09-18-2022, 07:53 AM
Gatha 70
The soul endowed with auspicious-cognition (śubhopayoga) is born as worthy sub-human (plant or animal), human, or
celestial being, and, during such existence, obtains an assortment of sensual-pleasures.
Explanatory Note: The soul engaged in auspicious-cognition (śubhopayoga) earns merit (puõya), the cause of pleasant-feeling
(sātāvedanīya), and is reborn in any of these three states of existence: the sub-human (plant or animal), the human, or the
celestial being. It enjoys sensual-pleasures during existence in such states.
Gatha 71
The Doctrine expounds that even the celestial beings (devas) do not enjoy the sense-independent (atīndriya), natural happiness of the soul. Tormented by the bodily craving, they amuse themselves with agreeable sensual-pleasures.
Explanatory Note: Among all worldly happiness, the kind that the celestial beings (devas), endowed with supernatural
accomplishments (rddhi), enjoy is considered to be the foremost.
But even that happiness is not the real happiness of the soul. In fact, it is misery; on being tormented by the bodily urge, the devas fall into the trap of sensual-pleasures. As a man tormented by strong grief commits suicide by jumping from the mountain-top, in the same way, the soul tormented by the bodily urge falls into the trap of sensual-pleasures. Therefore, sensual-pleasures are of the nature of misery. These appear to be happiness due to ignorance. Sensual-pleasures are misery but appear as either happiness or misery.
The soul endowed with auspicious-cognition (śubhopayoga) is born as worthy sub-human (plant or animal), human, or
celestial being, and, during such existence, obtains an assortment of sensual-pleasures.
Explanatory Note: The soul engaged in auspicious-cognition (śubhopayoga) earns merit (puõya), the cause of pleasant-feeling
(sātāvedanīya), and is reborn in any of these three states of existence: the sub-human (plant or animal), the human, or the
celestial being. It enjoys sensual-pleasures during existence in such states.
Gatha 71
The Doctrine expounds that even the celestial beings (devas) do not enjoy the sense-independent (atīndriya), natural happiness of the soul. Tormented by the bodily craving, they amuse themselves with agreeable sensual-pleasures.
Explanatory Note: Among all worldly happiness, the kind that the celestial beings (devas), endowed with supernatural
accomplishments (rddhi), enjoy is considered to be the foremost.
But even that happiness is not the real happiness of the soul. In fact, it is misery; on being tormented by the bodily urge, the devas fall into the trap of sensual-pleasures. As a man tormented by strong grief commits suicide by jumping from the mountain-top, in the same way, the soul tormented by the bodily urge falls into the trap of sensual-pleasures. Therefore, sensual-pleasures are of the nature of misery. These appear to be happiness due to ignorance. Sensual-pleasures are misery but appear as either happiness or misery.