A Rope Rajjusutta

At Sāvatthī. Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.

“Possessions, honor, and popularity are grim … “Dāruṇo, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko.

They cut through the outer skin, the inner skin, the flesh, sinews, and bones, until they reach the marrow and keep pressing. Lābhasakkārasiloko, bhikkhave, chaviṁ chindati, chaviṁ chetvā cammaṁ chindati, cammaṁ chetvā maṁsaṁ chindati, maṁsaṁ chetvā nhāruṁ chindati, nhāruṁ chetvā aṭṭhiṁ chindati, aṭṭhiṁ chetvā aṭṭhimiñjaṁ āhacca tiṭṭhati.

Suppose a strong man was to twist a strong horse-hair rope around your shin and tighten it. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, balavā puriso daḷhāya vāḷarajjuyā jaṅghaṁ veṭhetvā ghaṁseyya. It would cut through the outer skin, the inner skin, the flesh, sinews, and bones, until it reached the marrow and kept pressing. Sā chaviṁ chindeyya, chaviṁ chetvā cammaṁ chindeyya, cammaṁ chetvā maṁsaṁ chindeyya, maṁsaṁ chetvā nhāruṁ chindeyya, nhāruṁ chetvā aṭṭhiṁ chindeyya, aṭṭhiṁ chetvā aṭṭhimiñjaṁ āhacca tiṭṭheyya.

In the same way, possessions, honor, and popularity cut through the outer skin, the inner skin, the flesh, sinews, and bones, until they reach the marrow and keep pressing. Evameva kho, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko chaviṁ chindati, chaviṁ chetvā cammaṁ chindati, cammaṁ chetvā maṁsaṁ chindati, maṁsaṁ chetvā nhāruṁ chindati, nhāruṁ chetvā aṭṭhiṁ chindati, aṭṭhiṁ chetvā aṭṭhimiñjaṁ āhacca tiṭṭhati.

So grim are possessions, honor, and popularity. …” Evaṁ dāruṇo kho, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko …pe… evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.