[316] "Bhikkhus, is poverty (daḷiddiya) suffering (dukkha) in the world for one who enjoys sensual pleasures (kāmabhogī)?"
"So it is, venerable sir."
"Bhikkhus, when a person who is poor, destitute, and indigent takes a loan — is the taking of a loan, too, suffering in the world for one who enjoys sensual pleasures?"
"So it is, venerable sir."
"Bhikkhus, when a person who is poor, destitute, and indigent, having taken a loan, promises to pay interest — is the interest, too, suffering in the world for one who enjoys sensual pleasures?"
"So it is, venerable sir."
"Bhikkhus, when a person who is poor, destitute, and indigent, having promised to pay interest, does not pay the interest when it falls due, and they press him — is the pressing for payment, too, suffering in the world for one who enjoys sensual pleasures?"
"So it is, venerable sir."
"Bhikkhus, when a person who is poor, destitute, and indigent, being pressed, does not pay, and they pursue him — is the pursuit, too, suffering in the world for one who enjoys sensual pleasures?"
"So it is, venerable sir."
"Bhikkhus, when a person who is poor, destitute, and indigent, being pursued, does not pay, and they bind him — is bondage, too, suffering in the world for one who enjoys sensual pleasures?"
"So it is, venerable sir."
"Thus, bhikkhus, poverty is suffering in the world for one who enjoys sensual pleasures; the taking of a loan is suffering in the world for one who enjoys sensual pleasures; interest is suffering in the world for one who enjoys sensual pleasures; the pressing for payment is suffering in the world for one who enjoys sensual pleasures; the pursuit is suffering in the world for one who enjoys sensual pleasures; and bondage is suffering in the world for one who enjoys sensual pleasures.
"In just the same way, bhikkhus, whoever has no faith (saddhā) in wholesome dhammas, no moral shame (hiri) in wholesome dhammas, no moral dread (ottappa) in wholesome dhammas, no energy (vīriya) in wholesome dhammas, and no wisdom (paññā) in wholesome dhammas — he is called, in the discipline of the Noble One, a person poor, destitute, and indigent. That very person, bhikkhus, poor, destitute, and indigent — there being no faith in wholesome dhammas, no moral shame in wholesome dhammas, no moral dread in wholesome dhammas, no energy in wholesome dhammas, no wisdom in wholesome dhammas — engages in misconduct by body, engages in misconduct by speech, engages in misconduct by mind. This, I say, is his taking of a loan.
"For the sake of concealing that bodily misconduct, he forms an evil wish: he wishes, 'May they not know me'; he intends, 'May they not know me'; he utters speech, 'May they not know me'; he strives with the body, 'May they not know me.' For the sake of concealing that verbal misconduct … For the sake of concealing that mental misconduct, he forms an evil wish: he wishes, 'May they not know me'; he intends, 'May they not know me'; he utters speech, 'May they not know me'; he strives with the body, 'May they not know me.' This, I say, is his interest.
"Then well-behaved fellow practitioners of the holy life say of him: 'This venerable one acts in such a way, behaves in such a way.' This, I say, is his being pressed for payment.
"Then, when he has gone to the forest, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty dwelling, evil, unwholesome thoughts accompanied by remorse assail him. This, I say, is his being pursued.
"That very person, bhikkhus, poor, destitute, and indigent, having engaged in misconduct by body, having engaged in misconduct by speech, having engaged in misconduct by mind, with the breaking up of the body, after death, is bound in the bondage of hell or in the bondage of the animal realm. Bhikkhus, I do not see any other single bondage so cruel, so painful, so obstructive to the attainment of the unsurpassed security from bondage, as the bondage of hell or the bondage of the animal realm.
"Poverty is called suffering in the world,
and the taking of a loan as well;
a poor man, having taken a loan,
is distressed as he consumes it.
Then they pursue him,
and he comes even to bondage;
for this bondage is suffering
for those who hanker after sensual gains.
"Just so, in the discipline of the Noble One,
one in whom faith is not found,
shameless, without moral dread,
contriving evil deeds —
having done misconduct by body,
and acts of misconduct by speech,
having done misconduct by mind,
he wishes, 'May they not know me.'
He wriggles about by body,
by speech, or by mind,
increasing his evil deeds
here and there, again and again.
"That evildoer of poor wisdom,
knowing his own wrongdoing,
is a poor man who, having taken a loan,
is distressed as he consumes it.
Then there pursue him
intentions, mental pains
born of his remorse,
in the village or in the wilderness.
"That evildoer of poor wisdom,
knowing his own wrongdoing,
having gone to one or another womb [of rebirth],
is even bound in hell;
for this bondage is suffering,
from which the wise one is released.
"Giving with wealth righteously gained,
gladdening the mind (citta),
he grasps the winning throw in both respects —
the faithful one seeking a household life —
for welfare and benefit in this present life
and for happiness in the life to come;
thus for householders
this generosity increases merit.
"Just so, in the discipline of the Noble One,
one in whom faith is established,
whose mind has moral shame, who has moral dread,
wise, restrained by virtue —
he, in the discipline of the Noble One,
is called 'one who lives happily.'
"Having gained the happiness free from carnality,
he establishes himself in equanimity;
having abandoned the five hindrances (nīvaraṇa),
constantly with energy aroused,
having attained the jhānas,
unified, discerning, and possessed of mindfulness —
having known this as it really is,
in the destruction of all fetters,
through not clinging in any way,
the mind is rightly liberated.
"If for one thus rightly liberated,
for such a one, there is the knowledge (ñāṇa):
'My liberation is unshakable,'
in the destruction of the fetters of existence —
this indeed is the supreme knowledge;
this is the happiness unsurpassed,
sorrowless, dustless, secure;
this is the supreme freedom from debt."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.