Jīvikasuttaṃ [Iti 91, PTS 90]

2.

The Discourse on Livelihood

91. This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Worthy One, thus have I heard:

"This is the lowest of livelihoods, monks, that is to say, going for alms. This is a curse in the world, monks: 'You wander about as an almsman with bowl in hand.' And yet, monks, sons of good family take it up for a reason, dependent on a reason; not driven by kings, not driven by thieves, not oppressed by debt, not oppressed by fear, not overcome by livelihood. But rather: 'We are fallen into birth, ageing, death, sorrows, lamentations, sufferings, displeasures, and anguishes, fallen into suffering, afflicted by suffering; perhaps the ending of this whole mass of suffering might be discerned.' Thus gone forth is this son of good family, monks, and yet he is covetous, with intense lust for sensual pleasures, with a corrupted mind, with evil mental intentions, unmindful, not fully aware, unconcentrated, with a wandering mind, with uncontrolled faculties. Just as, monks, a firebrand from a funeral pyre, burning at both ends, smeared with dung in the middle, serves neither as firewood in the village nor in the forest; I say this person is similar to that, monks: fallen away from the enjoyments of a householder, and not fulfilling the goal of asceticism." The Blessed One said this meaning. Therein this is said:

This meaning too was spoken by the Blessed One, thus have I heard. The second.