Eight on the Cave

Trapped in a cave, thickly overspread,sunk in delusion they stay.That sort is far from seclusion,for sensual pleasures in the world <j>are not easy to give up.

Satto guhāyaṁ bahunābhichanno, Tiṭṭhaṁ naro mohanasmiṁ pagāḷho; Dūre vivekā hi tathāvidho so, Kāmā hi loke na hi suppahāyā.

Trapped in a cave, thickly overspread,Satto guhāyaṁ bahunābhichanno, sunk in delusion they stay.Tiṭṭhaṁ naro mohanasmiṁ pagāḷho; That sort is far from seclusion,Dūre vivekā hi tathāvidho so, for sensual pleasures in the world <j>are not easy to give up.Kāmā hi loke na hi suppahāyā.

The chains of desire, the bonds of life’s pleasuresare hard to escape, for one cannot free another.*Te duppamuñca has been taken by most translators as referring to people, in senses either active (Bodhi’s “let go with difficulty”) or passive (Norman’s “are hard to release”). However the phrase occurs in a very similar context at SN 3.10:5.2 and Dhp 346:2, where it refers to the chains that are hard to escape.Looking to the past or the future,they pray for these pleasures or former ones.*Jappa means both to “incant” and to “long for”, and the English “pray’ has exactly the same connotations—for exactly the same reasons. They originated in begging favors of a god.

Icchānidānā bhavasātabaddhā, Te duppamuñcā na hi aññamokkhā; Pacchā pure vāpi apekkhamānā, Ime va kāme purime va jappaṁ.

The chains of desire, the bonds of life’s pleasuresIcchānidānā bhavasātabaddhā, are hard to escape, for one cannot free another.*Te duppamuñca has been taken by most translators as referring to people, in senses either active (Bodhi’s “let go with difficulty”) or passive (Norman’s “are hard to release”). However the phrase occurs in a very similar context at SN 3.10:5.2 and Dhp 346:2, where it refers to the chains that are hard to escape.Te duppamuñcā na hi aññamokkhā; Looking to the past or the future,Pacchā pure vāpi apekkhamānā, they pray for these pleasures or former ones.*Jappa means both to “incant” and to “long for”, and the English “pray’ has exactly the same connotations—for exactly the same reasons. They originated in begging favors of a god.Ime va kāme purime va jappaṁ.

Greedy, fixated, infatuated by sensual pleasures,they are incorrigible, habitually immoral.When led to suffering they lament,“What will become of us <j>when we pass away from here?”

Kāmesu giddhā pasutā pamūḷhā, Avadāniyā te visame niviṭṭhā; Dukkhūpanītā paridevayanti, Kiṁsū bhavissāma ito cutāse.

Greedy, fixated, infatuated by sensual pleasures,Kāmesu giddhā pasutā pamūḷhā, they are incorrigible, habitually immoral.Avadāniyā te visame niviṭṭhā; When led to suffering they lament,Dukkhūpanītā paridevayanti, “What will become of us <j>when we pass away from here?”Kiṁsū bhavissāma ito cutāse.

That’s why a personage should train in this life:should you know that anything in the world is wrong,don’t act wrongly on account of that;for the attentive say this life is short.

Tasmā hi sikkhetha idheva jantu, Yaṁ kiñci jaññā visamanti loke; Na tassa hetū visamaṁ careyya, Appañhidaṁ jīvitamāhu dhīrā.

That’s why a personage should train in this life:Tasmā hi sikkhetha idheva jantu, should you know that anything in the world is wrong,Yaṁ kiñci jaññā visamanti loke; don’t act wrongly on account of that;Na tassa hetū visamaṁ careyya, for the attentive say this life is short.Appañhidaṁ jīvitamāhu dhīrā.

I see the world’s population floundering,given to craving for future lives.Base men wail in the jaws of death,*“Jaws of death” (maccumukha) is also at SN 2.22:7.3. Compare Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.1.1, “he escapes from the jaws of death” (tanmṛtyumukhātpramucyate).not rid of craving for life after life.

Passāmi loke pariphandamānaṁ, Pajaṁ imaṁ taṇhagataṁ bhavesu; Hīnā narā maccumukhe lapanti, Avītataṇhāse bhavābhavesu.

I see the world’s population floundering,Passāmi loke pariphandamānaṁ, given to craving for future lives.Pajaṁ imaṁ taṇhagataṁ bhavesu; Base men wail in the jaws of death,*“Jaws of death” (maccumukha) is also at SN 2.22:7.3. Compare Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.1.1, “he escapes from the jaws of death” (tanmṛtyumukhātpramucyate).Hīnā narā maccumukhe lapanti, not rid of craving for life after life.Avītataṇhāse bhavābhavesu.

See them flounder over belongings,like fish in puddles of a dried-up stream.Seeing this, live unselfishly,forming no attachment to future lives.

Mamāyite passatha phandamāne, Maccheva appodake khīṇasote; Etampi disvā amamo careyya, Bhavesu āsattimakubbamāno.

See them flounder over belongings,Mamāyite passatha phandamāne, like fish in puddles of a dried-up stream.Maccheva appodake khīṇasote; Seeing this, live unselfishly,Etampi disvā amamo careyya, forming no attachment to future lives.Bhavesu āsattimakubbamāno.

Rid of desire for both ends,*The reference here is to the two ends of contact (AN 6.61) rather than the two extremes of views or paths.having completely understood contact, free of greed,doing nothing for which they’d blame themselves,the attentive don’t cling to the seen and the heard.

Ubhosu antesu vineyya chandaṁ, Phassaṁ pariññāya anānugiddho; Yadattagarahī tadakubbamāno, Na lippatī diṭṭhasutesu dhīro. *Na lippatī → na limpatī (sya-all, mr)

Rid of desire for both ends,*The reference here is to the two ends of contact (AN 6.61) rather than the two extremes of views or paths.Ubhosu antesu vineyya chandaṁ, having completely understood contact, free of greed,Phassaṁ pariññāya anānugiddho; doing nothing for which they’d blame themselves,Yadattagarahī tadakubbamāno, the attentive don’t cling to the seen and the heard.Na lippatī diṭṭhasutesu dhīro. *Na lippatī → na limpatī (sya-all, mr)

Having completely understood perception <j>and having crossed the flood,*Bodhi, Norman, and Ñāṇadīpa, apparently following the commentary, take vitareyya as an optative. But the previous verse spoke of an arahant, and here the one who has fully understood perception must have already crossed over. Vitareyya oghaṁ occurs at Snp 3.5:13.2, where vitareyya is clearly an absolutive, and is rendered as such by both Bodhi and Norman.the sage, not clinging to possessions,with dart plucked out, living diligently,does not hope for this world or the next.

Saññaṁ pariññā vitareyya oghaṁ, Pariggahesu muni nopalitto; Abbūḷhasallo caramappamatto, Nāsīsatī lokamimaṁ parañcāti. *Nāsīsatī → nāsiṁsatī (bj); nāsiṁsati (sya-all, pts-vp-pli1)

Having completely understood perception <j>and having crossed the flood,*Bodhi, Norman, and Ñāṇadīpa, apparently following the commentary, take vitareyya as an optative. But the previous verse spoke of an arahant, and here the one who has fully understood perception must have already crossed over. Vitareyya oghaṁ occurs at Snp 3.5:13.2, where vitareyya is clearly an absolutive, and is rendered as such by both Bodhi and Norman.Saññaṁ pariññā vitareyya oghaṁ, the sage, not clinging to possessions,Pariggahesu muni nopalitto; with dart plucked out, living diligently,Abbūḷhasallo caramappamatto, does not hope for this world or the next.Nāsīsatī lokamimaṁ parañcāti. *Nāsīsatī → nāsiṁsatī (bj); nāsiṁsati (sya-all, pts-vp-pli1)