[360] Then the householder Hālindakāni approached the Venerable Mahākaccāna; having approached, he paid homage to the Venerable Mahākaccāna and sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, the householder Hālindakāni said this to the Venerable Mahākaccāna: "Venerable Kaccāna, this was said by the Blessed One in the Māgandiya Question of the Aṭṭhakavagga:
Having abandoned home (oka), not roaming to an abode (niketa),
the sage (muni) not forming intimacies (santhava) amid sensual pleasures,
empty of sensual pleasures, harbouring no expectations (apurekkharāno),
he would not engage in contentious talk with people.
Venerable Kaccāna, how should the meaning of this, spoken in brief by the Blessed One, be seen in detail?"
"The form element (rūpadhātu), householder, is the home of consciousness; and consciousness shackled by lust for the form element is called 'one who roams in a home.' The feeling (vedanā) element, householder, the perception element, householder, the volitional-formations element, householder, is the home of consciousness; and consciousness shackled by lust for the volitional-formations element is called 'one who roams in a home.' It is in this way, householder, that one roams in a home.
"And how, householder, does one not roam in a home? Whatever desire, whatever lust, whatever delight, whatever craving (taṇhā), and whatever engagement and clinging (upāya-upādāna), mental standpoints, adherences, and underlying tendencies (anusaya) there are regarding the form element — these have been abandoned by the Tathāgata, cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated, so that they are of a nature not to arise again in the future. Therefore the Tathāgata is called 'one who does not roam in a home.' Whatever desire, whatever lust, whatever delight, whatever craving, and whatever engagement and clinging, mental standpoints, adherences, and underlying tendencies there are regarding the feeling element, householder, the perception element, householder, the volitional-formations element, householder, the consciousness element, householder — these have been abandoned by the Tathāgata, cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated, so that they are of a nature not to arise again in the future. Therefore the Tathāgata is called 'one who does not roam in a home.' It is in this way, householder, that one does not roam in a home.
"And how, householder, does one roam in an abode? Being shackled by dispersal amid the abode of the sign (nimitta) of forms, householder, is called 'roaming in an abode.' Being shackled by dispersal amid the abode of the sign of sounds, the sign of odors, the sign of tastes, the sign of tangibles, the sign of mental phenomena, householder, is called 'roaming in an abode.' It is in this way, householder, that one roams in an abode.
"And how, householder, does one not roam in an abode? Shackling by dispersal amid the abode of the sign of forms, householder, has been abandoned by the Tathāgata, cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated, so that it is of a nature not to arise again in the future. Therefore the Tathāgata is called 'one who does not roam to an abode.' Shackling by dispersal amid the abode of the sign of sounds, the sign of odors, the sign of tastes, the sign of tangibles, and the sign of mental phenomena, householder, has been abandoned by the Tathāgata, cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated, so that it is of a nature not to arise again in the future. Therefore the Tathāgata is called 'one who does not roam to an abode.' It is in this way, householder, that one does not roam to an abode.
"And how, householder, is one given to intimacy amid sensual pleasures? Here, householder, a certain one dwells associated with laypeople: rejoicing together with them, sorrowing together with them, happy when they are happy, pained when they are pained; and when tasks and duties arise, he involves himself in them personally. It is in this way, householder, that one is given to intimacy amid sensual pleasures. And how, householder, is one not given to intimacy amid sensual pleasures? Here, householder, a bhikkhu dwells unassociated with laypeople: not rejoicing together with them, not sorrowing together with them, not happy when they are happy, not pained when they are pained; and when tasks and duties arise, he does not involve himself in them personally. It is in this way, householder, that one is not given to intimacy amid sensual pleasures.
"And how, householder, is one not empty of sensual pleasures? Here, householder, a certain one is not devoid of lust for sensual pleasures, not devoid of desire, not devoid of affection, not devoid of thirst, not devoid of fever, not devoid of craving. It is in this way, householder, that one is not empty of sensual pleasures. And how, householder, is one empty of sensual pleasures? Here, householder, a bhikkhu is devoid of lust for sensual pleasures, devoid of desire, devoid of affection, devoid of thirst, devoid of fever, devoid of craving. It is in this way, householder, that one is empty of sensual pleasures.
"And how, householder, does one harbor expectations? Here, householder, it occurs to a certain one thus: 'May I be of such form (rūpa) in the future!' — and he takes up delight therein. 'May I have such feeling in the future! May I have such perception in the future! May I have such volitional formations in the future! May I have such consciousness in the future!' — and he takes up delight therein. It is in this way, householder, that one harbors expectations. And how, householder, does one harbor no expectations? Here, householder, it does not occur to a certain bhikkhu thus: 'May I be of such form in the future!' — and he does not take up delight therein. 'May I have such feeling in the future! May I have such perception in the future! May I have such volitional formations in the future! May I have such consciousness in the future!' — and he does not take up delight therein. It is in this way, householder, that one harbors no expectations.
"And how, householder, does one engage in contentious talk with people? Here, householder, a certain one engages in talk of this kind: 'You do not understand this Dhamma and Discipline … or extricate yourself if you can.' It is in this way, householder, that one engages in contentious talk with people. And how, householder, does one not engage in contentious talk with people? Here, householder, a bhikkhu does not engage in talk of this kind: 'You do not understand this Dhamma and Discipline … or extricate yourself if you can.' It is in this way, householder, that one does not engage in contentious talk with people.
"Thus, householder, as to what was said by the Blessed One in the Māgandiya Question of the Aṭṭhakavagga:
Having abandoned home, not roaming to an abode,
the sage not forming intimacies amid sensual pleasures,
empty of sensual pleasures, harbouring no expectations,
he would not engage in contentious talk with people —
it is in this way, householder, that the meaning of this, spoken in brief by the Blessed One, should be seen in detail." Therefore the Blessed One said:
Having abandoned home, not roaming to an abode,
the sage not forming intimacies amid sensual pleasures,
empty of sensual pleasures, harbouring no expectations,
he would not engage in contentious talk with people.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.