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Iti 28

Living in Suffering

Dukkhavihārasutta

from: The Book of the Twos

Chapter One

Living in Suffering

This was said by the Buddha, the Perfected One: that is what I heard.

“Mendicants, when a mendicant has two qualities they live unhappily in this very life—with distress, anguish, and fever— and when the body breaks up, after death, they can expect a bad rebirth. What two? Not guarding the sense doors and eating too much. When a mendicant possesses these two qualities they live unhappily in this very life—with distress, anguish, and fever— and when the body breaks up, after death, they can expect a bad rebirth.”

The Buddha spoke this matter. On this it is said:

“Eye, ear, nose,
tongue, body, and likewise mind:
a mendicant who leaves these
sense doors unguarded—

immoderate in eating,
sense faculties unrestrained—
reaps suffering
both physical and mental.

Burning in body,
burning in mind,
by day or by night
such a person lives in suffering.”

This too is a matter that was spoken by the Blessed One: that is what I heard.

Translation: German (Ayyā Sabbamittā), English (Bhikkhu Sujato). Source: SuttaCentral / Bilara (public domain, CC0).

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