"Pathama-samvasa Sutta*
Discourse on living together as husband and wife.
Vol. 5 No. 4 1958
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"Pathama-samvasa Sutta* Discourse on living together as husband and wife. |
Vol. 5 No. 4 1958 |
On one occasion, the Buddha was travelling between Madhura and Veranja. Many householders and their wives were also on the same journey. The Buddha then went and sat down at the foot of a certain tree by the side of the road; the householders and their wives saw the Buddha sitting there, approached him, paid homage to him and sat down at one side. The Buddha said to them while they were sitting there.
'O householders, there are four ways of men and women living together.'
What are the four?
(1) A dead man** lives with a dead woman,
(2) A dead man lives with a devi,***
(3) A deva lives with a dead woman, and
(4) A deva lives with a devi.
(1) A dead man lives with a dead woman. |
O, householders, how does a dead man live with a dead woman? In this case, the husband is one who takes the life of sentient beings, takes what is not freely given, indulges in sexual misconduct, tells lies, partakes of intoxicants, is vicious, is wicked, lives the household life with his mind agitated by the evil of selfishness and abuses and threatens monks and brahmins. His wife also is one who takes the life of sentient beings, takes what is not freely given, indulges in sexual misconduct, tells lies, partakes of intoxicants, is vicious, is wicked, lives the household life with mind agitated by the evil of selfishness, and abuses and threatens monks and brahmins. Thus, O householders, a dead man lives with a dead woman. |
(2) A dead man lives with a devi |
O householders, how does a dead man live with a devi? In this case, householders, the husband is one who takes the life of sentient beings, takes what is not freely given, indulges in sexual misconduct, tells lies, partakes of intoxicants, is vicious, is wicked, lives the household life with mind agitated by the evil of selfishness, and abuses and threatens monks and brahmins. But his wife refrains from taking the life of sentient beings, refrains from taking what is not freely given, refrains from indulging in sexual misconduct, refrains from telling lies, refrains from partaking of intoxicants, is virtuous and of good conduct, lives the household life with her mind free from the evil of selfishness, and does not abuse nor threaten monks and brahmins. In this way, householders a dead man lives with a devi |
(3) A deva lives with a dead woman |
O householders, how does a deva live with a dead woman? O householders, in this case, the husband refrains from taking the life of sentient beings, refrains from taking what is not freely given, refrains from indulging in sexual misconduct, refrains from telling lies, refrains from partaking of intoxicants, is virtuous and of good conduct, lives the household life with mind free from the evil of selfishness, and does not abuse nor threaten monks and brahmins. But his wife is one who takes the life of sentient beings, takes what is not freely given, indulges in sexual misconduct, tells lies, partakes of intoxicants, is vicious, is wicked, lives the household life with mind agitated by the evil of selfishness, and abuses and threatens monks and brahmins. In this way householders, a deva lives with a dead woman. |
(4) A deva lives with a devi |
O householders, how does a deva live with a devi? In this case, householders, the husband refrains from taking the life of sentient beings, refrains from taking what is not freely given, refrains from indulging in sexual misconduct, refrains from telling lies, refrains from partaking of intoxicants, is virtuous and of good conduct, lives the household life with mind free from the evil of selfishness, and does not abuse nor threaten monks and brahmins. His wife also refrains from taking the life of sentient beings, refrains from taking what is not freely given, refrains from indulging in sexual misconduct, refrains from telling lies, refrains from partaking of intoxicants, is virtuous and of good conduct, lives the household life with mind free from the evil of selfishness, and does not abuse nor threaten monks and brahmins. In this way householders, a deva lives with a devi. |
These are the four ways of living together. 1. Both are vicious, stingy and abusers. They are husband and wife living together as dead persons. |
2. The husband is vicious, stingy and abusive; the wife is virtuous, liberal and free from selfishness. That wife is a devi who lives with a dead husband. |
3. The husband is virtuous, liberal and free from selfishness; the wife is vicious, stingy and an abuser; she is a dead person who lives with a deva as her husband. |
4. Both have faith and are liberal; they have self-control, they live righteously and speak pleasantly to each other. There is so much prosperity for the couple who are equally virtuous, and there is so much happiness in their life that people who are unfriendly to them are displeased. The couple having morality equally, practise the Dhamma in this world and rejoice in the deva world enjoying the pleasures of the senses. |
* Sangayana Edition, Vol.1. p. 368.
** 'Dead' because his or her good qualities are dead.
*** God or Goddess (because his or her qualities are divine).
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