13Poverty is said to be suffering in the world,
and so is being in debt.
A poor person who has fallen in debt
worries even when spending the loan.

14And then they’re prosecuted,
or even thrown in jail.
Such imprisonment is true suffering
for someone who prays for pleasure and possessions.

15In the same way, in the noble one’s training
whoever has no faith,
no conscience or prudence,
contemplates bad deeds.

16After doing bad things
by way of body,
speech, and mind,
they wish, ‘May no-one find me out!’

17Their behavior is creepy
by body, speech, and mind.
They pile up bad deeds
on and on, life after life.

18That stupid evildoer,
knowing their own misdeeds,
is a poor person who has fallen in debt,
and worries even when spending the loan.

19And when in village or wilderness
they’re prosecuted
by painful mental plans,
which are born of remorse.

20That stupid evildoer,
knowing their own misdeeds,
goes to one of the animal realms,
or is trapped in hell.

21Such imprisonment is true suffering,
from which a wise one is released.
With confident heart, they give
with wealth that is properly earned.

22That faithful householder
wins both ways:
welfare and benefit in this life,
and happiness in the next.
This is how, for a householder,
merit grows by generosity.

23In the same way, in the noble one’s training,
whoever is grounded in faith,
with conscience and prudence,
wise, and ethically restrained,

24is said to live happily
in the noble one’s training.
After gaining spiritual bliss,
they concentrate on equanimity.

25They give up the five hindrances,
constantly energetic,
and enter the absorptions,
unified, alert, and mindful.

26Truly knowing in this way
the end of all fetters,
by not grasping in any way,
their mind is rightly freed.

27To that poised one, rightly freed
with the end of the fetters of rebirth,
the knowledge comes:
‘My freedom is unshakable.’

28This is the ultimate knowledge.
This is the supreme happiness.
Sorrowless, stainless, secure:
this is the highest freedom from debt.”

1"Dāliddiyaṁ, bhikkhave, dukkhaṁ lokasmiṁ kāmabhogino"ti?

"Evaṁ, bhante". (1)

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2"Yampi, bhikkhave, daliddo assako anāḷhiko iṇaṁ ādiyati, iṇādānampi, bhikkhave, dukkhaṁ lokasmiṁ kāmabhogino"ti?

"Evaṁ, bhante". (2)

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3"Yampi, bhikkhave, daliddo assako anāḷhiko iṇaṁ ādiyitvā vaḍḍhiṁ paṭissuṇāti, vaḍḍhipi, bhikkhave, dukkhā lokasmiṁ kāmabhogino"ti?

"Evaṁ, bhante". (3)

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4"Yampi, bhikkhave, daliddo assako anāḷhiko vaḍḍhiṁ paṭissuṇitvā kālābhataṁ vaḍḍhiṁ na deti, codentipi naṁ; codanāpi, bhikkhave, dukkhā lokasmiṁ kāmabhogino"ti?

"Evaṁ, bhante". (4)

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5"Yampi, bhikkhave, daliddo assako anāḷhiko codiyamāno na deti, anucarantipi naṁ; anucariyāpi, bhikkhave, dukkhā lokasmiṁ kāmabhogino"ti?

"Evaṁ, bhante". (5)

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6"Yampi, bhikkhave, daliddo assako anāḷhiko anucariyamāno na deti, bandhantipi naṁ; bandhanampi, bhikkhave, dukkhaṁ lokasmiṁ kāmabhogino"ti?

"Evaṁ, bhante". (6)

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7"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;

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.

8Sa 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. Idamassa iṇādānasmiṁ vadāmi.

9So 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. Idamassa vaḍḍhiyā vadāmi.

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10Tamenaṁ pesalā sabrahmacārī evamāhaṁsu:  ‘ayañca so āyasmā evaṅkārī evaṁsamācāro’ti. Idamassa codanāya vadāmi.

11Tamenaṁ araññagataṁ vā rukkhamūlagataṁ vā suññāgāragataṁ vā vippaṭisārasahagatā pāpakā akusalavitakkā samudācaranti. Idamassa anucariyāya vadāmi.

12Sa kho so, bhikkhave, daliddo assako anāḷhiko kāyena duccaritaṁ caritvā vācāya duccaritaṁ caritvā manasā duccaritaṁ caritvā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā nirayabandhane vā bajjhati tiracchānayonibandhane vā. Nāhaṁ, bhikkhave, aññaṁ ekabandhanampi samanupassāmi evaṁdāruṇaṁ evaṅkaṭukaṁ evaṁantarāyakaraṁ anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāya, yathayidaṁ, bhikkhave, nirayabandhanaṁ vā tiracchānayonibandhanaṁ vāti.

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13Dāliddiyaṁ dukkhaṁ loke,
iṇādānañca vuccati;
Daliddo iṇamādāya,
bhuñjamāno vihaññati.

14Tato anucaranti naṁ,
bandhanampi nigacchati;
Etañhi bandhanaṁ dukkhaṁ,
kāmalābhābhijappinaṁ.

15Tatheva ariyavinaye,
saddhā yassa na vijjati;
Ahirīko anottappī,
pāpakammavinibbayo.

16Kāyaduccaritaṁ katvā,
vacīduccaritāni ca;
Manoduccaritaṁ katvā,
‘ mā maṁ jaññū’ti icchati.

17So saṁsappati kāyena,
vācāya uda cetasā;
Pāpakammaṁ pavaḍḍhento,
tattha tattha punappunaṁ.

18So pāpakammo dummedho,
jānaṁ dukkaṭamattano;
Daliddo iṇamādāya,
bhuñjamāno vihaññati.

19Tato anucaranti naṁ,
saṅkappā mānasā dukhā;
Gāme vā yadi vāraññe,
yassa vippaṭisārajā.

20So pāpakammo dummedho,
jānaṁ dukkaṭamattano;
Yonimaññataraṁ gantvā,
niraye vāpi bajjhati.

21Etañhi bandhanaṁ dukkhaṁ,
yamhā dhīro pamuccati;
Dhammaladdhehi bhogehi,
dadaṁ cittaṁ pasādayaṁ.

22Ubhayattha kaṭaggāho,
saddhassa gharamesino;
Diṭṭhadhammahitatthāya,
samparāyasukhāya ca;
Evametaṁ gahaṭṭhānaṁ,
cāgo puññaṁ pavaḍḍhati.

23Tatheva ariyavinaye,
saddhā yassa patiṭṭhitā;
Hirīmano ca ottappī,
paññavā sīlasaṁvuto.

24Eso kho ariyavinaye,
‘ sukhajīvī’ti vuccati;
Nirāmisaṁ sukhaṁ laddhā,
upekkhaṁ adhitiṭṭhati.

25Pañca nīvaraṇe hitvā,
niccaṁ āraddhavīriyo;
Jhānāni upasampajja,
ekodi nipako sato.

26Evaṁ ñatvā yathābhūtaṁ,
sabbasaṁyojanakkhaye;
Sabbaso anupādāya,
sammā cittaṁ vimuccati.

27Tassa sammā vimuttassa,
ñāṇañce hoti tādino;
‘ Akuppā me vimuttī’ti,
bhavasaṁyojanakkhaye.

28Etaṁ kho paramaṁ ñāṇaṁ,
etaṁ sukhamanuttaraṁ;
Asokaṁ virajaṁ khemaṁ,
etaṁ ānaṇyamuttaman"ti.

Tatiyaṁ.