Iti 105 · uttaka 105
This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: “Monks, there are these four birthplaces of craving where a monk’s craving, when taking birth, takes birth. Which four? Either for the sake of cloth a monk’s craving, when taking birth, takes birth. Or for the sake of alms food a monk’s craving, when taking birth, takes birth. Or for the sake of lodging a monk’s craving, when taking birth, takes birth. Or for the sake of becoming or not becoming this or that a monk’s craving, when taking birth, takes birth. These are the four birthplaces of craving where a monk’s craving, when taking birth, takes birth.”
With craving his companion, a man
wanders on a long, long time.
Neither in this state here
nor anywhere else
does he go beyond
the wandering- on.
Knowing this drawback–
that craving brings stress into play–
free from craving,
devoid of clinging,
mindful, the monk
lives the mendicant life.
See also: AN 4:9; AN 4:28; Sn 3:12
Translated by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu. © 2014 / rev. 2017 Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu — released under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 licence, for free distribution only. Source: dhammatalks.org (Metta Forest Monastery).
