Translated from the Pali by John D. Ireland.
Read an alternate translation by Thanissaro
Bhikkhu
The Venerable Punnaka: "To him who is free from
craving, who has seen the root (of things)[1] I have
come with a question: for what reason did sages, warriors, brahmanas and other
men prepare, here in this world, various sacrificial gifts for the gods
(devata)? I ask the Lord this, let him tell me the answer."
The Lord: "Whatever sages, warriors, brahmanas
and other men, Punnaka, prepared various sacrificial gifts for the gods, they
did so in the hope of this or that (future) existence, being induced by (the
fact of) old age and decay."
Punnaka: "By preparing various sacrificial gifts
for the gods, being zealous in sacrificing, do they cross beyond birth and
decay, Lord?"
The Lord: "They hope and extol, pray and
sacrifice for things of the senses, Punnaka. For the sake of such reward they
pray. These devotees of sacrifice, infatuated by their passion for existence,[2]
do not cross beyond birth and decay, I say."
Punnaka: "If these devotees of sacrifice do not
cross beyond birth and decay through sacrifice, Sir, then by what practice does
one cross beyond birth and decay in this world of gods and men?"
The Lord: "He who has comprehended in the world
the here and the beyond, in whom there is no perturbation by anything in the
world, who is calm, free from the smoldering fires,[3]
untroubled and desireless, -- he has crossed beyond birth and decay, I
say."
-- vv. 1043-1048
Notes
1. "The root of unwholesome
actions, etc." (Comy). There are six roots or basic conditions in a person
leading to the performance of unwholesome (unskilled) and wholesome (skilled)
actions: greed, aversion, delusion, non-greed (renunciation, detachment),
non-aversion (love) and non-delusion(wisdom). The Buddha has seen and understood
this as it really is.
[Go back]
2. Or, "burning with lust for
life."
[Go back]
3. The three "fires" of
greed, aversion and delusion. This is a punning reference, also to be seen in
the previous note, to the brahmana's sacrificial fire.
[Go back]
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ChV
