Appakasutta

Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “idha mayhaṁ, bhante, rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi: ‘appakā te sattā lokasmiṁ ye uḷāre uḷāre bhoge labhitvā na ceva majjanti, na ca pamajjanti, na ca kāmesu gedhaṁ āpajjanti, na ca sattesu vippaṭipajjanti. Atha kho eteva bahutarā sattā lokasmiṁ ye uḷāre uḷāre bhoge labhitvā majjanti ceva pamajjanti ca kāmesu ca gedhaṁ āpajjanti, sattesu ca vippaṭipajjantī’”ti.

At Sāvatthī. Seated to one side, King Pasenadi said to the Buddha, “Just now, sir, as I was in private retreat this thought came to mind: ‘Few are the sentient beings in the world who, when they obtain luxury possessions, don’t grow indulgent and negligent, giving in to greed for sensual pleasures, and doing the wrong thing by others. There are many more who, when they obtain luxury possessions, do grow indulgent and negligent, giving in to greed for sensual pleasures, and doing the wrong thing by others.’”

“Evametaṁ, mahārāja, evametaṁ, mahārāja. Appakā te, mahārāja, sattā lokasmiṁ, ye uḷāre uḷāre bhoge labhitvā na ceva majjanti, na ca pamajjanti, na ca kāmesu gedhaṁ āpajjanti, na ca sattesu vippaṭipajjanti. Atha kho eteva bahutarā sattā lokasmiṁ, ye uḷāre uḷāre bhoge labhitvā majjanti ceva pamajjanti ca kāmesu ca gedhaṁ āpajjanti, sattesu ca vippaṭipajjantī”ti. Idamavoca …pe…

“That’s so true, Great King! That’s so true!” said the Buddha. And he repeated the king’s statement, adding:

“Sārattā kāmabhogesu, giddhā kāmesu mucchitā; Atisāraṁ na bujjhanti, migā kūṭaṁva oḍḍitaṁ; Pacchāsaṁ kaṭukaṁ hoti, vipāko hissa pāpako”ti.

“Full of desire for possessions and pleasures, greedy, infatuated by sensual pleasures; they don’t notice that they’ve gone too far, like deer ensnared in a trap set out. It’ll be bitter later on; for the result will be bad for them.”