2.6. The Discourse to Kāmada (SN2.6)

At Sāvatthi. While standing to one side, the young deva Kāmada1 said to the Blessed One, “Hard to do, Blessed one! So hard to do, Blessed One!”

“They do even what is hard to do, Kāmada,” said the Blessed One,
“The trainees with virtue and mental unification2,
“Self-stabilized and committed to homelessness,
“For it is contentment that brings pleasure.”

“It is so hard to get, Blessed One – contentment!”

“They get even what is hard to get, Kāmada,” said the Blessed One,
“Those who enjoy a peaceful mind,
“Those who, by day and by night,
“Enjoy developing the mind.”

“It is so hard to unify3, Blessed One – the mind!”

“They unify even what is hard to unify, Kāmada,” said the Blessed One,
“Those who enjoy peaceful faculties,
“The noble ones proceed
“Having severed the net of mortality, Kāmada.”

“It is so hard to follow, Blessed One – the rough4 path.”

“Even though the path is rough,
“The noble ones follow it, Kāmada.
“Those who are not noble fall face down on the rough path,
“But for the noble ones the path is smooth,
“For the noble are smooth amidst the rough.”

Translated by: Suddhāso Bhikkhu, (2020)

Notes:

Lit. “giver of sensuality.”

Samādhi. Lit. “gathering together” or “holding together.”

Samādahaṁ. A verb form of the word “samādhi.”

Visama. The following paragraph is a series of plays on the words “visama” and its opposite “sama.” These words can mean “rough/smooth,” “unpeaceful/peaceful,” “righteous/unrighteous,” “unlevel/level,” and other such meanings.

Prepared for SuttaCentral by Aminah Borg-Luck.