Obscurations
Upakkilesa Sutta (AN 4:50)
“Monks, there are these four obscurations of the sun and moon, obscured by which the sun and moon don’t glow, don’t shine, don’t dazzle. Which four?
“Clouds are an obscuration of the sun and moon, obscured by which the sun and moon don’t glow, don’t shine, don’t dazzle.
“Fog is an obscuration.…
“Smoke and dust is an obscuration.…
“Rāhu, the king of the asuras [believed to be the cause of an eclipse] is an obscuration of the sun and moon, obscured by which the sun and moon don’t glow, don’t shine, don’t dazzle.
“These are the four obscurations of the sun and moon, obscured by which the sun and moon don’t glow, don’t shine, don’t dazzle.
“In the same way, there are four obscurations of contemplatives & brahmans, obscured by which some contemplatives & brahmans don’t glow, don’t shine, don’t dazzle. Which four?
“There are some contemplatives & brahmans who drink alcohol and fermented liquor, who don’t refrain from drinking alcohol and fermented liquor. This is the first obscuration of contemplatives & brahmans, obscured by which some contemplatives & brahmans don’t glow, don’t shine, don’t dazzle.
“There are some contemplatives & brahmans who engage in sexual intercourse, who don’t refrain from sexual intercourse. This is the second obscuration of contemplatives & brahmans, obscured by which some contemplatives & brahmans don’t glow, don’t shine, don’t dazzle.
“There are some contemplatives & brahmans who consent to gold & silver, who don’t refrain from accepting gold & silver. This is the third obscuration of contemplatives & brahmans, obscured by which some contemplatives & brahmans don’t glow, don’t shine, don’t dazzle.
“There are some contemplatives & brahmans who maintain life through wrong livelihood, who don’t refrain from wrong livelihood. This is the fourth obscuration of contemplatives & brahmans, obscured by which some contemplatives & brahmans don’t glow, don’t shine, don’t dazzle.
“These are the four obscurations, obscured by which some contemplatives & brahmans don’t glow, don’t shine, don’t dazzle.”
Obscured by passion & aversion
—some brahmans & contemplatives—
people entrenched in ignorance,
delighting in endearing forms,
drink alcohol & fermented liquor,
engage in sexual intercourse,
unwise, consent to gold & silver,
live by means of wrong livelihood
—some brahmans & contemplatives.
These are said to be obscurations
by the Awakened One,
kinsman of the Sun.
Because of these obscurations
some brahmans & contemplatives
don’t glow,
don’t shine,
are impure,
dusty,
dead.1
Covered with darkness,
slaves to craving, led on,
they swell the terrible charnel ground,
they grab at further becoming.
Note
1. Reading matā with the Thai edition. The Burmese edition has magā, “stupid.”
See also: SN 42:10
