The Suffering of Bondage

So too, Monks, when one does not have confidence in [cultivating] wholesome qualities, when one does not have a sense of moral wrongdoing in [cultivating] wholesome qualities, when one does not have moral concern in [cultivating] wholesome qualities, when one does not have energy in [cultivating] wholesome qualities, when one does not have wisdom in [cultivating] wholesome qualities, in the Noble One’s discipline one is called a poor, impoverished, needy person.

Having no confidence, no sense of moral wrongdoing, no moral concern, no energy, no wisdom in [cultivating] wholesome qualities, that poor, impoverished, needy person engages in misconduct by body, speech, and mind. This, I say, is his getting into debt.

To conceal his bodily misconduct, … To conceal his verbal misconduct, … To conceal his mental misconduct, he nurtures an evil (unwholesome) desire. He wishes: ‘Let no one know me’; he intends [with the desire]: ‘Let no one know me’; he speaks statements [with the desire]: ‘Let no one know me’; he makes bodily endeavors [with the desire]: ‘Let no one know me.’ This, I say, is the interest he must pay.

Well‑behaved fellow Monks speak thus about him: ‘This Venerable one acts in such a way, behaves in such a way’. This, I say, is his being advised.

When he has gone to the forest, to the foot of a tree, or to an empty dwelling, evil unwholesome thoughts accompanied by remorse attack him. This, I say, is his prosecution.

Then, with the breakup of the body, after death, that poor, impoverished, needy person who engaged in misconduct by body, speech, and mind is bound in the prison of hell or the prison of the animal realm. I do not see, Monks, any other prison that is as terrible and harsh, [and] such an obstacle to attaining the unsurpassed security from bondage (Enlightenment), as the prison of hell or the prison of the animal realm.

Poverty is called discontentedness in the world;

so too is getting into debt.

A poor person who becomes indebted

is troubled while enjoying himself.

Then they prosecute him

and he also incurs imprisonment.

This imprisonment is indeed discontentedness

for one yearning for gain and sensual pleasures.

Just so in the Noble One’s discipline,

one in whom confidence is lacking,

who does not see danger in wrongdoing and rude,

heaps up a mass of evil unwholesome Kamma.

Having engaged in misconduct

by body, speech, and mind,

he forms the wish:

‘May no one find out about me.’

He twists around with his body,

(twists around) by speech or mind;

he piles up his evil (unwholesome) deeds,

in one way or another, repeatedly.

This unwise evildoer, knowing

his own misdeeds, is a poor person

who falls into debt,

troubled while enjoying himself.

His thoughts then prosecute him;

painful mental states born of remorse

(follow him wherever he goes)

whether in the village or the forest.

This unwise evildoer,

knowing his own misdeeds,

goes to a certain (animal) realm

or is even bound in hell.

This indeed is the discontentedness of bondage

from which the wise person is freed, …

(Reference: AN 6.45)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares how a person who has unwholesome bodily, verbal, and mental conduct makes decisions to go into debt and is troubled by their indebtedness similar to a person who is impoverished.

The Buddha describes the realm of hell and the animal realm as a prison. Essentially, a being will find it extremely difficult to escape from those realms requiring countless rebirths before being able to experience an improved birth in the human or heavenly realms with the opportunity to attain Enlightenment.

When an individual is doing unwholesome conduct, the mind knows and worries about these deeds. The unwise decisions lead to worry and despair. The Buddha explains: “When he has gone to the forest, to the foot of a tree, or to an empty dwelling, evil unwholesome thoughts accompanied by remorse attack him. This, I say, is his prosecution”.

Conversely, for one who purifies their bodily, verbal, and mental conduct on The Path to Enlightenment and attains Enlightenment knows they have purified their moral conduct. Wise wholesome decisions lead to elimination of all worry and despair. One aspect of eliminating discontentedness as part of The Path to Enlightenment is that a Practitioner knows they have purified their moral conduct and, in doing so, they are not causing any harm to other beings. The mind can be at ease and peaceful knowing their life practice is not causing harm and, therefore, no harm will come to them. All fears can be eliminated of any harm returning to you because you are not causing any harm in the world.

But, for one who continues to make unwise decisions to have unwholesome moral conduct “Then, with the breakup of the body, after death, that poor, impoverished, needy person who engaged in misconduct by body, speech, and mind is bound in the prison of hell or the prison of the animal realm”. A being is reborn based on the results of their decisions. No one, no being, or no entity is sending you to a harmful and painful place such as hell or the animal realm but instead, it is one’s own decisions that create this outcome. Likewise, it is our own decisions that can lead to an improved rebirth or even Enlightenment in this life.

Continued craving/desire/attachment leads to continued discontentedness and the mind is bound or tied to The Cycle of Rebirth continuing to experience wandering and roaming with sorrow, grief, displeasure, and despair. “This indeed is the discontentedness of bondage…”.

For a Practitioner who continues to choose to make unwise unwholesome decisions, these are decisions to remain bound to continued sorrow, grief, displeasure, and despair. It is like a prison to remain in The Cycle of Rebirth while one who has attained Enlightenment is experiencing freedom from strong feelings, the mind is liberated, and no longer bound to discontentedness or continued rebirth in The Cycle of Rebirth.

Detailed explanation of moral wrongdoing and moral concern is available in this same book series found in Chapter 25 of the book “Generosity” (Volume 13).