iti.13 Itivuttaka

Understanding Contempt

This was said by the Lord…

“Bhikkhus, one who has not directly known and fully understood contempt, who has not detached his mind from it and abandoned it, is incapable of destroying suffering. But one who has directly known and fully understood contempt, and who has detached his mind from it and abandoned it, is capable of destroying suffering.”

Humankind is possessed by contempt,
Bound by contempt and delighted with being;
Not fully understanding contempt,
They come again to renewal of being.

But those who have abandoned contempt,
And who by destroying contempt are freed,
Have conquered the bondage of contempt
And overcome all suffering.

- Translator: John D. Ireland

- Editor: Bhikkhu Sujato

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Complete Understanding of Disdain

This was said by the Buddha, the Perfected One: that is what I heard.
“Mendicants, without directly knowing and completely understanding disdain, without dispassion for it and giving it up, you can’t end suffering.
By directly knowing and completely understanding disdain, having dispassion for it and giving it up, you can end suffering.”
The Buddha spoke this matter.
On this it is said:
“When overcome by disdain
beings go to a bad place.
Having rightly understood that disdain,
the discerning give it up.
Once they’ve given it up,
they never return to this world.”
This too is a matter that was spoken by the Blessed One: that is what I heard.