Deep Commentary

These two verses were taught by the Buddha at Jetavana Monastery and are connected with Khema, the son of a wealthy householder and nephew of Anathapindika. Khema was a handsome and distinguished young man. Whenever women saw him, they became deeply attracted to him. Yet Khema himself pursued other men's wives. One night, the king's officers arrested him and brought him before the king. Out of concern for the reputation of the wealthy householder's family, the king felt uneasy about punishing him; he said nothing and released him. But Khema continued in the same old habit. A second time, and then a third time, he was arrested, and each time the king again set him free. When the matter reached the ears of the wealthy householder, he brought his son to the Blessed One, explained the whole affair, and said, 'Blessed One, please instruct him.' The Buddha awakened Khema's conscience and showed him the fault of pursuing another man's wife through the two verses above. At the same time, the Buddha also related the story of Khema's past through a former vow he had made. According to the account, in the time of Buddha Kassapa, Khema had been a champion wrestler. One day, he hung two prize banners of his beside the golden stupa of the Buddha and made this vow: 'May all women, except my female relatives and blood kin, become enamored of me whenever they see me.' Because of that vow, wherever he was reborn, women became attached to him. In verse 309, the Buddha points out four states of suffering and insecurity: one incurs wrongdoing, sleeps uneasily, is blamed, and falls into hell. These are the consequences of a person living heedlessly under the sway of wrongful desire. Sensual craving is the root of suffering. If we wish to avoid suffering and build true happiness for ourselves, we must first cut off sensual craving. Whoever still harbors strong craving will certainly never live in real happiness. In the Sutra of Forty-Two Sections, the Buddha teaches: 'A person who clings to sensual desire is like someone carrying a torch against the wind; he is sure to burn his hand.' Indeed, a person whose mind is corrupted by attachment to lust will sooner or later receive painful consequences. This reality can be seen everywhere in society. Many people already have families, yet because of an unwholesome mind, craving for sensual pleasure, and inability to restrain desire, they become involved in adultery and destroy their families. Many such tragedies have occurred. A husband once caught his wife embracing and sleeping with another man. Bitterly, that man was also his closest friend. Overcome by jealousy and unable to restrain the fire of anger blazing within him, the husband killed his rival with a knife. In an instant, in the stillness of the night, a life was taken. Those who saw the scene felt sorrow for a person ruined by lust. They pitied the tragic death, yet they also condemned the one whose craving for forbidden pleasure had brought such a fate. This was the consequence of paying an extremely heavy price, even with one's life. Because of infatuation with sensual desire, one forgets even one's own life. One person died on the spot; the other was handcuffed by the authorities and taken away to prison, burdened with hatred and guilt for the crime of murder. The wise have long advised: one who delights in walking in darkness will one day meet danger; one who plays with knives will one day be cut. There are also people who, wanting to satisfy sensual desire, go to places of illicit pleasure for a moment's gratification, only to be afflicted by disease and to suffer bitter regret for the rest of their lives. They bring suffering upon themselves and upon their families. Many fall seriously ill beyond cure and must die early. What pain could be greater? Since they themselves created the causes, they must bear the results; whom else can they blame? In general, anyone who lives heedlessly according to sexual desire, acting unlawfully merely to satisfy the demands of the body, will certainly incur grave consequences. Their mind will always be restless; they will sleep uneasily, be despised and criticized by others, and finally fall into hell to undergo suffering. It is not only after death that they fall into hell; even while alive, they have already entered hell, for hell is a dark place of torment and suffering. Once a person has committed wrong actions such as immoral conduct, sexual misconduct, abuse, or violation of others, how can that person live happily? Though the body may remain, the soul has long been shattered. To prolong such a life is only to drag one's existence through the darkness of wrongdoing. The only exception is when the person turns the mind back, sincerely repents, and vows to abandon past wrongs. In verse 310, the Buddha shows us the painful results: lack of merit, rebirth in a bad destiny, terror and fear, little joy, and severe punishment by the ruler. All these arise from the act of sexual misconduct. Illicit and immoral sexuality is certainly not the conduct of a person with conscience and moral character. Anyone who still has some humanity and compassion would not heartlessly cause suffering to others. To be enslaved by sensual desire, to violate someone's purity, or to destroy the happiness of another household—this, the Buddha says, is to fall into an evil state. That means that although such a person wears the form of a human being, his actions are worse than those of a beast. As human beings, everyone wishes to protect the happiness of oneself and one's family. To do so, we must respect the dignity and family life of both ourselves and others. Countless children have become direct victims of cruel and evil people who violated and abused them, causing them immeasurable suffering. From that moment onward, their innocent lives are haunted by the image of a deep wound. Such violation is a form of terror; throughout their lives, it remains engraved in their consciousness and can never be forgotten. Those who have lost all conscience and are filled with bestial impulses will eventually be brought before the court and punished severely according to the law. This is what the Buddha means by 'the ruler imposes a grave penalty.' Because ignorance and deluded impulses obscure reason, people commit such vile and shameful acts. In short, no human being is free from error. But when we know something is wrong, we must quickly repent and reform. Confession, repentance, abandoning evil, and following the good are the doorway that allows us to rise courageously, enter the house of virtue, and renew our lives. Only then can we hope to escape the prison of suffering in the present and in the future. The story above shows that Khema kept pursuing other men's wives. Even after being arrested several times, brought before the king, and pardoned by him, he continued in the same old habit. Finally, father and son went together to meet the Buddha. The Buddha showed Khema that such conduct was wrong and blameworthy because it destroyed the happiness of other families. At the same time, the Buddha told the story of Khema's former life and the old vow whose karmic result he was now experiencing.