Dighanikaya 2.224

2.224

Idāni – ‘‘seyyathāpi, mahārāja, āṇaṇya’’nti ettha bhagavā pahīnakāmacchandanīvaraṇaṃ āṇaṇyasadisaṃ, sesāni ārogyādisadisāni katvā dasseti. Tatrāyaṃ sadisatā, yathā hi puriso iṇaṃ ādāya kammante payojetvā samiddhataṃ patto – ‘‘idaṃ iṇaṃ nāma palibodhamūla’’nti cintetvā savaḍḍhikaṃ iṇaṃ niyyātetvā paṇṇaṃ phālāpeyya. Athassa tato paṭṭhāya neva koci dūtaṃ peseti, na paṇṇaṃ. So iṇasāmike disvāpi sace icchati, āsanā uṭṭhahati, no ce na uṭṭhahati, kasmā? Tehi saddhiṃ nillepatāya alaggatāya. Evameva bhikkhu – ‘‘ayaṃ kāmacchando nāma palibodhamūla’’nti cintetvā cha dhamme bhāvetvā kāmacchandanīvaraṇaṃ pajahati. Te pana cha dhamme mahāsatipaṭṭhāne vaṇṇayissāma. Tassevaṃ pahīnakāmacchandassa yathā iṇamuttassa purisassa iṇassāmike disvā neva bhayaṃ na chambhitattaṃ hoti. Evameva paravatthumhi neva saṅgo na baddho hoti. Dibbānipi rūpāni passato kileso na samudācarati. Tasmā bhagavā āṇaṇyamiva kāmacchandappahānaṃ āha.

Now, in the phrase, “Just as, great king, freedom from debt,” the Blessed One shows the abandonment of the hindrance of sensual desire as being like freedom from debt, and the remaining ones as being like health and so forth. Herein, this is the similarity: just as a man, having taken a loan and engaged in work, might attain prosperity, think, “This loan is the root of encumbrance,” repay the loan with interest, and have the promissory note torn up. Then, from that time on, no one sends a messenger or a letter to him. Even upon seeing the creditors, he stands up from his seat if he wishes, or does not stand up if he does not wish. Why? Because of having no entanglement and no attachment to them. In the very same way, a monk thinks, “This sensual desire is the root of encumbrance,” develops six things, and abandons the hindrance of sensual desire. We will explain those six things in the Great Discourse on the Establishments of Mindfulness. For him who has thus abandoned sensual desire, just as a man freed from debt feels neither fear nor trembling upon seeing the creditors, even so in regard to another's property he has neither attachment nor bondage. Even when seeing heavenly forms, defilement does not arise. Therefore the Blessed One spoke of the abandonment of sensual desire as being like freedom from debt.