AN 3.56

Palokasutta

Atha kho aññataro brāhmaṇamahāsālo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami …pe… ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so brāhmaṇamahāsālo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “sutaṁ metaṁ, bho gotama, pubbakānaṁ brāhmaṇānaṁ vuddhānaṁ mahallakānaṁ ācariyapācariyānaṁ bhāsamānānaṁ: ‘pubbe sudaṁ ayaṁ loko avīci maññe phuṭo ahosi manussehi, kukkuṭasaṁpātikā gāmanigamarājadhāniyo’ti. Ko nu kho, bho gotama, hetu ko paccayo yenetarahi manussānaṁ khayo hoti, tanuttaṁ paññāyati, gāmāpi agāmā honti, nigamāpi anigamā honti, nagarāpi anagarā honti, janapadāpi ajanapadā hontī”ti?

Breaking Apart

Then a certain well-to-do brahmin went up to the Buddha, and seated to one side he said to him: “Worthy Gotama, I have heard that brahmins of the past who were elderly and senior, the tutors of tutors, said: ‘In the old days this world was so full of humans you’d think they were squashed together. The villages, towns, and capital cities were no more than a chicken’s flight apart.’ What is the cause, worthy Gotama, what is the reason why these days human numbers have dwindled, a decline in population is evident, and whole villages, towns, cities, and countries have disappeared?”

“Etarahi, brāhmaṇa, manussā adhammarāgarattā visamalobhābhibhūtā micchādhammaparetā. Te adhammarāgarattā visamalobhābhibhūtā micchādhammaparetā tiṇhāni satthāni gahetvā aññamaññaṁ jīvitā voropenti, tena bahū manussā kālaṁ karonti. Ayampi kho, brāhmaṇa, hetu ayaṁ paccayo yenetarahi manussānaṁ khayo hoti, tanuttaṁ paññāyati, gāmāpi agāmā honti, nigamāpi anigamā honti, nagarāpi anagarā honti, janapadāpi ajanapadā honti.

“These days, brahmin, humans just love illicit desire. They’re overcome by immoral greed, and mired in wrong religious teachings. Taking up sharp knives, they murder each other. And so many people perish. This is the cause, this is the reason why these days human numbers have dwindled.

Puna caparaṁ, brāhmaṇa, etarahi manussā adhammarāgarattā visamalobhābhibhūtā micchādhammaparetā. Tesaṁ adhammarāgarattānaṁ visamalobhābhibhūtānaṁ micchādhammaparetānaṁ devo na sammādhāraṁ anuppavecchati. Tena dubbhikkhaṁ hoti dussassaṁ setaṭṭhikaṁ salākāvuttaṁ. Tena bahū manussā kālaṁ karonti. Ayampi kho, brāhmaṇa, hetu ayaṁ paccayo yenetarahi manussānaṁ khayo hoti, tanuttaṁ paññāyati, gāmāpi agāmā honti, nigamāpi anigamā honti, nagarāpi anagarā honti, janapadāpi ajanapadā honti.

Furthermore, because these days humans just love illicit desire … the heavens don’t provide enough rain, so there’s famine, a bad harvest, with crops blighted and turned to straw. And so many people perish. This is the cause, this is the reason why these days human numbers have dwindled.

Puna caparaṁ, brāhmaṇa, etarahi manussā adhammarāgarattā visamalobhābhibhūtā micchādhammaparetā. Tesaṁ adhammarāgarattānaṁ visamalobhābhibhūtānaṁ micchādhammaparetānaṁ yakkhā vāḷe amanusse ossajjanti, tena bahū manussā kālaṁ karonti. Ayampi kho, brāhmaṇa, hetu ayaṁ paccayo yenetarahi manussānaṁ khayo hoti, tanuttaṁ paññāyati, gāmāpi agāmā honti, nigamāpi anigamā honti, nagarāpi anagarā honti, janapadāpi ajanapadā hontī”ti.

Furthermore, because these days humans just love illicit desire … native spirits let vicious monsters loose. And so many humans perish. This is the cause, this is the reason why these days human numbers have dwindled.”

“Abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama …pe… upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.

“Excellent, worthy Gotama! Excellent! … From this day forth, may the worthy Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”