“Kaccāna, there are these five cords of sensual pleasure. What five? Forms cognizable by the eye that are wished for, desired, agreeable, and likeable, connected with sensual desire and provocative of lust. Sounds cognizable by the ear…Odours cognizable by the nose…Flavours cognizable by the tongue… Tangibles cognizable by the body that are wished for, desired, agreeable, and likeable, connected with sensual desire and provocative of lust. These are the five cords of sensual pleasure.
“Now, Kaccāna, the pleasure and joy that arise dependent on these five cords of sensual pleasure are called sensual pleasure. Thus sensual pleasure [arises] through sensual pleasures, but beyond sensual pleasure there is a pleasure higher then the sensual pleasure, and that is declared to be the highest among them."
When this was said, the wanderer Vekhanassa said: “It is wonderful, Master Gotama, it is marvellous, how well that has been expressed by Master Gotama: ‘Thus sensual pleasure [arises] through sensual pleasures, but beyond sensual pleasure there is a pleasure at the peak of the sensual, and that is declared to be the highest among them.’” “Kaccāna, for you who are of another view, who accept another teaching, who approve of another teaching, who pursue a different training, who follow a different teacher, it is hard to know what sensuality is, or what sensual pleasure is, or what the pleasure at the peak of the sensual is. But those bhikkhus who are arahants with taints destroyed, who have lived the holy life, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, reached the true goal, destroyed the fetters of being, and are completely liberated through final knowledge—it is they who would know what sensuality is, what sensual pleasure is, or what the pleasure at the peak of the sensual is.” 15. When this was said, the wanderer Vekhanassa was angry and displeased, and he reviled, disparaged, and censured the Blessed One, saying: “The recluse Gotama will be worsted.” He then said to the Blessed One: “So then there are some recluses and brahmins here who, without knowing the past and without seeing the future, yet claim: ‘Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of being.’ What they say turns out to be ridiculous; it turns out to be mere words, empty and hollow.” 16. “If any recluses and brahmins [44], without knowing the past and without seeing the future, yet claim: ‘Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of being,’ they can be reasonably confuted. Rather, let the past be, Kaccāna, and let the future be. Let a wise man come, one who is honest and sincere, a man of rectitude. I instruct him, I teach him the Dhamma in such a way that by practising as instructed he will soon know and see for himself: ‘Thus, indeed, there rightly comes to be liberation from the bond, that is, from the bond of ignorance.’"
M 80
