1.1Sāvatthinidānaṁ.At Sāvatthī.

1.2Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho kāmado devaputto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:Standing to one side, the godling Kāmada said to the Buddha,¹1.3“dukkaraṁ, bhagavā, sudukkaraṁ, bhagavā”ti.“It’s too hard, Blessed One! It’s just too hard!”

2.1“Dukkaraṁ vāpi karonti,“They do it even though it’s hard,”2.2(kāmadāti bhagavā)said the Buddha to Kāmada,2.3Sekhā sīlasamāhitā;“the stable trainees with ethics, and immersion.2.4Ṭhitattā anagāriyupetassa,For one who has entered the homeless life,2.5Tuṭṭhi hoti sukhāvahā”ti.contentment brings happiness.”

3.1“Dullabhā, bhagavā, yadidaṁ tuṭṭhī”ti.“Such contentment, Blessed One, is hard to find.”

4.1“Dullabhaṁ vāpi labhanti,“They find it even though it’s hard,”4.2(kāmadāti bhagavā)said the Buddha to Kāmada,4.3Cittavūpasame ratā;“those who love to settle the mind;4.4Yesaṁ divā ca ratto ca,whose minds love to meditate4.5Bhāvanāya rato mano”ti.day and night.”

5.1“Dussamādahaṁ, bhagavā, yadidaṁ cittan”ti.“But it’s hard, Blessed One, to immerse this mind in samādhi.”

6.1“Dussamādahaṁ vāpi samādahanti,“They become immersed in samādhi <j>even though it’s hard,”6.2(kāmadāti bhagavā)said the Buddha to Kāmada,6.3Indriyūpasame ratā;“those who love calming the faculties.6.4Te chetvā maccuno jālaṁ,Having cut through the net of Death,6.5Ariyā gacchanti kāmadā”ti.the noble ones, Kāmada, go on their way.”

7.1“Duggamo, bhagavā, visamo maggo”ti.“But this path, Blessed One, is rough and hard to travel.”

8.1“Duggame visame vāpi,“Though it’s rough, hard to travel,8.2Ariyā gacchanti kāmada;the noble ones, Kāmada, go on their way.8.3Anariyā visame magge,The ignoble fall headfirst8.4Papatanti avaṁsirā;on a rough path.8.5Ariyānaṁ samo maggo,But the path of the noble ones is smooth,8.6Ariyā hi visame samā”ti.for the noble ones are smooth amid the rough.”