The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha - Bhikkhu Nanamoli [517]
“When one says: ‘All those engaged in the pursuit of self-mortification—painful, ignoble, and unbeneficial—[232] are beset by suffering, vexation, despair, and fever, and they have entered upon the wrong way,’ one thus disparages some. When one says: ‘All those disengaged from the pursuit of self-mortification—painful, ignoble, and unbeneficial—are without suffering, vexation, despair, and fever, and they have entered upon the right way,’ one thus extols some.
“When one says: ‘All those who have not abandoned the fetter of being1260 are beset by suffering, vexation, despair, and fever, and they have entered upon the wrong way,’ one thus disparages some. When one says: ‘All those who have abandoned the fetter of being are without suffering, vexation, despair, and fever, and they have entered upon the right way,’ one thus extols some. This is how there comes to be extolling and disparaging and failure to teach only the Dhamma.
8. “And how, bhikkhus, does there come to be neither extolling nor disparaging but teaching only the Dhamma? When one does not say: ‘All those engaged in the pursuit of the enjoyment of one whose pleasure is linked to sensual desires…have entered upon the wrong way,’ but says instead: ‘The pursuit is a state beset by suffering, vexation, despair, and fever, and it is the wrong way,’ then one teaches only the Dhamma.1261 When one does not say: ‘All those disengaged from the pursuit of the enjoyment of one whose pleasure is linked to sensual desires…have entered upon the right way,’ but says instead: ‘The disengagement is a state without suffering, vexation, despair, and fever, and it is the right way,’ then one teaches only the Dhamma.
“When one does not say: ‘All those engaged in the pursuit of self-mortification…have entered upon the wrong way,’ but says instead: ‘The pursuit is a state beset by suffering, vexation, despair, and fever, and it is the wrong way,’ then one teaches only the Dhamma. When one does not say: ‘All those disengaged from the pursuit of self-mortification…have entered upon the right way,’ but says instead: ‘The disengagement is a state without suffering, vexation, despair, and fever, and it is the right way,’ then one teaches only the Dhamma.
“When one does not say: ‘All those who have not abandoned the fetter of being…have entered upon the wrong way,’ [233] but says instead: ‘As long as the fetter of being is unabandoned, being too is unabandoned,’ then one teaches only the Dhamma. When one does not say: ‘All those who have abandoned the fetter of being…have entered upon the right way,’ but says instead: ‘When the fetter of being is abandoned, being also is abandoned,’ then one teaches only the Dhamma.
“So it was with reference to this that it was said: ‘One should know what it is to extol and what it is to disparage, and knowing both, one should neither extol nor disparage but should teach only the Dhamma.’
9. “‘One should know how to define pleasure, and knowing that, one should pursue pleasure within oneself.’ So it was said. And with reference to what was this said?
“Bhikkhus, there are these five cords of sensual pleasure. What five? Forms cognizable by the eye…sounds cognizable by the ear…odours cognizable by the nose…flavours cognizable by the tongue…tangibles cognizable by the body that are wished for, desired, agreeable, and likeable, connected with sensual desire and provocative of lust. These are the five cords of sensual pleasure. Now the pleasure and joy that arise dependent on these five cords of sensual pleasure