Ud 6.8

Gaṇikāsutta

Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. Tena kho pana samayena rājagahe dve pūgā aññatarissā gaṇikāya sārattā honti paṭibaddhacittā; bhaṇḍanajātā kalahajātā vivādāpannā aññamaññaṁ pāṇīhipi upakkamanti, leḍḍūhipi upakkamanti, daṇḍehipi upakkamanti, satthehipi upakkamanti. Te tattha maraṇampi nigacchanti maraṇamattampi dukkhaṁ.

The Courtesan

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. Now at that time two gangs were both hopelessly in love with a certain courtesan. Fighting, quarreling, and disputing, they attacked each other with fists, stones, rods, and swords, resulting in death and deadly pain.

Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya rājagahaṁ piṇḍāya pāvisiṁsu. Rājagahe piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ: “Idha, bhante, rājagahe dve pūgā aññatarissā gaṇikāya sārattā paṭibaddhacittā; bhaṇḍanajātā kalahajātā vivādāpannā aññamaññaṁ pāṇīhipi upakkamanti, leḍḍūhipi upakkamanti, daṇḍehipi upakkamanti, satthehipi upakkamanti. Te tattha maraṇampi nigacchanti maraṇamattampi dukkhan”ti.

Then several mendicants robed up in the morning and, taking their bowls and robes, entered Rājagaha for alms. Then, after the meal, when they returned from almsround, they went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what was happening.

Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:

Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:

“Yañca pattaṁ yañca pattabbaṁ, ubhayametaṁ rajānukiṇṇaṁ, āturassānusikkhato. Ye ca sikkhāsārā sīlabbataṁ jīvitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ upaṭṭhānasārā, ayameko anto. Ye ca evaṁvādino: ‘natthi kāmesu doso’ti, ayaṁ dutiyo anto. Iccete ubho antā kaṭasivaḍḍhanā, kaṭasiyo diṭṭhiṁ vaḍḍhenti. Etete ubho ante anabhiññāya olīyanti eke, atidhāvanti eke. Ye ca kho te abhiññāya tatra ca nāhesuṁ, tena ca nāmaññiṁsu, vaṭṭaṁ tesaṁ natthi paññāpanāyā”ti.

“What has been attained and what is to be attained are both strewn over with dust for that one training while still sick. Those for whom the training is the essence, or precepts and observances, chastity, and service as the essence: this is one extreme. Those who say, ‘There’s nothing wrong with sensual pleasures’: this is the second extreme. Thus these two extremes swell the charnel grounds, while the charnel grounds swell wrong view. Not realizing these two extremes, some get stuck and some overreach. For those who realize these things, who were not found there, who did not conceive by that, there is no cycle of rebirths to be found.”