Atthakarana Sutta

In Judgment

For free distribution only, as a gift of Dhamma

At Savatthi. As he was sitting to one side, King Pasenadi Kosala said to the Blessed One: "Just now, lord, as I was sitting in judgment, I saw that even affluent nobles, affluent brahmins, & affluent householders -- rich, with great wealth & property, with vast amounts of gold & silver, vast amounts of valuables & commodities, vast amounts of wealth & grain -- tell deliberate lies with sensual pleasures as the cause, sensual pleasures as the reason, simply for the sake of sensual pleasures. Then, the thought occured to me: 'I've had enough of this judging! Let some other fine fellow be known for his judgments!'"

"That's the way it is, great king! That's the way it is! Even affluent nobles, affluent brahmins, & affluent householders...tell deliberate lies with sensual pleasures as the cause, sensual pleasures as the reason, simply for the sake of sensual pleasures. That will lead to their long-term harm & pain."

That is what the Blessed One said. Having said that, the One Well-Gone, the Teacher, said further:

Impassioned     with sensual possessions,
greedy, dazed    by sensual pleasures,
they don't awaken to the fact
    that they've gone too far --
        like fish into trap set out.
    Afterwards it's bitter for them:
    evil for them
        the result.

Revised: 10 November 1999

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/sn3-7.html