Sakka, the king of the
33 Gods, once asked the Blessed Buddha: Venerable Sir, what is the cause & reason, why some beings here do not
attain Nibbāna in this very life? And what is the cause and reason, why
some beings here do indeed attain Nibbāna in this very life? Knowing this being's addiction to divine delight the Buddha answered: There are, King of the thirty-three Devas, forms experiencable by the eye,
sounds experiencable by the ear, smells experiencable by the nose, touches
experiencable by the body, and mental phenomena experiencable by the
mind, that all are
attractive, charming, agreeable, pleasing, tempting, and tantalizing. If a
bhikkhu hunts for delight in them, welcomes them, and remains holding on to them, his mind
becomes addicted to them and clings to them. Any being mentally dominated by
clinging cannot attain Nibbāna! This is the cause & reason, King of the Devas, why many
& most beings here do not attain Nibbāna in this very life... Again: There are, King of the
Gods, forms experiencable by the eye, sounds
experiencable by the ear, smells experiencable by the nose, touches experiencable by the
body, and mental phenomena experiencable by the mind, that all are attractive,
charming, agreeable, pleasing, enticing, tempting and tantalizing.
If a wise Bhikkhu
avoids seeking any delight in them, does not welcome them, and does not
remain holding on to
them, then his mind doesn't become addicted to them, Any being mentally
wholly freed of clinging can indeed attain Nibbāna! This is the cause and reason, King of
the Devas, why some beings here can attain Nibbāna in this very life, while most neither can, nor
will....
king
Sakka and
a few of his hundreds of dear nymphs...
