Iṇasuttaṃ [AN 6.45, PTS 3.352–3.354]

3.

The Discourse on Debt

45. "Is poverty, monks, suffering in the world for one enjoying sensual pleasures?" "Yes, venerable sir." "And when, monks, a poor, penniless, destitute person takes a loan, is taking a loan also, monks, suffering in the world for one enjoying sensual pleasures?" "Yes, venerable sir." "And when, monks, a poor, penniless, destitute person having taken a loan promises interest, is interest also, monks, painful in the world for one enjoying sensual pleasures?" "Yes, venerable sir." "And when, monks, a poor, penniless, destitute person having promised interest does not give the interest when due, they also accuse him; is accusation also, monks, painful in the world for one enjoying sensual pleasures?" "Yes, venerable sir." "And when, monks, a poor, penniless, destitute person being accused does not give, they also pursue him; is pursuit also, monks, painful in the world for one enjoying sensual pleasures?" "Yes, venerable sir." "And when, monks, a poor, penniless, destitute person being pursued does not give, they also bind him; is bondage also, monks, suffering in the world for one enjoying sensual pleasures?" "Yes, venerable sir."

"Thus indeed, monks, poverty is suffering in the world for one enjoying sensual pleasures, taking a loan is suffering in the world for one enjoying sensual pleasures, interest is painful in the world for one enjoying sensual pleasures, accusation is painful in the world for one enjoying sensual pleasures, pursuit is painful in the world for one enjoying sensual pleasures, bondage is suffering in the world for one enjoying sensual pleasures; so too, monks, whoever has no faith in wholesome mental states, has no shame in wholesome mental states, has no moral fear in wholesome mental states, has no energy in wholesome mental states, has no wisdom in wholesome mental states - this one is called, monks, in the Noble One's discipline, poor, penniless, destitute.

"That one, monks, who is poor, penniless, destitute, when faith is absent in wholesome mental states, when shame is absent in wholesome mental states, when moral fear is absent in wholesome mental states, when energy is absent in wholesome mental states, when wisdom is absent in wholesome mental states, practises misconduct by body, practises misconduct by speech, practises misconduct by mind. This I call his taking a loan.

"He, for the purpose of concealing that bodily misconduct, directs an evil wish. He wishes 'May they not know me,' he thinks 'May they not know me,' he speaks words 'May they not know me,' he exerts himself bodily 'May they not know me.' He, for the purpose of concealing that verbal misconduct, etc. He, for the purpose of concealing that mental misconduct, etc. he exerts himself bodily 'May they not know me.' This I call his interest.

"Well-behaved fellow monks in the holy life say this about him - 'This venerable one acts thus, conducts himself thus.' This I call his accusation.

Evil unwholesome thoughts accompanied by remorse occur to him when he has gone to the forest or gone to the root of a tree or gone to an empty house. This I call his being pursued.

That poor, penniless, destitute person, monks, having practised misconduct by body, having practised misconduct by speech, having practised misconduct by mind, upon the body's collapse at death, is bound in the bondage of hell or in the bondage of the animal realm. I do not, monks, perceive any other single bondage so cruel, so bitter, so obstructive to the achievement of the unsurpassed freedom from bondage as this, monks, the bondage of hell or the bondage of the animal realm.